
The decline of the fact checkers is something to celebrate
The news that Britain's biggest fact-checking company, Logically, has gone into administration, will be a blow to those who think we need such bodies. Former employees of the company blame its demise on strategic errors, although this development has happened at a time when the industry has been in retreat. Under a bullish second Donald Trump administration, the tech giants Google, Meta and X have been scaling back fact-checking on their platforms.
The company Logically had ostensibly noble intentions upon its creation in 2016. According to its founder, Lyric Jain, its goal was 'tackling harmful and manipulative content and scale' and 'bringing truth to the digital world, and making it a safer place for everyone everywhere'.
The digital revolution, encompassing a decline in mainstream news consumption and reliance, has indeed resulted in an overabundance of unaccredited sources of information. But the year of Logically's foundation is telling, and fundamental to understanding the reason why fact-checkers believe themselves to be so important.
2016 was the year of populist insurrection, of the Brexit referendum in the UK and the election that saw Trump voted US president for the first time. Both events were shocks for the elites in each country, and on both sides of the Atlantic a considerable section of the overclass reacted less than rationally or gracefully to such a display of impudence. They responded by deprecating ordinary people as 'deplorables', or as 'low-information' morons and racists easily swayed by the tabloid newspapers or whatever junk appeared on their newsfeeds. Thus was born the myth of 'misinformation'.
In this respect, the whole philosophy of 'fact-checking' against 'misinformation' was a reflection of some benevolent desire to educate, inform and assist the general public. If it had been such an enterprise, it would have appeared at the earliest in the 1990s, with the emergence of the internet, or at the latest in the late-2000s, after the first profusion of smartphones. No, fact-checking has always been a political undertaking, and a reactionary one at that.
It was a reaction by a sour and resentful overclass that in 2016 didn't get its own way for once. It's been a reaction from an elite in America which failed to learn the lessons of that year, and which continued to live in aloof and insensitive oblivion until it lost once again last November.
While many in Britain have taken stock of the actual, non-imagined, non-fake reasons that have been at the root of the populist convulsions of the past decade – globalisation, deindustrialisation, immigration – there remain those who stick to the stale narrative that ordinary people are just stupid. After Reform UK's local election gains in April, Times columnist Emma Duncan concluded that this support is 'fuelled less by people's experiences than by lies.' It's this elitist scorn, that the hoi polloi are suggestible and pliable, that has also driven the constant hounding of GB News.
Yet often it's not the masses who need to 'educate themselves', but the graduate class themselves. It was the global elites and establishments who fell prey to the whole transgender cult, not your average Republican or Reform UK voter, much in the same way that generations back it was the well-educated bien pensants who became the biggest dupes of Stalin.
As Luke Conway wrote in Liberal Bullies, his book of last year, our elite obsession with the 'misinformation' of others betrays its own greed for power: 'One of the defining elements of authoritarian regimes, both past and present, both right-wing and left-wing, is that they try to control information'. Indeed, it's this controlling of information, not so much the propagation of wrong information, that causes popular unrest. It was a central factor to causing last summer's unrest, when the authorities withheld key facts about the background of the Southport killer.
The notion of 'misinformation' is itself built on an error. There is no such thing as wholly objective facts or given truths when it comes to human affairs. Knowledge is always and forever a contested area and common truths are based on consensus. Fact-checkers are no-more omniscient, infallible or God-like than you or me. 'Fake news' is just a 21st-century way of saying people tell lies.
We no more need 'fact-checkers' than we do the entire concept of 'misinformation'. What we need is more dialogue and less people presuming to know what is right for you and me.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Glasgow Times
21 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Ryanair and Jet2 ban hot drinks from flights over concerns
Airlines have many rules, and while a lot of these are the same across the board, some regulations may vary depending on who you're flying with. People travelling abroad often peruse airport shops and cafes, purchasing any number of things from duty-free products to snacks, drinks and more. However, if you plan to part with your cash in the departure lounge, it's essential to note that you may not be able to take a certain item on board with Ryanair or Jet2. There are usually plenty of options on hand to buy a coffee or other hot beverage, often for around £3 a go. However, you'll need to consume said drink before boarding with Ryanair or Jet2, as stated in their respective rules. Ryanair says it "cannot allow passengers to board the plane with hot drinks" for safety reasons, while Jet2's website states: "You may not bring hot food or hot drinks onboard the aircraft". Recommended reading: If you're travelling with TUI or easyJet, though, you're welcome to bring your airport coffee onto the flight, as long as it has a secure lid. New post-Brexit rules mean other items bought before takeoff cannot be taken into any EU countries, and this is the case regardless of the airline you're flying with. You cannot bring meat or dairy into the EU with you, even if these items are within food products such as sandwiches, and it doesn't matter if you bought them at the airport or not.


