- http://www.medicarenewsgroup.com/context/beyond-the-sound-bite/beyond-the-sound-bite/2012/10/30/interactive-timeline-go-beyond-the-medicare-sound-bites-of-the-2012-presidential-election
- http://www.medicarenewsgroup.com/context/beyond-the-sound-bite
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
10/30/2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Medicare was one of the most hotly debated issues in the 2012 presidential campaign. There were at least six anti-Obama attack lines put out on behalf of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, while there were at least four anti-Romney lines released on President Obama’s behalf. We examined every Medicare-related claim of the campaign season – from “Obama cut $716 billion from Medicare” to Romney will “end Medicare as we know it” – and labeled each as fact or fiction. We also used the interactive timeline format (meant to be viewed and clicked through in a web browser) to show the chronology of the claims. To get the full experience, please visit the story’s webpage. After the phrase “Fact or Fiction?” we provide an answer, which is a hyperlink back to the original blog on the topic.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The soundbites were derived from news stories or campaign videos (which you can view in the timeline). Then, we found the government resources to debunk the soundbites. For example, we debunked Romney’s claim that Obama cut $716 billion from Medicare by citing figures from the Congressional Budget Office’s report on the Affordable Care Act.
Explain types of human sources used.
No interviews were conducted for this story.
Results:
We labeled only one sound bite – Obama’s claim that Romney and vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan want to turn Medicare into a voucher system – an unqualified fact.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Listen closely to campaign ads. This will ensure you don’t miss sound bites that have gotten less media attention. For example, the Romney-Ryan campaign released an attack ad stating that the Obama administration taxes wheelchairs and pacemakers. Although the Affordable Care Act included a medical device excise tax, the ad implied that beneficiaries would be taxed, when, in fact, the suppliers are subjected to the tax. This misleading statement went largely unnoticed by the media.