Project overview
Full Fact is the UK’s independent, non-partisan, factchecking charity. They check claims made by politicians, the media, pressure groups, and other voices in public debate, and push for corrections where necessary. They also work with government departments and academic research institutions to improve the quality and communication of technical information at source, and campaign for greater transparency in the public arena.
There are two main reasons why this is important.
- 76% of people think it is extremely important that MPs tell the truth but only 26% trust them to do it. The public have therefore lost trust in the political process as a force for constructive change. If it were easier for citizens to challenge claims they know from their own experience are wrong, they could re-engage with the political process.
- Bad facts lead to bad decisions. For example, misleading international education comparisons are harmful if they lead to bad policy choices; something the Nuffield Foundation and Full Fact have both worked on.
Since being founded in 2010, Full Fact has published thousands of factchecks, secured corrections from every major newspaper and from politicians across the political spectrum (including the Prime Minister), and worked with broadcasters to factcheck live events, such as BBC Question Time and leaders’ debates.
In 2012, Full Fact contributed “comprehensive and extremely helpful” evidence to the Leveson Inquiry, and were instrumental in persuading The Sun and the Daily Mail to set up corrections columns.
For the 2015 general election, Full Fact ran an 18-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week rapid response centre for media and the public.
