Fact Check Friday is a Catholic Connection show segment dedicated to revealing how the mainstream media is manipulating the information they report. I separate the facts from fiction so you can make informed decisions.
Tune in Fridays at 9am ET on Catholic Connection
Listen to Prior Shows! Visit the Catholic Connection Archives
Fact Check Friday Segments
May 30, 2025 – Ratings for broadcast and cable TV channels are dropping precipitously. Teresa gives her reasons why. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 24:01)
May 23, 2025 – “Covering Up the Cover-Up:” about the medical situation of former President Joe Biden and the press cover-up. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 22:38)
May 16, 2025 – Is the new Pope Leo XIV “woke?” Teresa Tomeo discusses how people spread actual lies to millions through the use of memes, and how you can “fact check” supposed Catholic news and information. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 26:17)
April 11, 2025 – Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana’s presentation about defunding PBS & NPR. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 24:07)
April 4, 2025 – Media bias shown with an interview of a former hostage of Hamas. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 23:59)
March 28, 2025 – Are you spending more time with devices than God? What happens when you gain freedom by “unplugging.” Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 23:57)
March 21, 2025 – The media and their support for assisted suicide, the repercussions, and the non-coverage of palliative options for the dying. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:55)
March 14, 2025 – Teresa discusses a new study showing excessive screen time linked to manic symptoms in kids. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
March 7, 2025 – The media pushing gender ideology, women’s rights, and the movie “Young Woman and the Sea.” Click Here to Listen. (Segment Begins at 25:48)
February 28, 2025, – Teresa talks about the media now admitting former President’s decline and making money off of it. Click here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:48)
February 7, 2025, Teresa discusses lawsuits against the media, and how the media are settling the lawsuits to avoid internal memos being released to the public. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:48)
January 31, 2025 – FCC investigating public broadcasting airing commercials, which is prohibited. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 17:03)
January 17, 2025 – Teresa discusses changes underway on CNN and why that is. Click here to Listen. (Segment begins 25:47)
December 20, 2024 – Teresa talks about the Media and the government hiding Joe Biden’s mental decline. Click here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:48)
December 13, 2024 – Teresa discusses the Church teaching about human life, and Nancy Pelosi publicly defying Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone by continuing to receive Communion. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 21:43)
December 6, 2024 – Teresa asks why aren’t the legacy media asking simple common-sense questions about children and gender transitioning? Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:56)
November 22, 2024 – Teresa talks about the change in the media and the White House after the election. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
November 15, 2024 – The media need to get back to basics, and separate news from opinion. Click here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
November 8, 2024 – The actual common sense reactions of the media after the presidential election. Click here to listen.
October 18, 2024 – 60 minutes and CBS accused of deceptive editing of a Kamala Harris interview. Click here to listen.
October 4, 2024 – Teresa talks about the truth of St. Francis of Assisi. He’s not what the popular culture would have you believe. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48)
September 20, 2024, Teresa talks about Olympics judo star Nemanja Majdov banned for 5 months after making sign of cross at Paris Games. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
September 6, 2024, Teresa talks about What JD Vance REALLY said about school shootings vs. what the mainstream media claims. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:46)
August 30, 2024 – Mark Zuckerberg admits the Biden-Harris Administration pressured Meta repeatedly to sensor important information. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:39)
August 23, 2024 – How is God calling us to stand up to the culture, and to share our faith. Click here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:38)
August 16, 2024 – The media make money on fear. Do not allow yourself to be overcome by it. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:46, Length 8:48)
August 9, 2024 – For the media, abortion is the only choice. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:54)
August 3, 2024 – Women’s Sports are not being protected at the Olympics. Click here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:45, Length 8:57)
July 19, 2024 – More good things in the media. Fr. Mike Schmitz talk at the National Eucharistic Congress. What is it that extinguishes the fire of our love for God? Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:44, Length 8:42)
