by Warren Watson
asne.org

NEIL BROWN believes that a unique, political Web site started last year as a joint project of the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times and Congressional Quarterly has the immediacy, urgency and interactivity that can be a formula for online success for newspaper companies: PolitiFact.com.

Executive editor and vice president of the Times, Brown said the site helps voters separate truth from falsehood when it comes to the claims of presidential candidates. "The site truly makes the case that at least part of our future rests in focusing on the smart, credible journalism that we have always done so well," he said.

Brown said the Times has shifted a substantial chunk of its traditional political coverage to "old-fashioned, shoe leather reporting."

"When a presidential candidate makes a claim - or attacks a competitor - we spend the time to verify whether what the candidate said was true or false. The signature piece is our 'truth-o-meter,' a graphic that takes a stand and rates the veracity of the comments." READY FULL STORY