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Snopes Digest #101: Fact-checking Harris and Trump, hiring fact-checkers — and more

Here's what's happening inside the Snopes newsroom

Author

Izz LaMagdeleine
September 04, 2024

MEMBERS ONLY

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Sept. 4, 2024・Issue #101

Table of Contents

1. Fact-Checking Highlight: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Rumors

Let's talk about what's going on with Snopes: the newsroom, the products, the people, and everything and anything that makes Snopes, Snopes. This month Nick Hardinges wrote about our ongoing efforts to fact-check claims surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. President Donald Trump.

With two months to go until election day, rumors about Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. President Donald Trump have continued to spread online. From phony Trump quotes and mocked-up Harris photos to fake Taylor Swift endorsements for both candidates, the stories range from truth to outright falsehoods.Below is a sampling of such rumors, all of which Snopes fact-checked in recent weeks:

Keep Snopes Debunking

We need your continued support to continue our fact-finding mission.

2. Since We Last Met: We’re Hiring 2 Mid-Career Fact-Checkers

From Executive Editor/Managing Editor Doreen Marchionni:

Snopes continues to hire, with the goal of building up our little newsroom to 20(ish) full-time staffers by year's end.

To that end, we're in the process of hiring two new, mid-career fact-checkers, ideally with some political reporting experience, given the glut of political claims we need to debunk these days.

If you or someone you know might be interested in the job, feel free to share this application link on the Online News Association's website. We hope to make final decisions on new hires by end of September.

We couldn't do any of this without your continued support, so thank you.

3. Overheard at Snopes

We look into a lot of weird stuff at Snopes. We imagine it's very interesting to be a fly on the wall, so we wanted to give you a look at some of the things we have to say when fact-checking.

Overheard: “they stand on quicksand with tummies of jello”

— Web Producer/Production Editor Izz Scott LaMagdeleine

4. Behind the Snopes: Changing Newsletter Platforms

From Web Producer/Production Editor Izz Scott LaMagdeleine:

We are so grateful to have you as a subscriber! Whether you receive the Digest, Debunker or both newsletters, your subscription allows us to directly connect with you about our work and why we are committed to fact-checking the Internet’s hottest rumors and hoaxes.

That’s why we switched to a new email platform: beehiiv. This change will allow for better delivery of our newsletters, more engaging newsletters and a seamless experience for you.

As we migrate over, we wanted to ask a few things of you:

  • New Email Address: Please take a moment to save our new email addresses to ensure you continue receiving our newsletter without interruption:

  • Interaction: Your continued interest and involvement are incredibly important to us. Please open, read, and interact with our emails to stay updated with our latest work. And let us know what you think!

  • Primary Inbox: During this transition, our emails might land in your promotions or spam folder. To ensure you don’t miss out, please move our emails to your primary inbox.

If you have any questions or encounter any issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Mental Health Break

Snopes investigates some grim and depressing claims, so we know how important it is to your mental health to see something silly, funny, or just plain heartwarming. Here are some links that made us smile.

5. Member Gratitude: 100 Digests Appreciation Note

From Web Producer/Production Editor Izz Scott LaMagdeleine:

Last month, we sent our 100th edition of the Digest. Over the years, we've celebrated new hires, discussed how we approach covering issues like the Israel-Hamas war as well as media literacy topics like “moving the goalposts,” and shared our best work dedicated to fact-checking the hottest, wildest claims we can find.

Thank you for supporting the Digest over the years by being a member. We couldn't do it without you. Here's to 100 more editions!

6. Snopes-worthy Reads

What Snopes is reading across the web.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times

— Asawin Suebsaeng, Rolling Stone

— Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine

Thanks for reading this edition of the Snopes Digest. We send new issues of the newsletter every month, so please add this email address to your white list and keep an eye out for the next issue.

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