""With the widespread use of social media, the global spread of 'fake news' has become a serious social issue," Masahiro Yamamoto, the documentary's director, said in an email. " In Japan as well, information of mixed accuracy is circulating widely, and the situation continues to worsen. Against this backdrop, we felt there was much to learn from PolitiFact, which has been conducting fact-checking for nearly two decades.""
"A production team from the Japanese public broadcaster, which delivers a variety of programs to about 460 million households in 160 countries, approached PolitiFact last year about being the focus of the documentary. "In addition, with the reemergence of President Trump, we anticipated renewed and intensified battles between misinformation and verified facts," Yamamoto said. "Given PolitiFact's experience as a Pulitzer Prize-winning organization and its role as a global leader in fact-checking, we decided to develop this project.""
"An English-language version of the film is planned, but the release date is not yet scheduled. NHK said March is a possibility. Katie Sanders, PolitiFact editor in chief, said the film crew spent time with PolitiFact's staff, both at Poynter in St. Petersburg and at the team's Washington, D.C. office. "They pegged their first visit to the day President Trump gave a United Nations address," she said, filming how PolitiFact prepared for and fact-checked the event."
NHK premieres "The Battle for Truth: The Front Lines of American Fact-Checking" on Jan. 30 in Japan, focusing on PolitiFact's nearly two decades of fact-checking work. Director Masahiro Yamamoto cited social media-driven spread of "fake news" and mixed-accuracy information in Japan as reasons to learn from PolitiFact. NHK's production team approached PolitiFact and filmed at Poynter in St. Petersburg and at PolitiFact's Washington, D.C. office. The crew scheduled a visit around a United Nations address by President Trump to capture preparation and breaking-news coverage. An English-language version is planned, with March a possible release.
Read at Poynter
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