Fact Checkers

Without getting into the weeds of Candy Crowley's mid-debate "fact check" last night, I wanted to post a quick thought on "fact checking."

Fact checkers are needed because most members of the media prefer to cover the horse race. It's easier to cover. Most readers prefer it. However, that leaves a big gap in the coverage of the substantive claims made the candidates.

Fact checkers shouldn't try to hard to evaluate if a claim is true, rather, they should provide readers with the background information and context from which they, themselves, can evaluate the truth of what a candidate said.

Giving out a certain number of Pinochio's with their pants-on-fire is gimmicky, and it takes away from they are needed for; providing the background information required for examination of the factual assertions made on the campaign trail.