Study: Media Fact-Checker Says Republicans Lie More

[one...two...tree 2,762]

A leading media fact-checking organization rates Republicans as less trustworthy than Democrats, according to a new study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) at George Mason University. The study finds that PolitiFact.com has rated Republican claims as false three times as often as Democratic claims during President Obama’s second term. Republicans continue to get worse marks in recent weeks, despite controversies over Obama administration statements on Benghazi, the IRS and the AP.

According to CMPA President Dr Robert Lichter, “While Republicans see a credibility gap in the Obama administration, PolitiFact rates Republicans as the less credible party.”

The study examined 100 statements involving factual claims by Democrats (46 claims) and Republicans (54 claims), which were fact-checked by PolitiFact.com during the four month period from the start of President Obama’s second term on January 20 through May 22, 2013.

Major findings:

PolitiFact rated 32% of Republican claims as “false” or “pants on fire,” compared to 11% of Democratic claims – a 3 to 1 margin. Conversely, Politifact rated 22% of Democratic claims as “entirely true” compared to 11% of Republican claims – a 2 to 1 margin.

A majority of Democratic statements (54%) were rated as mostly or entirely true, compared to only 18% of Republican statements. Conversely, a majority of Republican statements (52%) were rated as mostly or entirely false, compared to only 24% of Democratic statements.

Despite controversies over Obama administration statements regarding Benghazi, the IRS and the Associated Press, Republicans have continued to fare worse than Democrats, with 60% of their claims rated as false so far this month (May 1 – May 22), compared to 29% of Democratic statements – a 2 to 1 margin.

http://www.cmpa.com/media_room_press_05_28_13.html

[Darnell 8,478]

Of course Republicans (in office) lie more. It's great they have the empirical data now.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Darnell

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

A leading media fact-checking organization rates Republicans as less trustworthy than Democrats...

I could have told you that without doing a big ole' study on the subject.

[RGinWA 816]

It's like a study on whether bears $#it in the woods or not. Duh....

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It's like a study on whether bears $#it in the woods or not. Duh....

Or a study to find out whether water is wet.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Another Democratic lie. It just shows PolitiFact's obvious bias.

The real press release:

This study’s findings are similar to those of a previous CMPA study, which found that PolitiFact gave more negative ratings to the Romney campaign than the Obama campaign during the 2012 presidential election campaign.

http://www.cmpa.com/media_room_press_05_28_13.html

Edited May 29, 2013 by The Patriot

[lostinblue 1,989]

I don’t remember, I don’t recall, and “I know nothing.....Seems to work for the liberals.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Another Democratic lie. It just shows PolitiFact's obvious bias.

The real press release:

The Romney camp got more negative ratings not because Politifact is biased but because Romney and his crew have been lying their arses off.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

By Washington Post Standards, PolitiFact is biased

The Washington Post is regarded as one of the three most prestigious newspapers in the United States. They run The Fact Checker [5. http://www.washingtonpost.com...] that rates the truth of political statements much in the manner of PolitiFact. The Post is widely regarded as a liberal paper, though more balanced than the leftist Tampa Bay Times that sponsors PolitiFact. The Tampa Bay Times has not endorsed a single Republican candidate in this century for any of the three most important positions in Florida. [6. http://florida.mediatrackers.org...]

The Post's ombudsman Deborah Howell wrote in 2008: " "I'll bet that most Post journalists voted for Obama. I did. There are centrists at The Postas well. But the conservatives I know here feel so outnumbered that they don't even want to be quoted by name in a memo ... opinion was still weighted toward Obama. It's not hard to see why conservatives feel disrespected.” [7. http://www.washingtonpost.com...] The Post has a mix of liberal and conservative columnists, and while they endorsed Obama in both 2008 and 2012, they have endorsed some Republican Congressional candidates running for office in Virginia.

The Fact Checker rates the two Parties overall as equally likely to lie. PolitiFact rates Republicans twice as likely to lie as Democrats. [8. http://washingtonexaminer.com... ] The Fact Checker finds Democrats more likely to tell big lies than Republicans. They award Pinocchios based upon how extreme they they rate a falsehood, with four Pinocchios the worst. "... 61% of Democratic statements also received three or four Pinocchios (the least truthful categories), compared to 48% of Republican statements." That's not a major difference, but The Fact Checker thinks Democrats are more likely to tell big lies than Republicans.

