Local Newsrooms Band Together to Combat Election Misinformation

20 September 2026

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, a wave of AI-driven falsehoods and political polarization have spurred independent newsrooms to build collaborative fact-checking networks. In a first-of-its-kind partnership, five prominent U.S. fact-checkers have launched a joint newsletter to share findings and identify trends.

The new coalition, which includes five verified International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) signatories, is aiming to help media professionals, content creators, and election observers spot and debunk deceptive political ads and misinformation. Their newsletter will focus on uncovering and explaining issues, facts, and rumors raised throughout the campaign cycle.

The move is a response to a rising tide of false information, political polarization, and the emergence of AI-generated content that's blurring the line between fact and fiction. "We're seeing an influx of AI fakery and public mistrust heading into Election Day 2026. More and more, voters have to sort out what's credible," said Angie Drobnic Holan, editor of PolitiFact and editor-in-chief of the IFCN. "That's exactly why this partnership is so important."

This coalition follows a broader push to bolster fact-checking as misinformation proliferates. In August 2026, PolitiFact announced its most extensive partnership network to date, working with local newsrooms in key battleground states to reach 55 million people across 15 million television households, according to Nielsen estimates.

Regional collaborations gain momentum

At the state level, collaborations are growing too. Earlier this year in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Watch announced they were teaming up to produce concise "Fact Briefs" on election-related claims. These 150-word verifications feed into a larger network of 18 nonprofit newsrooms nationwide supported by Gigafact.

Similar efforts have taken root internationally. In 2025, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) launched Eurovision News Spotlight, an 18-member network focusing on cross-border fact-checking and open-source intelligence. The group facilitates resource-sharing, training, and collaborative verification.

Norway's fact-checking organization Faktisk.no organized a joint verification desk with 12 media houses and 32 reporters following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This initiative, which quickly debunked wartime misinformation, continues to operate as the conflict persists.

Such partnerships help accelerate the fact-checking process while expanding the reach of verified information. Local newsrooms bring valuable community knowledge, including awareness of regional concerns and trusted information sources. Their established relationships with audiences make them particularly effective at combating misinformation.

With AI-generated content spreading and political divisions deepening, these networks will prove increasingly vital for voters, journalists, and election monitors navigating the 2026 midterms. While challenges remain, collaborative fact-checking efforts represent a crucial safeguard for democratic processes during this critical election cycle.