Beware the march of the Sneaky Weasel Words (SWW). SWWs first made their appearance in the Garden of Eden when Satan told Eve “You positively will not die” only to follow that up with a weasel-worded promise of how much smarter and freer she’d be if only she’d eat the fruit mean Ol’ God was denying her.
While SWWs have marched throughout history, industries, religions, and relationships, the band of merry SWWs became many of late due to the fact Evil was making a concerted push. The prophet Isaiah told us why in this passage, 59:14-15, of his book:
“And justice was forced to move back, and righteousness itself kept standing simply far off. For truth has stumbled even in the public square, and what is straightforward is unable to enter. And the truth proves to be missing, and anyone turning away from badness is being despoiled.”
This state of affairs has not changed and, in point of fact, is now systemized, organized, structured, and taught so that a “shared set of facts” marches into the world in lockstep.
Did you know there is a fact-checkers certification program?
Yes, there is, and its name is International Fact-Checkers Network, or IFCN. IFCN is run by The Poynter Institute with funding from these sources, some whom about which you will be surprised to learn, forming a New World Order orgy club.
Certification as a fact-checking organization even comes with a pretty badge to display on websites and a code of principles that are so full of weasel words/phrases as to make the promises given much like Satan’s “You will not die” declaration. [For those who do not know, Eve did die, as did Adam and all their offspring.]
Now, you would think that means individuals can become certified, but mostly it means they would be trained in the ways of dis- and misinformation warfare by the organization they work for. What becomes certified are organizations such as newspapers, news broadcasters, social justice organizations, and undefined corporations. These then set up a department whose sole aim is to teach people how to identify dis- and misinformation, promise to show how they know something fits in those categories, and what the “real” facts are.
Then there are organizations, corporations, etc., who then contract with these certified agencies. For instance, Facebook, Instgram, and WhatsApp hire third-party fact checkers from this list at the IFCN. [Click this link to read about how that works. Scroll down to see the IFCN section, including the links they contain.]
Using “signals” — including user-flagged content — to identify problematic words, images, or links, they in turn “surface them”, that is, inform their third-party contracted fact checkers of the possible dis- or misinformation. Not only that, FB, IG, and WhatsApp actually train their algorithms based on suggestions from their fact-checking partners.
All users (those who contract with fact checkers) and IFCN-certified organizations and their employees agree to abide by a shared set of principles. See if you can find the weasel words/phrases in each of these.
What the big print giveth…
In order to be certified as a fact-check signatory, one must apply. The code of principles is included in this 34-page application. The five principles are:
- Commitment to Non-Partisanship and Fairness
- Commitment to Standards and Transparency of Source
- Commitment to Transparency of Funding & Organization
- Commitment to Standards and Transparency of Methodology
- Commitment to an Open & Honest Corrections Policy
Sounds good. Looks good. But does it hold up to our real-world experience with these fact checkers? Let’s find out.
Principle 1: Signatory organizations fact-check claims using the same high standards of evidence for equivalent claims. They do not concentrate their fact-checking unduly on any one side. They consider the reach and importance of the claims they select to check. They declare relevant interests. They follow the same essential process for every fact check and let the evidence dictate the conclusions. Signatories do not advocate or take policy positions on the issues they fact-check.
Principle 1: What weasel words/phrases did you identify and why? Did you find “unduly on any one side”? How about “do not advocate [for] or take policy positions on”? Are you snickering yet?
Principle 2: Signatories provide enough details of all sources used to enable users to replicate their work, except in cases where a source’s personal security could be compromised. In such cases, signatories provide as much detail as possible. Signatories use the best available primary sources wherever possible and always check key claims against two or more sources save where only one source is relevant. Signatories identify the interests of any sources they quote where those might reasonably be considered relevant to the claim fact checked.
Principle 2: What weasel words/phrases did you identify? Did you find “to enable users to replicate their work”? Did you find “except in cases”? You know that one always leads to the oft-used “highly placed sources say”. Did you find “always check…against two or more sources except where only one” will suffice? Giggling yet?
Principle 3: Signatory organizations are transparent about their funding sources. (13 footnote included) If they accept funding from other organizations, they ensure that funders have no influence over the conclusions the fact-checkers reach in their reports. Signatory organizations publish on their site the professional background of all key figures in the organization and explain the organizational structure, setting out how and by whom editorial control is exercised. Signatories may choose not to identify the authors of individual fact-checks where editorial control is exercised by the senior editorial team. Signatories clearly indicate a way for users to communicate with them.
(Footnote 13) The IFCN will publish a caveat stating: “The IFCN Director and Advisory Board may, in the exceptional circumstance of a signatory facing closure or severe sanctions or risks if it discloses its sources of funding publicly, despite such funding being legal in the signatory’s country, choose to waive the requirement for public financial disclosure if the signatory discloses such fully to the IFCN assessor. If such a decision is ever made, this will be publicly declared on the IFCN site, indicating the number of signatories affected”.
Principle 3: What weasel words/phrases did you identify? Did you find “may choose not to identify authors of individual fact-checks” just in case the editorial team makes changes? Is that steam coming from your ears?
Principle 4: Signatories work to the highest professional standards and explain the methodology they use to select, research, write and publish their fact checks. They encourage users to send claims to fact-check and are transparent on why and how they fact-check.
Principle 4: What weasel words/phrases did you identify? Did you find “are transparent on why and how they fact-check”? Laughing aloud yet?
Principle 5: Signatories are committed to accuracy and publish and promote their corrections policy and follow it scrupulously. Where credible evidence proves they have made a mistake worthy of correction, they correct clearly and transparently in line with the corrections policy, seeking so far as possible to ensure that users see the corrected version. If the signatory is the fact-checking unit of a publishing or media company, it is a requirement of signatory status that the parent company has and adheres to an open and honest corrections policy.
Principle 5: What weasel words/phrases did you identify? Did you find “publish and promote their corrections policy and follow it scrupulously”? Did you find “credible evidence”? Right. Ask them to define “credible” and see what you get.
One thing that stood out to me was this: The Poynter Institute established IFCN. IFCN certifies Fact Checkers (FCs) who work for organizations that fund The Poynter Institute that set up IFCN that certifies (FCs) who work for organization that fund…
Get the drift?
It’s an orgy of power grabs and what I’ve begun calling manipucheating all to set up a feudal system of lording it over the peons, ignoring Truth, denying Justice, and destroying Freedom.
Sure, they sell it with the warm fuzzies of “I love Earth!”, but they do not. They love themselves. They love their fuel guzzling private jets and gas-powered engines. They love their natural gas stoves and artsy ballgowns and giant refrigerators stocked with champagne and freezers full of upscale ice creams. They love their insider trading tips and the dupes that march in the streets causing chaos on their behalf. Mostly love for these things is made piquant by your misery, your lack, your troubles, your pain.
But here’s the thing that gives us confidence: The prophet Daniel prophesied about our time in his book at 12:4 where it says: “And as for you, O Daniel, make secret the words and seal up the book, until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant.”
The prophecy doesn’t say how that true knowledge will become abundant, but it will. And where the light of Truth shines, the darkness of Evil is vanquished. You can have a part in this by spreading Truth when you find it.
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Thank you for participating in spreading thoughtful, insightful, and common-sense information and sometimes just plain entertaining columns by sharing this with your friends and social network! Born and raised in Georgia, Angela K. Durden is an author, publisher, editor, songwriter, performer, and more, living in Metro Atlanta, Georgia. She appreciates your support of her Citizen Journalism by purchasing her books. Visit her Consolidated Author Page and buy a book or three. See more about Angela here. Want to watch a fun video? Click here.
