International Fact-Checking Day

April 2^nd every year is International Fact-Checking Day. To mark this date, PolitiFact will conduct a "fact check" on fake news. Here, our editor Angie Drobnic Holan explains the need for International Fact-Checking Day and how you can stand up against the truth.

History of International Fact-Checking Day

With the rise of "fake news", when people devise fictional stories and share them online as if they were real, in the hope of getting clicks, a holiday dedicated to Verification of authenticity is more important than ever. International Fact-Checking Day, purported to take place the day after April Fools' Day, was created by Politifact, who said its creation was a way of declaring the need for strong evidence and solid truths in politics, journalism. Its purpose is to talk about issues because accurate information is essential for democracy to thrive and make informed decisions in their daily lives. It is important not only for professional fact-checkers to check the event, but for everyone involved in it.

Politifact belongs to the International Fact Checking Network, a group created to promote fact-checking around the world. The idea of International Fact Checking Day was born at a meeting in Buenos Aires in 2016 to draw more attention on fact-checking methods. They continue to promote with other fact-checking organizations.

How to celebrate International Fact-Checking Day

On International Fact-Checking Day, people should encourage facts and fight against falsehoods by some ways for reference:

• Make sure to fact-check. When having a story, let ask yourself if it sounds reasonable at first. If it may be unreasonable or it is hyper partisan, take a step back and investigate it. Don't share it without doing so. Check what the source is. Is it reputable? It has demonstrated commitment to the ethical principles including truthfulness, fairness, independence, and transparency. In addition, let check multiple credible sources to see what they are saying about the story.
• If you found others sharing fake news, let remind them to fix it. However, why do not do it gently and politely. It's better to have more discussions instead of through internet.
• Raise aware to get to the truth. Make effort to work and spend the time needed on gaining knowledge on a subject.
• Surfing fact-checking websites like PolitiFact, Snopes, and FactCheck.org.
• Follow @factchecknet and use the hashtag #FactCheckingDay on the social media to share your opinion about this day for encouragement.