In a time of “alternative facts” and “fake news,” is anything more relevant to our readers and an engaged citizenry than a look at Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post fact-checker? He's the pioneer of the once obscure, and now crucial, journalism trend of checking the facts behind the words of prominent people. Of course, today, he and his teams have been awarding “Pinocchios” at a rapid rate. He is perhaps the country's first semi-celebrity fact-checker.
From the Judges
In a time of “alternative facts” and “fake news,” Brown University’s “Just the Facts” (from the January/February issue of Brown Alumni Magazine) felt especially relevant. While the current fact-checking boom is mired in politics, writer Stephanie Grace presented an objective profile of Glen Kessler, the pioneer of this journalism trend. The story was wonderfully written and left most judges wanting more. We applaud the art direction, which mimicked a newspaper layout. The sidebar “Pinocchios” ratings were fun and bipartisan. We appreciated that the story was put together under time constraints after the original cover story for the issue fell through, and the complicated process of getting a photo shoot done inside the Washington Post building.
