Climate Feedback
{{about|the fact-checking website|feedbacks in the climate systems|climate change feedback}}
{{short description|Fact-checking website for climate change}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Climate Feedback
| logo = Climate Feedback logo.png
| logo_size = 80px
| owner = Science Feedback
| url = {{URL|https://climatefeedback.org/}} (former, active)
({{URL|https://science.feedback.org/climate-feedback/|Official website}}; current site)
| type = Fact-checking website
| current_status = Active
}}
Climate Feedback (CF) is a web-based content annotation tool that allows qualified scientists to comment on stories online, adding context and noting inaccuracies.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search.html |title=Tools That Fight Disinformation Online |website=rand.org |language=en |access-date=2020-04-03 |archive-date=2020-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200403110836/https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|first=Cassandra|last=Willyard|date=1 February 2018|url=https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/climate-change-factcheck-science.php|title=At Climate Feedback, scientists encourage better science reporting. But who is listening?|work=Columbia Journalism Review|access-date=5 August 2024|language=en|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127111406/https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/climate-change-factcheck-science.php|url-status=live}} It is one of three websites under the Science Feedback parent organization that fact-checks media coverage. Science Feedback is a non-profit organization registered in France.{{Cite web|url=https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/application/public/science-feedback/661a8b13ba7689d4814337d0|title=Science Feedback, IFCN Code of Principles|last=Uzunoğlu|first=Sarphan|date=25 March 2024|website=ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805054425/https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/application/public/science-feedback/661a8b13ba7689d4814337d0|archive-date=5 August 2024|access-date=5 August 2024|url-status=live}}
The CF website asks climate scientists in relevant fields to assess the credibility and accuracy of media stories related to climate change.{{Cite web|last=Harder|first=Amy|url=https://www.axios.com/2018/06/25/climate-change-is-the-easiest-news-to-fake-1529698183|title=Why climate change is the easiest news to fake|website=Axios|date=25 June 2018|language=en|access-date=5 August 2024|archive-date=28 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728122414/https://www.axios.com/2018/06/25/climate-change-is-the-easiest-news-to-fake-1529698183|url-status=live}} The website published its first review in 2015. The website was founded by Emmanuel Vincent, who has a PhD in Oceanography & Climate from Université Pierre et Marie Curie.{{Cite web|last=Funke|first=Daniel|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2018/this-fact-checker-got-several-news-outlets-to-correct-a-false-story-about-a-mini-ice-age/|title=This fact-checker got several news outlets to correct a false story about a mini-Ice Age|website=Poynter Institute|date=29 November 2018|language=en|access-date=5 August 2024|archive-date=5 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805054425/https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2018/this-fact-checker-got-several-news-outlets-to-correct-a-false-story-about-a-mini-ice-age/|url-status=live}} Vincent partnered with the non-profit Hypothes.is, who created a free web browser plug-in that allows users to make sentence-level comments on web pages, to create an evaluation of content. Climate Feedback, an application of the Hypothes.is platform to climate science communication, allows active climate scientists to add comments.{{Cite web|url=https://news.mit.edu/2014/improving-media-coverage-climate-science-1202|title=Improving media coverage of climate science|last=Wanucha|first=Genevieve|date=2 December 2014|website=MIT News, Oceans at MIT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021143339/https://news.mit.edu/2014/improving-media-coverage-climate-science-1202|archive-date=21 October 2020|access-date=5 August 2024|url-status=live}}
Process
Typically, a story will be reviewed for CF by five or six scientists, but on one story there were 17 reviewers. According to Climate Feedback, each reviewer has to hold a PhD in a relevant discipline, and have at least one published article on climate science or climate change impacts in a top-tier peer-reviewed scientific journal within the last three years.{{Cite news|url=https://climatefeedback.org/About/|title=About us – Climate Feedback|date=2015-05-01|work=Climate Feedback|access-date=2018-12-03|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712060127/https://climatefeedback.org/about/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://climatefeedback.org/for-scientists/|title=Scientists, get onboard!|date=2015-05-12|website=Climate Feedback|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-21|archive-date=2020-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406025912/https://climatefeedback.org/for-scientists/|url-status=live}} However, summaries are written by an editor rather than by a reviewer.{{Cite web|url=https://climatefeedback.org/process|title=Process – How Climate Feedback works|website=Climate Feedback|date=3 July 2015|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-22|archive-date=2020-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309051035/https://climatefeedback.org/process/|url-status=live}}
The method was called "expert crowdsourcing" or a form of "elevated crowdsourcing" by Poynter's International Fact-Check Network.{{Cite web|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2019/is-expert-crowdsourcing-the-solution-to-health-misinformation/|title=Is expert crowdsourcing the solution to health misinformation?|date=2019-03-14|website=Poynter|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-04|archive-date=2019-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121124806/https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2019/is-expert-crowdsourcing-the-solution-to-health-misinformation/|url-status=live}}
History
The website published its first review in March 2015. In 2016, Climate Feedback raised about $30,000 with Indigogo crowdfunding, which bolstered one of the efforts to conduct fact-checking via web annotation. Others like PolitiFact have also been experimenting with annotation methods for politicians’ posts on the blogging platform Medium, using a $140,000 grant from the Knight Foundation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2016/annotation-might-be-the-future-of-fact-checking/|title=Annotation might be the future of fact-checking|last=Wilner|first=Tamar|date=25 May 2016|website=Poynter|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822104404/https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2016/annotation-might-be-the-future-of-fact-checking/|archive-date=2019-08-22|access-date=2020-01-18|url-status=live}}
In 2017 Dana Nuccitelli, in a Guardian article on the role of denialist blogs in undermining public acceptance of anthropogenic global warming, described Climate Feedback as "a highly respected and influential resource."{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/nov/29/new-study-uncovers-the-keystone-domino-strategy-of-climate-denial|title=New study uncovers the 'keystone domino' strategy of climate denial|last=Nuccitelli|first=Dana|date=November 29, 2017|website=theguardian.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222194258/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/nov/29/new-study-uncovers-the-keystone-domino-strategy-of-climate-denial|archive-date=December 22, 2019|access-date=January 20, 2020|url-status=live}}
The website has identified errors in content published by outlets, such as Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Mail on Sunday and New York magazine. The website is included in the database of global fact-checking sites by the Reporters' Lab at Duke University.{{Cite news|url=https://reporterslab.org/fact-checking-triples-over-four-years/|title=Fact-checking triples over four years - Duke Reporters' Lab|date=2018-02-22|work=Duke Reporters' Lab|access-date=2018-12-03|language=en-US|archive-date=2019-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531131535/https://reporterslab.org/fact-checking-triples-over-four-years/|url-status=live}} Currently, Emmanuel Vincent serves as director.
