No fooling: Today is International Fact Checking Day

Today, the day after April Fool's Day, is International Fact Checking Day, promoted by the International Fact-Checking Network in partnership with fact-checking organizations around the world. We believe, as they do, that fact-checking shouldn't be something only professional fact-checkers do. As they say, "An accurate information ecosystem requires everyone to do their part."

Fact-Checking Day is billed as "a rallying cry for more facts in politics, journalism, and everyday life," but is meant to be both lighthearted and practical. “It’s not about being killjoys, shaking a finger at everyone, so we’re trying to do it with a sense of fun,” says Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the IFCN, based at The Poynter Institute.

On its website you will find tip sheets and a reading list for everyday media consumers, lesson plans for high-school and college students, an interactive quiz and more. Follow @factchecknet, #FactcheckingDay and #FactCheckIt on Twitter. Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan wrote about last year's inaugural day, calling it "a global counterpunch on behalf of truth."

Here's a list of resources, compiled by Ryan Craig, publisher of Kentucky's Todd County Standard: