Fact Checking, as currently deployed by social media, is pretty damn close to word- and phrase-matching. Trivial, stupid, and anti-democratic.
But even the best human staffed Fact Checking is basically Not Possible. Even the best Fact Checking is basically matching stories to "approved" and "disapproved" narratives. Disapproved narratives are those which challenge powerful people, otherwise they don't care. Powerful people highlight certain facts or factoids to support their side. Human fact checkers don't grow in a vacuum, they are conditioned by a lifetime of having been influenced by powerful people.
Always and only the best path to truth is critically reading all sides in their most valid and authentic voices.
As one guy on Twitter says, we should be learning many languages to better understand distant voices.
But even the best human staffed Fact Checking is basically Not Possible. Even the best Fact Checking is basically matching stories to "approved" and "disapproved" narratives. Disapproved narratives are those which challenge powerful people, otherwise they don't care. Powerful people highlight certain facts or factoids to support their side. Human fact checkers don't grow in a vacuum, they are conditioned by a lifetime of having been influenced by powerful people.
Always and only the best path to truth is critically reading all sides in their most valid and authentic voices.
As one guy on Twitter says, we should be learning many languages to better understand distant voices.
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