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Politifact COVID Fact Checker - ZERO medical experience

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  • Politifact COVID Fact Checker - ZERO medical experience

    Politifact and their so-called COVID ‘fact-checker’ (with NO medical experience) DRAGGED in brutal thread

    Just for fun...

    Politifact’s COVID fact-checker has SOME medical experience … right? RIGHT?!

    Nope. Not even a little.

    Crazy, right? You’d THINK a supposed fact-checking site like Politifact would want the person working on COVID disinformation to have a teensy weensy bit of experience in the medical field. We’re not talking a doctor or a nurse or anything, but even a medical writer or someone who took more than Health in college.



    1. Meet Jeff. For what it’s worth, Jeff looks like a nice guy. I’m even willing to bet that Jeff wakes up everyday and tries his best to do his job, despite his shortcomings and lack of credentials to do so.

    2. You see, Jeff is a “Fact-Checker” for Politifact and gets paid to discredit Covid misinformation. So one might ask what are Jeff’s qualification?
    1) Is Jeff a Doctor? No.
    2) Is Jeff a Scientist? No.
    3) Does he have a PhD? No.
    4) Does he have medical experience? No.

    3. Jeff is for all intents and purposes a wordsmith. Alongside a profile picture of him as a dog, is a list of his journalistic contributions and associations.

    4. Like I said before, Jeff is probably a nice guy, but Jeff is just one of many in an epidemic of ‘False Fact-Checking Prophets’ who are plaguing society right now. Each of whom are paid to discredit inconvenient truths and mislead the public.

    5. For instance, take a look this fact-check by Jeff as a recent example of his work. Jeff rated this tweet as “FALSE”:
    factcheck 1.jpeg
    6. So how did Jeff arrive at the “False” conclusion? Well, weirdly it’s unclear since the evidence he presented to supposedly support a “False” claim, directly contradicts his conclusion and actually verifies the original
    @hodgetwins tweet.
    factcheck 1.jpeg
    7. Now one might ask: —Are ‘False Fact-Checking Prophets’ just totally inept? Or —Are ‘False Fact-Checking Prophets’ relying on the ineptitude of the public? Some could likely make a case for either, or both for that matter.
    8. There’s also another recent fact-check that was also concluded as “False” by Jeff. This claim was regarding a social media post insinuating that clots/strokes in athletes was likely a side effect of the vaccines.

    And it goes on...
    Attached Files
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

  • #2
    Being a COVID fact checker didn't require medical aptitude, let alone medical experience. Fact checking, in general, merely requires political aptitude.

    In fact, medical experience would hinder fact-checking, much like lawyers make poor jurors and doctors poor patients.
    Last edited by Diogenes; 01-03-2023, 03:39 AM.
    P1) If , then I win.

    P2)

    C) I win.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Diogenes View Post
      Being a COVID fact checker didn't require medical aptitude, let alone medical experience. Fact checking, in general, merely requires political aptitude.

      In fact, medical experience would hinder fact-checking, much like lawyers make poor jurors and doctors poor patients.
      The implication is that the "fact checker" wasn't familiar with the field he was "checking".
      The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post

        The implication is that the "fact checker" wasn't familiar with the field he was "checking".
        I'm aware. The point is that fact-checking is a political activity and medical experience isn't required and could be detrimental to the goal of censors.
        P1) If , then I win.

        P2)

        C) I win.

        Comment


        • #5
          I do think that if fact checks aren't going to be done properly then they shouldn't be done.

          It speaks to the sad quality of journalism at the moment. Due to understandable market forces (that everyone can get info for free on the net and hence isn't paying for journalism) there is little money at the moment to fund journalism, and the result is that we get the quality of journalism that we pay for.

          I think the general path to improvement would be for more governments to fund their own journalistic outlets like the BBC and Al Jazeera, ideally to be run somewhat independently from the governments. This would at least create a base-line for journalistic quality. Then if billionaires wanted to operate their own outlets on top of that to do propaganda for billionaires, the military industrial complex, and other large corporations, like CNN and Fox News, then they could, but they'd at least have a base-line of quality they were competing against.
          "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
          "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
          "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Starlight View Post
            I do think that if fact checks aren't going to be done properly then they shouldn't be done.

            It speaks to the sad quality of journalism at the moment. Due to understandable market forces (that everyone can get info for free on the net and hence isn't paying for journalism) there is little money at the moment to fund journalism, and the result is that we get the quality of journalism that we pay for.

            I think the general path to improvement would be for more governments to fund their own journalistic outlets like the BBC and Al Jazeera, ideally to be run somewhat independently from the governments. This would at least create a base-line for journalistic quality. Then if billionaires wanted to operate their own outlets on top of that to do propaganda for billionaires, the military industrial complex, and other large corporations, like CNN and Fox News, then they could, but they'd at least have a base-line of quality they were competing against.
            I went ahead and "amen'd" your post, even though I'm in disagreement with the third paragraph. I can't see ANY programs "funded by the government" that are not strictly controlled by "the government" in the US - always there are strings attached.

