Some fact-checks quietly redefine the original claim into a nearby category, then rule that rephrased claim 'false.' In the Los Angeles fires case, VERIFY shifted the dispute from empty reservoirs to filled neighborhood tanks, ignoring the empty 117‑million‑gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir that fed those tanks.
— If definition‑switching is common in fact‑checks that trigger platform penalties, moderation regimes risk suppressing accurate claims and further eroding institutional trust.
Cathy Young
2025.10.01
73% relevant
The article argues claims about ‘right‑wing political violence’ lean on the ADL’s tally of ‘extremist‑related killings,’ which includes non‑ideological murders by people categorized as extremists—an apples‑to‑oranges switch in categories that inflates a preferred narrative.
José Duarte
2025.01.15
100% relevant
VERIFY’s 'No, Los Angeles didn’t refuse to fill water reservoirs' piece, which evaluated tank levels while omitting the empty Santa Ynez Reservoir.
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