Our Methodology

MISBAR checks facts, not opinions. We focus our attention and resources on the issues that are most important to people, and especially try to examine statements that are newsworthy or concern issues of importance. We do our best to be dispassionate and non-partisan, drawing attention to inaccurate statements from all sides of the political spectrum. The identity of the person or organization making a claim is irrelevant: what matters is whether their facts are accurate or inaccurate.

We are committed to being transparent about our sources. Whenever possible, we provide links to our sources so readers have access to – and can verify – the information we use to reach our conclusions.

MISBAR strives for high editorial standards and adheres to the following guidelines:

• Evidentiality: We aim to be accurate in our fact-checking, consulting multiple sources to ensure that fact-checks are backed by accurate evidence. Depending on the nature of the fact-check required, we use internet tools such as reverse image search and data from official sources. When necessary, we also reach out to relevant individuals to verify claims. We do not quote anonymous sources.
• Transparency: MISBAR explains in detail how each claim was debunked. This is done in the interest of transparency. It also serves an educational purpose, guiding readers on how to evaluate claims that they may come across in future. It also helps in spreading awareness of the consequences of fake news.
• Nonpartisanship: MISBAR has no political affiliations. We believe in fact-checking news from all ends of the political spectrum and apply the same standards to claims irrespective of who originated them.

In journalism, mistakes can and do happen even after the application of due diligence procedures. While MISBAR continually strives for excellence and accuracy, we will occasionally make errors. When these errors happen, MISBAR will take responsibility for correcting the error, and will maintain a high level of transparency to be sure that incorrect information does not spread. If a reader spots an error, they should contact submit@misbar.com.

A major error is an error that results in a new rating or otherwise changes the general outlook of the article. In these cases we publish a correction article linked to the original article. The text of the article is updated with the new information stating the changes and their timing.

We correct typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, and other small errors without a correction tag.

Labeling the authenticity of a topic or event into a one-word assessment can be challenging. Sometimes labeling an article “true” or “false” is not appropriate or doesn’t tell the whole story. MISBAR’s rating system has a variety of labels so we can be accurate, clear, and fair. We pay attention to word choice, and claims are rated based on whether the claim is literally correct. We rate all claims using the facts available at the time of publishing and are committed to letting the evidence guide our conclusions. Our available ratings are as follows:

1. Fact Checks topics:

MISBAR publishes fact-check articles reviewed by editors and experts. Fact-checks include a clear claim, who posted, origin, investigation, and sources.

2. Misbar Blog:

In addition to fact-checking, MISBAR publishes original news stories, in-depth investigations, analysis, translations, educational material, quizzes, tips, and other content we believe will help readers understand and contextualize information they encounter.

• Original news: any needed original news related to MISBAR’s focus on fact-checking and fake news.
• Investigations: in-depth investigation of issues related to fact-checking, fake news, long-term issues, analyses, and assessment reports.
• Educational material: explanations of how to fight misinformation.
• Translations: translated materials from and into different languages.
• Quizzes: test yourself.