How do I check a political claim before sharing it?

Before sharing a political claim, make it precise enough to check. “Everything is corrupt” is not the same kind of statement as “this contract was awarded on this date for this amount”.

A useful starting method is Mike Caulfield's SIFT: pause, investigate the source, look for better coverage and trace the material to its original context. Use it as a practical verification routine, not a badge that makes a conclusion automatically correct. 1

First, name the claim

Separate a reported fact from an allegation, prediction or opinion. A minister saying a policy succeeded establishes that the minister made that claim. Whether it succeeded needs evidence about the policy's result.

Write one sentence that could be supported or contradicted. Include the person or institution, action, location and period where relevant.

Find the original material

For a number, open the actual table and read its heading and notes. For a quote, find the full recording or transcript. For a legal outcome, identify the actual order and proceeding. For a photograph, investigate where it first appeared and whether the supplied location and date are supported.

Several websites copying the same press release are not several independent confirmations. Keep following the attribution until you reach the record behind the claim.

Check whether the evidence answers this question

In a hypothetical example, an old image of a damaged bridge is presented as this week's event in another state. The image could be authentic while the caption is false. Verifying that it is “a real photograph” would not settle the location or date.

Likewise, a table about approved funding does not prove completed construction. An affidavit recording a case does not prove guilt. An official source can be genuine while someone misrepresents what it says.

Reach a conclusion proportionate to the evidence

Useful conclusions include “supported by this record”, “the caption is misleading”, “the source does not establish the cause” and “not established yet”. You do not have to force every item into a confident true/false verdict.

Do not share an unresolved harmful allegation with “just asking” attached. That wording does not improve its evidence.

Save the original source and a short explanation of what you checked. When correcting your own earlier message, make the correction visible where the original claim was shared, and explain the substantive change rather than quietly replacing the link.