YSK about FactCheck: a resource run by the theJournal.ie which allows you to submit a statement made by any public figure/organistion which will the be investigated to see whether or not it is true. An excellent resource in my opinion

They don't check every public submission. From what I've seen they just produce a fact check article every now and then on something a politician has said or if there's a debate for example.

Fact checking is far less time consuming than writing an actual news article. There is no "finding the story" (which is easily the most difficult part of journalism), getting quotes from sources, ensuring balance, garnering a photograph if necessary, etc.

Fact checking is a simple as finding out if a statement made by a politician is correct. For a seasoned journo this should be a fairly trivial task tbh. Depending on what the statement is pertaining to, you just have to ask yourself where you'd find the truth, and it invariably would be in one of the following:

  • Annual report of relevant government/non-government body
  • CSO quarterly report
  • Oireachtas parliamentary debates/committees
  • Going direct to relevant government department in necessary
  • Other common sources of info I see a lot (would be even more familiar to a journo) include OECD reports, ESRI reports, etc.

If the info is already out there, it can literally be as easy as cracking open the right report and hitting ctrl + f.

/r/ireland Thread Parent Link - thejournal.ie