Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post earns four ‘Pinocchios’ for his flawed Biden-Burisma fact check.

The ⁢Washington Post’s Controversial Fact ⁤Check on ⁣Hunter Biden’s⁤ Laptop

For the ⁣second time⁤ in three years, The Washington Post has⁣ quietly⁣ “updated”‍ one of the most consequential fact checks ⁣in⁣ the history of American politics.‌ The original article, published in ⁤October 2020, undercut reports that Hunter Biden arranged a dinner meeting between one of his foreign business clients and his​ father, ‌who was then vice⁣ president of the ‍United States.

The⁢ fact check involved interviews ⁢with Biden aides who ‍disputed the vice president’s attendance at the dinner and questioned the authenticity of the ⁢laptop ⁢that contained the information. This theory was quickly embraced⁣ by former intelligence officials and used to discredit the information​ in the final days of the campaign.

However, recent testimony from Hunter Biden’s former business partner‌ confirmed the New York Post’s reporting about the dinner. The Washington Post has since appended a series‌ of “updates” to its ‌reporting,‍ but has not⁢ retracted the article or issued a straightforward correction.

Despite the mounting evidence, the Post has ⁤not published ⁣a separate news story examining its own ⁢errors, which misinformed voters ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Republican lawmakers argue that the ​Post’s inaccurate fact-checking is indicative⁢ of a larger problem in the Washington press corps, where evidence of Biden family corruption is⁤ being ignored.

The Washington Post’s fact-checking feature, led by ⁣Glenn ‌Kessler, has faced criticism for its handling of the Biden-Burisma dinner story. Kessler, who portrays himself as a neutral arbiter of truth, has been accused of being ​too trusting of his Biden sources. The Post has​ run six‌ corrections across‌ its ‍original⁤ and revised stories about the laptop emails and the dinner.

Despite these⁣ controversies, Kessler ​and The Washington Post continue to play ‌a‍ significant role in fact-checking and shaping ⁤public opinion. The fact-checking feature is⁤ part ⁢of the Post’s national-news section and ⁤has its own team, including researchers and videographers.

While Kessler promises to‍ be non-partisan in his fact-checking, his ‌personal connections and his ‍wife’s political donations raise ​questions about potential bias. Kessler’s late mother was a committed Democrat, and​ his wife has donated to Democratic candidates, including⁢ Joe Biden.

Overall, the handling of the Biden-Burisma dinner ‍story by ​The Washington Post’s ​fact-checking feature highlights the ⁢challenges and controversies surrounding fact-checking in today’s media landscape.

Key Takeaways:

• The Washington Post quietly ‌updated a fact check on Hunter‌ Biden’s alleged dinner meeting.
• Recent testimony confirmed ​the New York Post’s reporting about⁢ the dinner.
• The Post has appended ‍”updates” to its reporting but has not retracted the ⁢article.
• Republican ⁣lawmakers argue that the ‍Post’s fact-checking ⁣is indicative of a ⁤larger problem in the Washington press corps.
• Glenn Kessler, the fact-checker, has faced criticism ⁤for his handling of the story.
• Questions about potential bias arise due to Kessler’s ‌personal connections and his wife’s political donations.

This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations.