Is factcheck.org reliable?

[KelleyKramer]

I got into with someone at work today, he is a flaming rightwinger and he was saying how reliable factcheck.org is.

Seems i remember they had some close rightwing ties to the site... either the original founder, the funders, or something but i cant remember.

My google skills must suck, because all my searches showed almost all the hits from.. you guessed it, factcheck

Does anybody know anything about them??

[Muttocracy]

1. here's some website registration info

stuff isn't always up to date but for what it's worth:

http://samspade.org/whois/factcheck.org

in part
Domain Name: FACTCHECK.ORG
Created On: 29-Sep-2003 18: 02: 43 UTC
Registrant Name: Brooks Jackson
Registrant Organization: Annenberg Public Policy Center UPenn
Registrant Street1: 320 National Press Building
Registrant City: Washington
Registrant State/Province: DC
Registrant Postal Code: 20045
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone: [phone]
Registrant Email: [e-mail]

So it's from Annenberg Public Policy Center - you can probably check out their site and google them? Gotta run myself...

http://appcpenn.org/

[berni_mccoy]

2. No. They have a bias. Do not let anyone fool you into thinking they don't.

[Breeze54]

3. Let me check...

Just kidding... :P

It seems to be but i've never really gone there to fact check anything.

Looks like a great site but I'm partial to Media Matters http://mediamatters.org/

---------

About FactCheck.org

Our Mission

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.

We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.

The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

----------

I like Media matters better and go there a lot.

http://mediamatters.org/about_us/

Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center
dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

[KelleyKramer]

4. Founder donates 100% to Repubs ...

Found this....

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/nonpartisan-factcheckorg-not-q.php

Despite a lengthy list of political donations, Leonore Annenberg, the Trustee of the foundation, and the late Walter Annenberg have never made a donation do a democratic candidate. Not ever. Here's the list of donations: (You can search for yourself here)

ANNENBERG, LEONORE RADNOR, PA 19087 ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

SANTORUM, RICHARD J
VIA SANTORUM 2006


06/24/2005
1000.00
25020261332


ANNENBERG, LEONORE
RADNOR, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION/TRUSTEE

MEIER, RAYMOND
VIA RAY MEIER FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


11/07/2006
526.00
26940731526


ANNENBERG, LEONORE
WAYNE, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION/TRUSTEE

SHAW, E CLAY JR
VIA FRIENDS OF CLAY SHAW


11/04/2006
526.00
26930675393


ANNENBERG, WALTER H
ST DAVIDS, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY/V8


05/17/2000
5000.00
20035834450

Joint Fundraising Contributions

These are contributions to committees who are raising funds to be distributed to other committees. The breakdown of these contributions to their final recipients may appear below

ANNENBERG, LEONORE
RADNOR, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION/TRUSTEE

2006 JOINT CANDIDATE COMMITTEE


10/27/2006
10000.00
26930595960


Total Joint Fundraising: 10000.00

Recipient of Joint Fundraiser Contributions

These are the Final Recipients of Joint Fundraising Contributions

ANNENBERG, LEONORE
RADNOR, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

BLASDEL, CHUCK
VIA BLASDEL FOR CONGRESS


10/27/2006
526.00
26930710238

DEWINE, RICHARD MICHAEL
VIA MIKE DEWINE FOR US SENATE


11/06/2006
526.00
26021101154

MN-06 CONGRESSIONAL VICTORY COMMITTEE


11/02/2006
526.00
26930599050

NY-24 CONGRESSIONAL VICTORY COMMITTEE


11/02/2006
526.00
27990271976

SODREL, MICHAEL E.
VIA FRIENDS OF MIKE SODREL


11/04/2006
526.00
26940818710

WHALEN, MICHAEL LOUIS
VIA WHALEN FOR CONGRESS


10/27/2006
526.00
27940060726


ANNENBERG, LEONORE
WAYNE, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

CHABOT, STEVE
VIA STEVE CHABOT FOR CONGRESS


11/04/2006
526.00
26930671845

CORKER, ROBERT P JR
VIA BOB CORKER FOR SENATE


12/07/2006
526.00
27020180023

GARD, JOHN G
VIA GARD FOR CONGRESS


11/05/2006
526.00
27930264792

ROSKAM, PETER
VIA ROSKAM FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE


10/27/2006
526.00
27930156452

SIMMONS, ROB
VIA SIMMONS FOR CONGRESS


11/04/2006
526.00
26940803885

WILSON, HEATHER A
VIA HEATHER WILSON FOR SENATE


11/06/2006
526.00
26940802379


ANNENBERG, LEONORE MR
RADNOR, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