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Trump interest in Russia sanctions raises Ukraine allies' hopes
WASHINGTON, July 12 (Reuters) - A bipartisan U.S. bill that would hit Russia with sanctions in a bid to pressure Moscow into good-faith peace negotiations with Ukraine has gained momentum this week in Congress, but it still lacks the presidential push it needs to get over the finish line. Now, Ukraine's supporters in Washington and Kyiv, who have for months hoped for President Donald Trump to throw his weight behind the bill, are anxiously awaiting what the Republican president has said will be a "major statement" on Russia on Monday. Trump, who vowed during his election campaign to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has given no details on what his planned announcement would entail, but over the past few weeks he has grown increasingly and publicly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his reluctance to accept a ceasefire and the growing civilian death toll of Russian attacks. On Tuesday, Trump approved sending U.S. defensive weapons to Ukraine. Two days later, he came closer than ever to endorsing the sanctions bill, although he has not yet signed off on the legislation's text, according to a person with knowledge of his thinking. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters earlier in the week that the Senate could vote on the bill this month. Mike Johnson, the top House Republican, has expressed similar optimism, while Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have privately told European diplomats that the bill will move imminently, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. "The Senate will move soon on a tough sanctions bill – not only against Russia – but also against countries like China and India that buy Russian energy products that finance Putin's war machine," Graham wrote on X on Tuesday. Still, it was unclear if Trump had given up on pushing for diplomacy with Russia. And the extensive veto power on sanctions that the White House is demanding could render the bill more symbolic than substantive, some supporters acknowledge. Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Friday following his second in-person meeting with Russian Foreign Sergei Lavrov, Rubio said "a new idea" was discussed that he would be taking back to Trump for further consultations. He declined to give further details. "That new concept is – this new approach is not something that automatically leads to peace, but it could potentially open the door to a path," Rubio said. But he also reiterated Trump's frustration over Moscow's unwillingness to be more flexible and said Americans had told the Russians weeks ago that a sanctions bill could well pass. The bill, whose lead sponsors are Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, would levy extensive sanctions against various Russian individuals, government bodies and financial institutions. It would also punish other countries that trade with Moscow, imposing 500% tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly urged Ukraine's Western allies to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow to force the Kremlin to agree to a ceasefire as a step towards reaching an end to the war, now 40 months old. Work on the bill has picked up pace over the last week, according to two U.S. officials. One person familiar with Trump's thinking said the text still needs work. The current version, that person said, does not give the president enough flexibility to carry out his foreign policy agenda independent of Congress. The White House was working with Congress and the bill's sponsors to ensure it would be "an enhancement to the president's foreign policy objectives," that person added. One person with knowledge of the drafting process said congressional staff had been ironing out technical issues in recent days, such as how to keep any sanctions from affecting the operations of the U.S. embassy in Moscow. A spokesperson for Graham told Reuters the bill would probably not come to the floor until the week of July 21 at the earliest, due to other legislative priorities. The House of Representatives, which will need to vote on the measure, leaves for August recess in two weeks, meaning floor time is at a premium. That is particularly true if a Trump request to slash $9.4 billion in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting - which passed the House and is currently in the Senate - heads back to the House following any changes. Some supporters of the bill acknowledge that the legislation is largely symbolic, given that Trump would have broad authority to veto the sanctions, and in any case could simply issue sanctions from the executive branch if he wishes. "The president already has all these authorities," said one Republican Senate staffer.


Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
How a single bullet changed Donald Trump forever
The chart showing immigration numbers was usually displayed in the closing minutes of the stump speech and on the other side of the stage. So, when Donald Trump turned his head to the right to glance at the graph, escaping an assassin's bullet by millimetres, many thought they saw the hand of God. 'There's a confluence of things that happened to avert tragedy, and I think he talks about how there must have been some divine intervention,' says Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, who was present on July 13 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. 'That is the change.' It was the day a bullet grazed Mr Trump's ear, upending the 2024 election campaign and changing the president forever. Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old would-be assassin of Mr Trump was shot dead by the Secret Service at the scene. Crooks also fatally shot audience member Corey Comperatore, and injured two other people in the crowd. Since then, Mr Trump has talked about his nerves when people move around in the crowd at his rallies, flirted with the idea of uniting the nation, and described his mission to save America as the work of God. This weekend, however, there will be little in the way of commemoration. An interview with Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, is due to be broadcast on Fox News on Saturday, when he will reflect on the past year. And that is all in keeping with a man who prefers not to look backwards, say insiders. 'He's a busy man. There's a lot to get on with,' said a senior administration official. In the past year, Mr Trump pulled off an extraordinary political comeback, becoming only the second president in history to serve non-consecutive terms. He has governed at a rapid pace, slashing the federal workforce, axing foreign aid, challenging the world to a trade war, reducing illegal immigration, and bringing media critics to heel. Mr Cheung said there had been no time to take a step back immediately after the assassination attempt. 'Immediately we went into the Republican National Convention (RNC),' he said, 'Immediately he went back on the campaign trail.' Just two days after being wounded, Mr Trump made his triumphal entry at the RNC in Milwaukee, pacing down an entry corridor in front of a camera, looking every inch the heavyweight champ returning to the ring. Thousands of supporters embraced the religious parallel. 'July 13 was the same date when the Holy Mother revealed the third secret of Fatima,' said a Catholic attendee. That was the date in 1917 when the Virgin Mary appeared to three Portuguese children, entrusting them with her prophecies. The vision foretold an attack on a 'bishop dressed in white,' and was only revealed in 2000, 19 years after an assassin tried to kill Pope John Paul II. 'You can't make this stuff up,' added the Trump supporter. For a while Mr Trump held his rallies indoors, reducing the threat of a copycat sniper. But six weeks later his security team rejigged the setup with bulletproof screens allowing the Republican candidate to resume his trademark events. His ear had healed quickly, but Mr Trump admitted some other scars might remain. During a rally in New York in September he appeared startled by a sudden movement in the audience. 'I thought this was a wise guy coming up,' he said. 'You know, I've got a little bit of a yip problem here. Right? That was amazing. I was all ready to start duking it out.' There were other effects from the shooting, according to Blake Marnell, who travels around the country attending rallies and who was in the front row at Butler, resplendent in his distinctive brick-patterned suit. He said older voters remember the anger and violence in the country around the time of the murder of John F Kennedy. If anything, the shooting this time helped voters coalesce around the wounded leader. 'When you look at the other effects post Butler, you can't ignore the fact that that is one of the driving factors that got Robert F Kennedy and president Trump speaking, which led to the Make America Healthy Again (Maha) coalition,' he said, referring to a member of the famous liberal political clan, who was best known as an environmental lawyer. 'That also crystallised Elon Musk's support for the president.' The world's richest man endorsed Mr Trump on the night after the shooting. And he appeared on stage with him when the Republican candidate returned to Butler three months later. For a while Mr Trump's speeches took on a more bipartisan air. Aides described how a caustic convention address was toned down in the interests of national unity. 'The discord and division in our society must be healed. We must heal it quickly,' he said at the start of his 90-minute speech. 'As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart.' Headlines about a softer Mr Trump did not last long, however, as he quickly resumed his scathing attacks on Joe Biden, the then president, and Kamala Harris, his election opponent. What endured was a greater sense of mission in a man who pulled off a surprise win in 2016 and at times struggled to impose his will on Washington during that first term. Mr Trump himself used religious framing to describe his campaign after his narrow escape in Butler. He was often seen taking part in group prayers, the president in the middle, head bowed, as supporters reached out to touch his arm, an elbow, the back of his chair. 'I would love to think it's God, and it's God doing it because he wants to save America,' he said in an interview. 'He sees what's happening. God sees what's happening in America.' He shrugged off questions about PTSD or mental scars, but has returned repeatedly to the idea that surviving that day has toughened his resolve and his faith. 'It changed something in me,' he said a month after returning to the White House. 'I feel, I feel even stronger. I believed in God but I feel much more strongly about it.' The result was a greater sense of purpose, said Mr Cheung. 'I think it was a further resolve of how important it was to work on behalf of the people, and that the mission took on an even greater importance,' he said.