PolitiFact awards its "Pants on Fire" ratings to statements which it judges not just false, but ridiculous. "In the three years since the end of the partnership with CQ [Congressional Quarterly], PolitiFact has found a total of 323 conservative claims to be untrue, with 119 of those getting Pants on Fire. In the same time, it’s found 105 liberal claims to be untrue, with just 13 deemed Pants on Fire," [3 op cit] So Politifact thinks Republicans are nine times more likely to tell a big lie than Democrats, compared to The Fact Checker assessment that Republicans are about 20% less likely to tell a big lie. It's not plausible that the Washington Post has an extreme Republican bias. Politifact is therefore biased.

http://www.debate.org/debates/Politifact-is-biased/1/

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

By Washington Post Standards, PolitiFact is biased

The Washington Post is regarded as one of the three most prestigious newspapers in the United States. They run The Fact Checker [5. http://www.washingtonpost.com...] that rates the truth of political statements much in the manner of PolitiFact. The Post is widely regarded as a liberal paper, though more balanced than the leftist Tampa Bay Times that sponsors PolitiFact. The Tampa Bay Times has not endorsed a single Republican candidate in this century for any of the three most important positions in Florida. [6. http://florida.mediatrackers.org...]

The Post's ombudsman Deborah Howell wrote in 2008: " "I'll bet that most Post journalists voted for Obama. I did. There are centrists at The Postas well. But the conservatives I know here feel so outnumbered that they don't even want to be quoted by name in a memo ... opinion was still weighted toward Obama. It's not hard to see why conservatives feel disrespected.” [7. http://www.washingtonpost.com...] The Post has a mix of liberal and conservative columnists, and while they endorsed Obama in both 2008 and 2012, they have endorsed some Republican Congressional candidates running for office in Virginia.

The Fact Checker rates the two Parties overall as equally likely to lie. PolitiFact rates Republicans twice as likely to lie as Democrats. [8. http://washingtonexaminer.com... ] The Fact Checker finds Democrats more likely to tell big lies than Republicans. They award Pinocchios based upon how extreme they they rate a falsehood, with four Pinocchios the worst. "... 61% of Democratic statements also received three or four Pinocchios (the least truthful categories), compared to 48% of Republican statements." That's not a major difference, but The Fact Checker thinks Democrats are more likely to tell big lies than Republicans.

PolitiFact awards its "Pants on Fire" ratings to statements which it judges not just false, but ridiculous. "In the three years since the end of the partnership with CQ [Congressional Quarterly], PolitiFact has found a total of 323 conservative claims to be untrue, with 119 of those getting Pants on Fire. In the same time, it’s found 105 liberal claims to be untrue, with just 13 deemed Pants on Fire," [3 op cit] So Politifact thinks Republicans are nine times more likely to tell a big lie than Democrats, compared to The Fact Checker assessment that Republicans are about 20% less likely to tell a big lie. It's not plausible that the Washington Post has an extreme Republican bias. Politifact is therefore biased.

http://www.debate.org/debates/Politifact-is-biased/1/

Using other people's argument? Okay then, from you link:

Furthermore, pro offers this "proof" of WP's impartiality through Ombudsman Deborah Howell of the WP and tries to establish that the WP is either liberal/neutral. However, Howell herself has a conservative bias. In 2006, she got involved in a dispute with her readers over her claims that lobbyist Jack Abramoff who took millions of dollars from Native American tribes “had made substantial campaign contributions to both major parties” [9]. However, according to Howard Dean “the Federal Election Commission (FEC) reports show that there is no evidence that Jack Abramoff ever gave any democrat any money” [10]. After being proven wrong Howell responded by saying that Abramoff 'directed' contributions to both parties. Yet, when readers of her blog pointed out that there was no evidence that Abramoff directed contributions to democrats [11], the management of the WP shut down and pulled all comments from the blog [12]. WP's ombudsman made false claims in favor of Republicans and when called out, she and management covered it up. Pro uses Howell's testimony to prove that the WP is neutral. It is unreliable.

One of the links in your quoted text refers to media tracker which self identifies as a conservative source. They'd call someone in the middle left, of course. That's because most everyone is to their left. It's what happens when you hang out over there on the right. It's all relative, you know?

[james&olya 1,121]

When you have an ideology that is supported by prejudice and stereotype but not by actual facts what other choice do you have except lying? And if you repeat these same lies often enough and loud enough you will convince many of the ignorant and weak-minded out there. It is called the tea party!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It's all relative, you know?

Maybe in your neck of the woods. In my world, we don't go to family reunions to meet women.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

When you have an ideology that is supported by prejudice and stereotype but not by actual facts what other choice do you have except lying? And if you repeat these same lies often enough and loud enough you will convince many of the ignorant and weak-minded out there.

Isn't that the definition of modern liberalism?

[Darnell 8,478]

aha ! a truthiness meter ! yay !

[one...two...tree 2,762]

aha ! a truthiness meter ! yay !

Ahoy, m'lady. You must get your beauty rest or I fear you may lose your ability to swallow the truth.