We are excited to unveil our newest project — our first-ever political newsletter, exclusively from Snopes. Today marks the debut of OnTheIssues (OTI), a free newsletter that we hope becomes your indispensable companion this election year.
You can expect a touch of snark, a healthy dose of skepticism, and a relentless focus on facts from OTI. Simply sign up for our mailing list, and a refreshingly different take on the Beltway and beyond will land in your inbox every two weeks.
How did we get the idea for OTI? Well, the bizarre and unprecedented events last year – from the riot at the Capitol to the debate over a mask-wearing mandate on the House floor – seemed to demand it. For a lifetime to come we will be asking each other about, and reminding ourselves of, where we were on Jan. 6, 2021, when armed U.S. citizens stormed the capitol. Moments like these demand more than just daily news coverage, and that’s where Snopes comes in.
With election season upon us, Snopes is here to be your constant companion. We will take you deeper with OTI, serving up fresh takes, debunking rumors and providing context on the hottest political issues of the day. It will help you make sense of the sure-to-be-tumultuous year ahead.
We hope to tackle a grab-bag of issues, including:
- Hot races across the U.S., and the implications of state-level races for the future
- Voter concerns like election interference/auditing and voter suppression/integrity
- The art of political fact-checking and common political tropes
- Notable examples of hypocrisy, contradictions, flip-flops, and gaffes by politicians
- Review and criticism of technology and misinformation policy and mass media
- Book reviews of spotlight candidates and public figures
- Obscure and interesting political happenings in our own backyards
This newsletter will be a huge team effort in collaboration with our newest colleagues. Snopes Media Group, the parent company of Snopes.com, recently acquired OTI – a two-decade-old index of U.S. policy votes and statements from politicians – and brought its small team into our newsroom.
We’ve done more than just dip our toes in political reporting over the years, but with this newsletter we hope to make a big splash. Be sure to sign up today.
Team Snopes