July 12, 2024 – Good things in the media. Teresa talks about a new movie about Blessed Solanus Casey. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:46, Length 9:47)
June 28, 2024 – Teresa talks about how the Surgeon General calls for social media to have health warnings for teens. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:47, Length 8:49)
June 14, 2024 – Teresa discusses the media’s sin of omission of ignoring a pediatric doctor’s group urging medical organizations to follow the science, and their European professional colleagues, and immediately stop the promotion of social affirmation, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for children and adolescents who experience distress over their biological sex. Click Here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:52)
June 7, 2024 – Teresa shows how the press twists stories to fit a certain agenda, using the story of “Assault on Women’s Freedoms.” Click Here to Listen. (Segment Begins at 25:47, Length 8:53)
May 17, 2024 – Teresa addresses the Harrison Butker controversy. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:57, Length 8:54)
May 3, 2024 – Teresa discusses the support for those who protected the American flag during pro-Palestinian protests. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:45, Length 8:31)
April 26, 2024 – Teresa talks about the amazing Italian Guglielmo Marconi. Italy celebrates 150 years of radio pioneer. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:42)
April 19, 2024 – Katie Couric lifts the veil on the thoughts of progressive group-think. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:48)
April 12, 2024 – Two prominent reporters for national news organizations uncover the problems with their organizations in regards to press freedom and diversity of thought. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:46, Length 8:51)
April 5, 2024 – Censorship and First Amendment violations against reporters covering sensitive political topics. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:57, Length 8:35)
March 22, 2024 – “Consider the Source” is key to understanding the coverage of hot button topics such as the U.S. Supreme Court deciding about wide access for abortion drugs. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:50)
March 15, 2024 – How the media is covering the news that England’s National Health Service has stopped children from receiving puberty blockers after saying, “there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time.” Click here to listen (Segment begins at 28:25, Length 5:16)
March 8, 2024 – At the latest Vatican conference on gender, Pope Francis talked about the vocation of the human being, and how we are a part of a plan of love. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:57, Length 8:43)
March 1, 2024 – Do our rights as human beings come from God or from the government? Does this belief come from what a reporter from Politico on MSNBC calls “Christian Nationalism?” Perhaps they should read what Thomas Jefferson wrote in the U.S. Constitution. Teresa talks about this, and airs some reflections from Bishop Robert Barron, on what he calls “one of the most disturbing and frankly dangerous things I’ve ever seen in a political conversation” and how this view against rights from God leads to totalitarianism. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:50)
February 23, 2024 – Pro-Choice supporters and media want to prevent middle school children from seeing a medically accurate fetal development video that shows a positive take on life in the womb. They are afraid it will influence students to a #prolife view. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 26:34, Length 8:06) Click here to watch 3:13 minutes long the fetal development video from Live Action.
February 16, 2024 – Follow the money. The media have hooked children to screens and this is a public health threat with children’s mental and physical health. Children view 114 DAYS a year of just entertainment, not including worktime! Society is starting to connect the dots and even liberal entities are starting to get involved. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:37, Length 8:53)
February 9, 2024 – In order to affect the law in pro-life states, a new “study” headed by an abortionist says that there have been 519,981 rapes in the time since Roe v Wade was overturned. But this number is more than ten times higher than the number reported by the FBI. The researchers also say that 12.5% of rapes result in pregnancy, a number that is dramatically higher than previous research. In 1996 a survey estimates the number is closer to 5%. Did journalists reporting on this “study” check the sources? Did they ask if the rape statistics are so high, what does the FBI say? Or is it all propaganda? Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:55)
January 26, 2024 – Planned Parenthood recently released a story to the media that since the overturning of Roe V. Wade over 64,000 women who were raped became pregnant, and are in places where they cannot receive an abortion. What they don’t tell you is that a study of pregnant rape victims showed 75 to 85% choose to give birth to their babies. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:49, Length 8:55) For more on this topic, also listen to Fr. Mitch Pacwa’s discussion on this topic from January 25th.
