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Glossary

Factual Accuracy

Whether the claims made in a news story or by a media figure are true and can be verified against primary sources.

Why it matters

Factual accuracy is the foundation of journalistic credibility. PressGrade weights it more heavily than any other criterion.


What good looks like

A reporter who attributes a statistical claim to a specific study and links to that study.


What poor practice looks like

A media figure who repeats a claim from a partisan source without verifying it.


How PressGrade scores it

PressGrade examines documented cases of false or misleading claims and reviews independent fact-checker assessments.

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