Resources exist for verifying facts

You are to be commended for the new Sunday column, Facts Matter. We have experienced an unprecedented avalanche of half-truths, misinformation and lies that leaves the average person with an array of proclamations and little or no resources for finding the truth. There are dozens of websites that are created for the sole purpose of confusing and discrediting with an array of fabrications. Many use logos or names that appear legitimate. There are even fake websites that look like legitimate academic journals. As a rule of thumb, any "news" that appears on Facebook is suspect - even when it says just what we want to hear. In addition to all of this, of course, there are people who mislead or lie in interviews or on social media.

For responsible consumers of information who want to check a claim before the next Facts Matter column, there are reliable ways to do just that. Mr. Oswald mentioned Snopes.com in his first column. That is an excellent site for checking, especially information you find on Facebook or in emails. We can also try the following:

1. Factcheck.org is a nonpartisan site funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation. The site has no ads and receives no money from businesses, unions, political parties, organizations or private donors.

2. Politifact.com is a nonpartisan fact-checking website to sort out the truth in American politics. PolitiFact was created by the Tampa Bay Times, a Florida newspaper, in 2007. In 2018, PolitiFact was acquired by the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit school for journalists.

A free democracy depends heavily on a dedicated, investigative, fact-based press. As responsible citizens, it behooves us to support their efforts and refuse the siren song of fabrications that support "our side."

Marlene Brusko

Schaumburg