May 14, 2021 12:00 Dan Shelley, RTDNA’s executive director and COO, released this statement following the introduction of the “Fact Checker Regulation Act” (HB4813) in Michigan: A small faction of the Michigan House of Representatives, which sometimes espouses views outside the mainstream, is using its animus for responsible journalism by targeting fact checkers who help keep journalists and, more relevant in this case, politicians and public officials honest in their discourse. The greater threat to the First Amendment’s guarantee that journalists can serve their communities by seeking and reporting the truth comes from the tribalistic approach to news and information consumption that has fueled disinformation and misinformation about elections, public policy and political debates.