James and Bill, you guys might enjoy reading "The Lifespan of a Fact," and/or the script for the play based on the book, which is currently showing in New York City. It's a more recent account of fact-checking than you're looking for, but may have useful insights.

On Sun, Dec 2, 2018 at 12:14 PM Julie Cohn <cohnconnor@gmail.com> wrote:

James and Bill -

I’ve mentioned your project to a friend who has been a long-time writer for Texas Monthly, the New York Times, and other publications. She is going to provide me with some contact information later this week. I’ll message you off-list with details.

Great idea for a project!

-Julie

*****************************

Julie Cohn, Ph.D.
Research Historian, Center for Public History
University of Houston, 315 McElhinney Hall
Houston, TX 77204-3007
cohnconnor@gmail.com

Author: The Grid: Biography of an American Technology (MIT Press, 2017)
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/grid

On Dec 1, 2018, at 8:42 AM, James Cortada <jcortada@umn.edu> wrote:

Bill Aspray and I are exploring how fact checking was done between the early 1950s and the mid-1990s using computers and networks, that is to say, before the wide use of the Internet, snopes, Wiki etc. If you are aware of specific examples, or documentation, about this use of computing, please let us know. We are interested in all manner of fact checking, not limiting it to press challenges of statements by politicians, hoaxes, and faulty scientific research.  Thanks for your help.

--

James W. Cortada

Senior Research Fellow

Charles Babbage Institute

University of Minnesota

jcortada@umn.edu

608-274-6382

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