ALBOS Fact Check

Launched during the elections in 2021, the A Little Bit of Stone Fact Checking Service (ALBOS FCS) is a non-partisan fact-checking service.

A Little Bit of Stone believes that accurate and reliable information is essential for a healthy democracy.

Fact-checking is the process of verifying statements made by politicians and other public figures in order to determine their accuracy. This can involve researching data, consulting experts, and reviewing relevant sources to assess whether a claim is true, false, or somewhere in between. By providing objective and non-partisan analysis of political claims, fact-checking helps to ensure that voters can make informed decisions based on reliable information.

We take our fact-checking service very seriously and aim to adhere to the highest standards of impartiality and accuracy, and we are committed to providing information that is free from bias and partisanship. A Little Bit of Stone does not endorse any political candidates or parties.

Our fact-checking process involves rigorous research and analysis, as well as consultation with subject-matter experts when necessary. We strive to be as transparent as possible about our methods and sources, and we always aim to provide links to our sources so that readers can verify our findings for themselves.

We believe that fact-checking is an essential tool for promoting accountability and transparency in politics. By holding politicians and political parties accountable for their statements, we help to ensure that our democracy remains strong and healthy.

If you have any questions or concerns about our fact-checking service, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to hear from our readers and to engage in constructive dialogue about the importance of accurate and reliable information.

What do we check?

When looking at potential checks, we ask ourselves a few questions to see whether a statement or claim is appropriate for fact-checking.

Is it verifiable? We don’t check opinions which are subjective value judgements, entirely speculative, or based on moral or philosophical argument.

Is it likely to be widely seen? We aim to check the veracity of claims which may have an impact on the public debate and therefore have the potential to mislead a lot of people.

What is the source of the claim? We are more likely to check claims from those who have a significant voice in public debate, such as politicians and public figures.

Would you hear or read the claim and wonder about its veracity? ALBOS FCS’s aim is to inform the public, and so we aim to check statements which can be questioned.

Who can submit a fact check?

Any member of the public can contact us to bring our attention to a statement that would be appropriate.

Email us at factcheck@alittlebitofstone.com or contact us via our social media profiles.

How do we check a claim?

Once we decide on a statement to check, our first step is to go to the person or entity who made the original claim to ask for evidence where possible.

This allows them the right to reply and holds them directly accountable for their words.

If they provide us with evidence, we assess it and research it alongside the other available material to determine how accurate the statement is.

The information we look at is on-the-record, publicly available and from the most authoritative sources. We will also speak to experts in the relevant field to help us interpret claims and research.

How do we come to our conclusions?

After interpreting and evaluating the evidence, we give each of our fact checks a final rating. While this conclusion is the final assessment of how truthful we find the statement to be, it should be taken along with the evidence in the entire check and any accompanying analysis.

The decision on how to rate a claim is taken by the editor of A Little Bit of Stone, Jon Cook.

What are the possible outcomes?

Our fact check has a five-point scale:

• True – The claim is accurate and has not left out mitigating factors or important context
• Mostly True – The claim is still valid but requires further information or clarification to create a complete picture
• Half True – The claim is somewhat or partially accurate but leaves out crucial information or is selectively taken out of context.
• Mostly False – The claim contains an element of truth but leaves out facts leading to a different impression.
• False – There is no conclusive evidence to support the claim made.

Corrections and updates

While we strive for accuracy in every fact check, we are only human.

Occasionally we may make errors, and if so, we will say so. If an article is changed as a result, we will let you know what changes have been made at the bottom.

There may also be occasions where new information comes to light which could alter the conclusion of a fact check. If so, we may update the article to reflect the change, but the fact check should be seen as an assessment of veracity at the time of its completion.