As a project of the Science Feedback non-profit organization, Climate Feedback reviews are used in Facebook's fact-checking partnership to identify false news articles and show them lower in its News Feed.{{Cite news |last=Mahoney |first=Matt |date=December 20, 2016 |title=A reality check on Facebook's fact checks |language=en-US |work=MIT Technology Review |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603188/the-limits-of-fact-checking-facebook/ |access-date=2020-04-03 |archive-date=2019-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230203301/https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603188/the-limits-of-fact-checking-facebook/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.axios.com/facebook-fact-checking-partners-poynter-087404bc-42f0-40c8-b570-6a45a1d6bd63.html|title=Facebook adds 2 new fact-checking partners|date=2019-04-17|work=Axios|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-01-18|access-date=2019-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118040057/https://www.axios.com/facebook-fact-checking-partners-poynter-087404bc-42f0-40c8-b570-6a45a1d6bd63.html|url-status=live}} Science Feedback is annually certified by the International Fact Checking Network at the Poynter Institute.{{cite web |date=May 15, 2020 |title=Science Feedback – scientists sorting fact from fiction |url=https://www.openscience.eu/science-feedback-scientists-sorting-fact-from-fiction/ |accessdate=December 29, 2020 |website=Open Science |publisher= |archive-date=December 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229082104/https://www.openscience.eu/science-feedback-scientists-sorting-fact-from-fiction/ |url-status=live }}
In September 2021, journalist John Stossel filed a libel lawsuit against Facebook, along with Climate Feedback and Science Feedback, for labeling two of his videos on climate change "misleading" and "partly false". Stossel's lawsuit said the labels misrepresented his views.{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Eriq |date=2021-09-23 |title=John Stossel Sues Facebook for Allegedly Defaming Him With Fact-Check |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/john-stossel-sues-facebook-1235019248/ |access-date=2021-10-05 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005041428/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/john-stossel-sues-facebook-1235019248/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=2021-09-23 |title=John Stossel Sues Facebook Alleging Defamation Over Fact-Check Label, Seeks at Least $2 Million |url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/john-stossel-sues-facebook-defamation-fact-check-1235072338/ |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104145107/https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/john-stossel-sues-facebook-defamation-fact-check-1235072338/ |url-status=live }} A judge dismissed Stossel's lawsuit in October 2022, ruling that the labels were First Amendment-protected statements of opinion.{{Cite web |last=Cho |first=Winston |date=2022-10-12 |title=Judge Dismisses John Stossel's Defamation Suit Against Facebook Over Fact-Checking |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/facebook-topples-john-stossels-defamation-suit-1235240341/ |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511032243/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/facebook-topples-john-stossels-defamation-suit-1235240341/ |url-status=live }}
Climate Feedback and Skeptical Science are used to develop CLIMINATOR, an artificial intelligence that debunks climate misinformation.{{cite journal |author1=Markus Leippold |author2=Saeid Ashraf Vaghefi |author3=Dominik Stammbach |author4=Veruska Muccione |author5=Julia Bingler |author6=Jingwei Ni |author7=Chiara Colesanti Senni |author8=Tobias Wekhof |author9=Tobias Schimanski |author10=Glen Gostlow |author11=Tingyu Yu |author12=Juerg Luterbacher |author13=Christian Huggel |year=2025 |title=Automated fact-checking of climate claims with large language models |journal=npj Climate Action |volume=4 |issue=17 |doi=10.1038/s44168-025-00215-8 }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://science.feedback.org/|Science Feedback}}
- {{official website|https://science.feedback.org/climate-feedback/|Climate Feedback}}
- {{URL|https://climatefeedback.org/|Climate Feedback.org}} (former website)
- {{official website|https://science.feedback.org/health-feedback/|Health Feedback}}
- {{official website|https://science.feedback.org/energy-feedback/|Energy Feedback}}
Category:Environmental websites