            We've already seen the weaponization of the FBI, the DOJ, Homeland Security, Border Patrol... I fully agree that there needs to be a way to have actual NEWS and not propaganda, but there has to be a market for it.
            The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

            Comment


            • #7
              NPR in the US seems to be loosely similar to what I'm thinking of, in that it's a government-created entity that's generally independent of the government. It just needs a TV version.
              "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
              "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
              "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Dimbulb View Post
                I do think that if fact checks aren't going to be done properly then they shouldn't be done.

                It speaks to the sad quality of journalism at the moment. Due to understandable market forces (that everyone can get info for free on the net and hence isn't paying for journalism) there is little money at the moment to fund journalism, and the result is that we get the quality of journalism that we pay for.

                I think the general path to improvement would be for more governments to fund their own journalistic outlets like the BBC and Al Jazeera, ideally to be run somewhat independently from the governments. This would at least create a base-line for journalistic quality. Then if billionaires wanted to operate their own outlets on top of that to do propaganda for billionaires, the military industrial complex, and other large corporations, like CNN and Fox News, then they could, but they'd at least have a base-line of quality they were competing against.
                You think the solution to bad journalism is increased government control of media outlets? That's just...
                Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                Than a fool in the eyes of God


                From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                  NPR in the US seems to be loosely similar to what I'm thinking of, in that it's a government-created entity that's generally independent of the government. It just needs a TV version.
                  I think they tend to be liberal, but not with a vengeance.
                  The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                    Politifact and their so-called COVID ‘fact-checker’ (with NO medical experience) DRAGGED in brutal thread

                    Just for fun...

                    Politifact’s COVID fact-checker has SOME medical experience … right? RIGHT?!

                    Nope. Not even a little.

                    Crazy, right? You’d THINK a supposed fact-checking site like Politifact would want the person working on COVID disinformation to have a teensy weensy bit of experience in the medical field. We’re not talking a doctor or a nurse or anything, but even a medical writer or someone who took more than Health in college.



                    1. Meet Jeff. For what it’s worth, Jeff looks like a nice guy. I’m even willing to bet that Jeff wakes up everyday and tries his best to do his job, despite his shortcomings and lack of credentials to do so.

                    2. You see, Jeff is a “Fact-Checker” for Politifact and gets paid to discredit Covid misinformation. So one might ask what are Jeff’s qualification?
                    1) Is Jeff a Doctor? No.
                    2) Is Jeff a Scientist? No.
                    3) Does he have a PhD? No.
                    4) Does he have medical experience? No.

                    3. Jeff is for all intents and purposes a wordsmith. Alongside a profile picture of him as a dog, is a list of his journalistic contributions and associations.

                    4. Like I said before, Jeff is probably a nice guy, but Jeff is just one of many in an epidemic of ‘False Fact-Checking Prophets’ who are plaguing society right now. Each of whom are paid to discredit inconvenient truths and mislead the public.

                    5. For instance, take a look this fact-check by Jeff as a recent example of his work. Jeff rated this tweet as “FALSE”:
                    factcheck 1.jpeg
                    6. So how did Jeff arrive at the “False” conclusion? Well, weirdly it’s unclear since the evidence he presented to supposedly support a “False” claim, directly contradicts his conclusion and actually verifies the original
                    @hodgetwins tweet.
                    factcheck 1.jpeg
                    7. Now one might ask: —Are ‘False Fact-Checking Prophets’ just totally inept? Or —Are ‘False Fact-Checking Prophets’ relying on the ineptitude of the public? Some could likely make a case for either, or both for that matter.
                    8. There’s also another recent fact-check that was also concluded as “False” by Jeff. This claim was regarding a social media post insinuating that clots/strokes in athletes was likely a side effect of the vaccines.

                    And it goes on...
                    Medical Experience, schmedical experience. Just how many quota boxes did he fill? And the only truly important thing are that he holds the "correct" political views regarding it.

                    I'm always still in trouble again

                    "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                    "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                    "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                      NPR in the US seems to be loosely similar to what I'm thinking of, in that it's a government-created entity that's generally independent of the government. It just needs a TV version.
                      Its called PBS.

                      I'm always still in trouble again

                      "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                      "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                      "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        1. The fact checker was mostly correct.
                        2. The person "dragging" him mostly makes their case through lying by omission. They don't even link to the fact check (because the handful of people that actually read entire articles would know he's lying).

                        https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...accine-causes/

                        The fact checker could have done a better job by distinguishing between "elevated risk" and "statistical signals for elevated risk" which aren't the same thing.
                        "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Isaiah 3:12

                        There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                          Medical Experience, schmedical experience. Just how many quota boxes did he fill? And the only truly important thing are that he holds the "correct" political views regarding it.
                          It's a white guy (with whiting hair so probably in his 40s/50s). And his fact check was mostly solid. Certainly not what the selectively edited "drag" implies.
                          "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Isaiah 3:12

                          There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            It's ironic that the person fact-checking the fact-checker chose two fact-checks that he got right to criticize him for.

                            As for medical experience, I don't think that's necessary if he goes to the source, and also consults experts with medical experience, which he did.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Not having any medical credentials doesn't seem to stop anyone else on social media from letting everyone know what they think, including on TWEB. But yeah if they are going to hire an official fact checker, he should have some credentials in the field he is fact checking. That's just common sense.
                              Last edited by Sparko; 01-03-2023, 10:44 AM.

                              Comment

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