Aaron Sharockman
PolitiFact
Saint Petersburg, FL, United States
Contact Aaron
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Past articles by Aaron:
PolitiFact | Group falsely claims there are less than 2,000 current COVID-19 hospitalizations
A conservative group that focuses on exposing what it describes as leftist bias in the news media misled its Facebook au/> <meta name= → Read More
PolitiFact | Biden isn’t in the basement, but the Trump campaign keeps saying so
PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter. → Read More
Celebrate with us. PolitiFact turns 12!
Twelve years ago, PolitiFact started as a one-of-a-kind idea that no one was sure would work. Full-time fact checkers covering the presidential election through an online, database-driven website. People couldn't say our name, and politicians didn't return our calls. But readers like you loved it. Thanks to the support of our readers, we are still standing strong 17,000 fact-checks later. To… → Read More
Screengrabs could be a mixed bag when it comes to accuracy
Proper Internet sleuths should always track material back to its source. → Read More
Invest in stories you can't find anywhere else. Support PolitiFact
For more than 10 years, we’ve been sorting out fact from fiction and holding politicians all across the country accountable — stories that you can’t find anywhere else. You may not realize this, but as a nonprofit news organization, we depend on — and answer to — you. Your support directly impacts our ability to provide objective, factual reporting reporting on issues that matter. Accountability… → Read More
Scott-O-Meter: Create over 700,000 jobs
"The 7-step economic program — over a 7-year period — will have a positive economic impact and create over 700,000 jobs for the state of Florida." → Read More
Obama raided by the FBI? Not so fast
A website trying to trick voters into a click says in a headline, "FBI RAIDS OBAMA – Find Massive Secret That Was Hidden For YEARS." But the story is not nearly as explosive as it sounds. The website maxipolitics.com posted the story originally in February, but it’s continuing to be shared on Facebook. Facebook users flagged the post as being potentially fabricated, as part of the social… → Read More
No, Robert Redford didn't say Michelle and Barack Obama should go to prison
A story circulating on Facebook claims in a headline that actor Robert Redford thinks Michelle and Barack Obama should be sent to prison. But if you click, all you find is jibberish. This story is a hoax. → Read More
PolitiFact gains nonprofit status with move to the Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute, a nonprofit school for journalists based in St. Petersburg, Fla., has acquired direct ownership of PolitiFact from the Tampa Bay Times, the organizations announced Monday. The fact-checking website was created in 2007 by the Times newspaper. The Times is owned by Poynter. The move will allow PolitiFact to function fully as a not-for-profit national news organization,… → Read More
Get the Truth-O-Meter ready! Alan Grayson's running
Former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, announced on July 11, 2011, that he would try to return to Congress in 2012. The news was welcomed by many progressives, who are uneasy with Democrats dealing with Republicans on potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, and also by many conservatives, who view Grayson's blunt, in-your-face-style as off-putting to most Americans. The news… → Read More
Fact-checking Donald Trump's 2018 State of the Union speech
President Donald Trump is delivering his first State of the Union speech. PolitiFact is here to help sort out fact from fiction from the president's remarks. • PolitiFact has fact-checked Trump 498 times. See them all here. • Read our preview of the speech here. • Sign up for PolitiFact's weekly email newsletter and never miss a fact-check. • Want to stand up for the facts? Consider a donation… → Read More
Trump-O-Meter: Cut taxes for everyone
"Everybody is getting a tax cut, especially the middle class." → Read More
We started fact-checking in partnership with Facebook a year ago today. Here's what we've learned
A year ago today, PolitiFact joined a coalition of fact-checkers who agreed to work with Facebook to try to slow the spread of misinformation in people’s news feeds. The update is we’re making progress, but at a rate that probably isn’t satisfying to anyone. To refresh your memory, our partnership with Facebook is part of a push by the social media company to clean up its news feed and become a… → Read More
Donald Trump's Pants on Fire 'unsolved mystery' attack on Joe Scarborough
President Donald Trump took to Twitter to celebrate the firing of NBC’s Matt Lauer over allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior, while encouraging the network to look deeper into its employees. → Read More
PolitiFact - Donald Trump's Pants on Fire 'unsolved mystery' attack on Joe Scarborough
PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter. → Read More
Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth
Think you can tell the difference between True and False? Do you really know what is fake news? Now you can test yourself, and see how you stack up against everyone else, with our new game PolitiTruth. PolitiTruth is a mobile app available for Iphone and Android that lets you see the statements we at PolitiFact fact-check and let you in on the action. Swipe right for False, left for True. It's… → Read More
Fake news! Blog claims Jeff Flake leaks indictments in Mueller probe
The real news that special counsel Robert Mueller has indicted President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman has fake news peddlers working overtime to try to make a few bucks off the announcement. One post, from the morning-herald.com, offered this bogus headline: → Read More
Blog peddles fake story saying security guards ID'd as shooters at Mandalay Bay
An online website that describes itself as "free independent news" is pushing a false story that a Las Vegas shooting victim saw multiple gunmen dressed as security guards at Mandalay Bay. One of the more pervasive conspiracy-minded claims spinning around the Internet is that the Las Vegas shooting was some type of staged attack or that there were multiple gunmen. As of this writing, there is no… → Read More
PolitiFact Live: Parsing the Kimmel-Cassidy health care feud
PolitiFact editors explain President Donald Trump's misleading tweet about gas lines forming in North Korea as well as the exaggerations in Jimmy Kimmel's monologue about the Graham-Cassidy health care bill. Tune in live Thursdays on Facebook at 9:30 a.m. ET. → Read More
Claim Florida Gov. Rick Scott injured in Irma recovery is fake
An Internet rumor claiming that Florida’s governor was injured while helping a neighbor clear debris following the impact from Hurricane Irma is fake news. → Read More