Politifact is probably the worst “fact-checking” site on the internet. They are deeply partisan, targeting Republicans with ridiculously unfair analysis, often calling things false that are objectively true. They do this by hiding behind the excuse of “context” while never applying that same standard to Democrats. The game is simple. A Republican says something true or even just gives an opinion, which shouldn’t even be fact-checked. Politifact will then write 500 words on how others might take it differently and then slap a false rating on it. Later, media outlets cite them as authoritative to show how much more “honest” Democrats are.

That happened to Candace Owens, who made the perfectly true statement that Joe Biden is not legally the “President-Elect” on Facebook. She was promptly censored and labeled a liar by Politifact, who Facebook contracts with. Instead of backing down, she lawyered up, and then this happened.

At 8 Months pregnant, I unfortunately cannot fight on the ground alongside patriots like I am used to, but I am taking every measure to fight these communists in the court room. It is my goal to expose these lying “fact-checkers” one by one. @JoeBiden is NOT the President-elect. pic.twitter.com/hW4NLpK4tc

— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) November 28, 2020

Owens’ original statement was completely true. To the extent that being President-elect is even a real thing, a person does not become it until the electors vote and the election is officially over. When Owens made her video and post, it had only been 10 days since the election. Recounts and legal challenges were just beginning as it took a week to simply get most of the votes in in some states. Despite that, Politifact decided to do what they always do, which is write an opinionated ruling which assumes that something true is actually false because they feel like it. That’s not fact-checking. That’s activism.

Politifact may be the worst culprit, but there are many others, including the outfit at The Washington Post, that do much the same thing. How did facts become so political? Of course, all this does press the fact that there shouldn’t be “fact-checkers.” That’s what journalists are supposed to be. The fact that they are so awful at their jobs doesn’t mean we need a cottage industry of partisans who pretend to be arbiters of truth while being anything but.

Good for Owens for fighting back here. It’s about time someone put the media’s feet to the fire.

(Please follow me on Twitter! @bonchieredstate)