R0050/2026-03-31-02/Q001/S01/R02¶
PolitiFact's published methodology for the Truth-O-Meter rating system
Summary¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter: PolitiFact's methodology for independent fact-checking |
| URL | https://www.politifact.com/article/2018/feb/12/principles-truth-o-meter-politifacts-methodology-i/ |
| Date accessed | 2026-03-31 |
| Publication date | 2018-02-12 |
| Author(s) | PolitiFact staff |
| Publication | PolitiFact |
Selection Decision¶
Included in evidence base: Yes
Rationale: Primary source for PolitiFact's six-point rating scale and editorial process. The Truth-O-Meter is one of the most widely recognized structured assessment tools in journalism — directly relevant to whether fact-checking has formal evidence evaluation structures.