NORMAN, RALPH W MR. JR
VIA RALPH NORMAN FOR CONGRESS


10/27/2006
526.00
26950794441


ANNENBERG, LEONORE MS.
RADNOR, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

RAINVILLE, MARTHA MS.
VIA MARTHA RAINVILLE FOR CONGRESS


11/06/2006
526.00
26930594404


ANNENBERG, LEONORE MS.
WAYNE, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

DAVIS, GEOFFREY C
VIA GEOFF DAVIS FOR CONGRESS


11/03/2006
526.00
26930719847


ANNENBERG, LOENORE
RADNOR, PA 19087
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

IA-01 CONGRESSIONAL VICTORY COMMITTEE


10/27/2006
526.00
27930761039

Recipient Total: 8416.00

[Breeze54]

5. That takes care of that!

;)

[stillcool]

6. Wallis Annenberg is the VP...

and is the daughter of this guy, and Leonore is the wife....
Leonore Cohn Rosenstiel Annenberg (born February 20, 1918) is a billionaire former Chief of Protocol of the United States (1981–1982). She is the widow of former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom and influential business magnate as well as philanthropist Walter Annenberg, and currently serves as the chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation.

Walter Annenberg

Walter AnnenbergAKA Walter Hubert Annenberg

Born: 13-Mar-1908
Birthplace: Milwaukee, WI
Died: 1-Oct-2002
Location of death: Wynnewood, PA
Cause of death: Pneumonia

Gender: Male
Religion: Jewish
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Business

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Media mogul, created TV Guide

Military service: US Naval Reserve

Creator of TV Guide, also owned Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, and magazines Daily Racing Form and Seventeen. A philanthropist in later life. He and his father Moses were both indicted for tax evasion in 1939, and the elder Annenberg plead guilty (and served time in prison) in exchange for charges being dropped against his son. Walter reimbursed the treasury towards the very end of his life the sum of over $3 million.

Father: Moses L. Annenberg ("Moe", d. Jun-1942, brain cancer)
Mother: Sarah Cecelia Annenberg ("Sadie")
Sister: Enid Annenberg Haupt (b. 13-May-1906, d. 25-Oct-2005)
Sister: Evelyn Hall
Wife: Veronica Dunkelman ("Ronnie", m. 1938, div. 1950, one son, one daughter)
Son: Roger (d. 7-Aug-1962 suicide with sleeping pills)
Daughter: Wallis
Wife: Leonore Rosentiel ("Lee", m. 1951, two stepdaughters)
Daughter: Diane Deshong (stepdaughter)
Daughter: Elizabeth Kabler (stepdaughter)

High School: Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ (1927)
University: University of Pennsylvania (1931)

US Ambassador to the United Kingdom 1969-74
TV Guide
Seventeen
The Philadelphia Inquirer Editor and Publisher
American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow
American Philosophical Society 1990
Annenberg Foundation Founder
Bush-Cheney 2000
Dreier for Congress Committee
Elizabeth Dole Committee
George W. Bush for President
National Press Club
Nixon Center Advisory Council
Pilgrims Society
Santorum 2000
US English
Sigma Delta Chi Honor Society
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art Trustee
French Legion of Honor
Presidential Medal of Freedom 12-May-1986
Knight of the British Empire Honorary
Officer of the British Empire Honorary
Peabody May-1989
National Medal of Arts 1993
Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal 1994
Order of St. Gregory 1998
Hip Replacement Surgery 1977
Tax Evasion indicted 1939, paid $3,360,000 in back taxes 2001
Jewish Ancestry

[KelleyKramer]

8. He was Nixons ambass to the UK .. got a linky??

Thats probably the highest profile ambassador we have.

And some other interesting stuff in there...

Where did that come from, do you have a link to that?

[stillcool]

9. Whoops! Sorry I should have added..

the link: http://www.nndb.com/people/632/000024560/


http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Annenberg_Foundation

* Leonore Annenberg - President, Chairman and Sole Director
* Wallis Annenberg - Vice-President
* Lauren Bon
* Charles Annenberg Weingarten
* Gregory Annenberg Weingarten

[bemildred]

7. No. nt