But that doesn’t mean our reporters haven’t been fact-checking.
The tornadoes had a major effect on the communities covered by Fact Check’s partner organizations. The Tuscaloosa News, for instance, was busy reporting on a city largely flattened by an EF-4 twister. At The Anniston Star, another paper in the Bama Fact Check partnership, an EF-4 tore a similar hole through a much less populated landscape. It’s taken two weeks just to return to something like a normal schedule, if "normal" is the right word for life after one of Alabama’s biggest disasters.
As it turns out, fact-checking is a big part of what reporters do in response to disasters like the April 27 tornado outbreak. The Tuscaloosa News even set up a blog to stamp out the more pervasive rumors swirling through town.
And here's what they reported: the mayor of Tuscaloosa is, in fact, still alive. Bodies were not found in the Holt landfill. And the city of Tuscaloosa is not hiding hundreds of unidentified bodies.
And as the editors of the News pointed out in a recent editorial, accurate information does matter. It matters a lot.
No, you haven’t heard from Bama Fact in a while. But you’ll see us back in action shortly.
In the meantime, here’s a little treat for the political wonk in everyone. While Alabamians were digging out of the rubble, Newt Gingrich – a man who has made a lot of public statements over the years -- declared his intention to run for the presidency. The Washington Post fact-checked the two-minute video announcing his candidacy. So did Politifact.
Enjoy.
