The Jandoli Institute will begin its third PolitiFact workshop for St. Bonaventure University students today (Jan. 31).

The workshop, conducted by PolitiFact Senior Correspondent Louis Jacobson and Jandoli Institute Executive Director Richard Lee, will provide students with the opportunity to check facts and produce articles that will appear on PolitiFact and PolitiFact New York, the organization’s New York edition, which is a partnership with the Buffalo News.

“Fact-checking is an essential part of journalism’s vital role in our democracy,” said Aaron Chimbel, dean of St. Bonaventure’s Jandoli School of Communication. “As the public navigates the flood of information in our digital and splintered media worlds, thoroughly vetted information is crucial for them to be informed. This collaboration with PolitiFact does just that and provides a great learning opportunity for our students.”

A team of 10 students will begin training on Monday and then work on stories throughout the spring semester. Since the program began in 2020, St. Bonaventure students have written 26 articles for PolitiFact, one of the nation’s leading fact-checking sites.

Founded in 2007, PolitiFact uses traditional journalism techniques to investigate the accuracy of claims in politics, then provides an overall “Truth-O-Meter” rating ranging from True to Pants on Fire. Articles appear on its PolitiFact.com website and are reprinted by its media partners across the country. PolitiFact is owned by the nonprofit Poynter Institute for Media Studies and employs reporters and editors in St. Petersburg, Florida, Washington, D.C., and half a dozen other cities.

The Jandoli Institute, a part of the Jandoli School of Communication, serves as a forum for academic research, creative ideas and discussion on the intersection between media and democracy.