As a Poynter supporter, you’re receiving this newsletter each Friday so we can keep you well informed about the lifesaving work we’re doing to fight against misinformation around the world and help journalists deliver news you trust. With the unparalleled strain on journalists due to the coronavirus pandemic - whether from newsroom layoffs or loss of lives - our work is more critical than ever.

Helping you make sense of the day’s headlines

The sun sets behind an idle pump jack near Karnes City, Texas, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Demand for oil continues to fall due to the COVID-19 outbreak. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

It seems like every week, this pandemic brings a new, history-making moment. This week it was U.S. oil prices falling below $0. But how is that even possible? And why should we be concerned that gas could be so cheap when we’re all worried about our own pocketbooks? Poynter senior faculty member Al Tompkins explains how oil and gas prices affect you.

Also splayed across the headlines this week was news that Florida opened Jacksonville Beach to hundreds of beach-goers. One article posted on Facebook and shared over 12,000 times sparked outrage by claiming the media fabricated images of crowded beaches. Poynter’s PolitiFact team uncovers for you the glitch that caused this viral Facebook conspiracy.

Checking facts across the globe

This map illustrates the volume of fact-checks in the global database today. It reflects the number of fact-checks we have published from our contributors across the world. It is not an indication of the volume of misinformation seen or shared in each country.

During a global pandemic, combating misinformation is crucial to your health. Recently, there was new reporting that suggests the coronavirus could have come from a lab in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. PolitiFact walks you through the facts behind this origin theory. Hint: The virus is not engineered by humans. 

The last time I mentioned the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance, this global collaboration led by Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network had published an impressive 1,000 fact-checks about the coronavirus. Now, our partners have debunked, shared and translated more than 3,500 facts-checks. We’ve identified patterns, detected waves and made sense of misinformation globally, thanks to these new interactive maps and graphics. Journalists and citizens alike can use these tools to sort fact from fiction.

Adding context to all of your questions

Wearing a face mask for a measure of protection, a woman pushes a baby carriage through an intersection as a statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect in an effort to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Earlier this month, we announced a pioneering new partnership with NPR in which Poynter vice president Kelly McBride serves as their public editor. Check out her first column that was posted this week.

Lastly, have you completed your 2020 U.S. census questionnaire yet? I just completed mine this week. As I imagined how much our country’s population has grown over this past decade, I couldn’t help but wonder: Millions of couples quarantined in their homes … add to that a lot of free time on their hands … does that equal a population explosion in nine months? 

If you, too, are curious about this, Poynter’s Al Tompkins sheds some light on whether there will be a post-quarantine baby boom or not.

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Josh Herrington
Development Director
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Poynter Foundation Board Members: 

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Frank “Sandy” Rief III, Attorney, Allen Dell, Attorneys at Law
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