My new column at CJR considers the future of the fact-checking movement after the 2012 campaign. Here’s how it begins: As journalists close the books on 2012 and look forward to coverage of a second Obama administration, one important question is where the factchecking movement goes from here. The general election campaign was unquestionably the

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My new piece for CJR examines the media’s propensity for hindsight bias in post-election coverage, which typically shifts from pre-election uncertainty to portraying the outcome as inevitable. Here’s how it begins: The media has undergone a strange change of mindset. Immediately before last Tuesday’s election, many reporters and commentators ignored or dismissed the consensus among

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I was interviewed today on WHYY Philadelphia’s “Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane” about “Facts, lies and the 2012 election” – summary and audio below for those who are interested: In a presidential election where each candidate accused the other of playing lose with the facts, in the end each campaign, to some degree, was guilty

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My new column at CJR cautions journalists against unsupported interpretations of how and why President Obama defeated Mitt Romney in yesterday’s presidential election. Here’s how it begins: One of the most fascinating parts of the aftermath of an election is the construction of post-hoc narratives to “explain” the results. There’s plenty of Web traffic to

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When the September jobs report showed that unemployment had dropped to an unexpectedly low 7.8%, former General Electric CEO Jack Welch helped launch a new conspiracy theory when he tweeted: “Unbelievable jobs numbers..these Chicago guys will do anything..can’t debate so change numbers.” Even though the unemployment statistics are produced by the respected and politically insulated

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