January 12, 2024 – University of Notre Dame student newspaper wins case against a professor at the school who objected to her public pro-abortion writings being revealed in the newspaper. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48, Length 8:45)
December 22, 2023 – Teresa’s Book Recommendations. Click here to listen. (Length 8:30, Segment begins at 25:59)
December 15, 2023 – Cardinal Burke offers extensive reflection on the state of world and the Church. Click here to listen. (Length 8:42, Segment begins at 25:46)
December 1, 2023 – The Lifetime Channel Is ‘Pushing the Limits’ With First Christmas Movie Sex Scene. Click here to listen. (Length 8:33, Segment begins at 25:46)
November 3, 2023 – Don’t look at the secular media for answers about your faith. Where you get your news on the Church is important. The secular media no longer has reporters knowledgeable about any religion, let alone Catholicism. Click Here to Listen. (Length 8:56, Segment begins at 25:53)
October 27, 2023 – Teresa talks about the rush to judgment and sloppy reporting by the media because it supported their agenda in the Middle East. Click here to listen. (Length 8:45, Segment begins at 25:47)
September 29, 2023 – Teresa discusses “Our Gold Standard” by Elizabeth Hale. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:36)
September 15, 2023 – How loneliness can be combated with shared places to hang out, like communities of old. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 33:10)
September 8, 2023 – Parents in an Irish town keep elementary school children from smart phones with very positive results. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
September 1, 2023 – NY Times columnist says left-leaning people have ‘blind spot’ on class that stems from their disdain for blue-collar White Americans. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48)
August 25, 2023 – A Maryland school district refuses to give parents the option to opt-out of controversial and highly sexualized LGBT and gender books for their pre-school and elementary school children. The stories the secular media wrote about this topic remind us that when we consume media we have to do our own homework, and don’t just take what they give. We also have to look at the information they leave out. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
August 18, 2023 – Bishop Robert Barron on World Youth Day, and people using social media to vent and be nasty, instead of using social media to actually be more social and kind, evangelize, and walk more with Jesus. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:46)
August 11, 2023 – The media is trying to convince us that people don’t regret having gender reassignment surgery. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
August 4, 2023 – A British coffee company is using a cartoon of a “transgender man” with mastectomy scars to promote their product. The media’s response is to ignore the story or criticize those who are upset over the cartoon, even those who are women cancer survivors who needed a mastectomy. Click here to listen (Segment begins at 25:48)
July 28, 2023 – How the media covers those de-transitioning from so-called “gender-affirming care.” Click here to listen (Segment Begins at 25:46)
July 21, 2023 – An 18 yr old Nebraska woman is in jail after the destruction of the body of her third trimester aborted fetus, but that’s not how the media are covering it. Teresa & Anna Mitchell discuss this on Catholic Connection. Click here to listen (Segment Begins at 25:48)
July 14, 2023 – The media’s sin of omission: questions any high school journalism student would know to ask, plus media bias written right into the AP Style Book, a reference for journalists. Click here to listen (Segment begins at 25:48)
June 30, 2023 – The Jim Caviezel “Sound of Freedom” movie about child trafficking is in theaters now. What can you do as a Christian to help get the word out about this horrible evil? Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:48)
June 23, 2023 – The one year anniversary of the SCOTUS decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and how Roe’s tentacles weave through our society. Plus a valedictorian features her faith, and Focus on the Family’s new video about how the media avoids saying the word “baby.” Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:49)
June 9, 2023 – Catholic media can build bridges across society. Click here to Listen. (Segment begins at 25:44)
April 21, 2023 – Who is behind the transgender agenda? Follow the money. Click here to listen. (Segment begins 25:48)
April 14, 2023 – Budweiser and the Dylan Mulvaney Controversy. Ignoring basic marketing practice to push an agenda. Click here to listen (Segment begins at 25:41)
March 31, 2023 – Encouraging facts about silence to help you gain and maintain peace and health. Click here to listen (Segment begins at 27:49)
March 24, 2023 – Deliberate omission or twisting of information by the media to push an agenda, such as mischaracterizing a Florida law to protect children in schools from controversial teachings as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, even though it doesn’t mention that, or the AP Style Book, a reference book for journalists, insisting “Pregnancy Resource Centers” should be called “Anti-Abortion Centers.” Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
March 3, 2023 – Teresa looks at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ panel discussion on defamation. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
February 24, 2023 – Protecting children online. How youth today are working to help solve the problem of media addiction for themselves and those to come after them Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
February 17, 2023 – Double standards in the media, exemplified by CNN’s Don Lemon and his discussion of presidential candidate Nikki Haley. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:44)
February 10, 2023 – Journalism in a post-truth world. A recent survey of journalists show prominent news organizations are deliberately dropping objectivity in the name of diversity, because they say it is “unrealistic or undesirable,” and that reporters covering a story should write it from their own viewpoint in order to convey “truth.” Click here to listen.* (Segment begins at 25:47)
*Articles mentioned for, or about, this story:
- Former Executive Editor of the Washington Post, Leonard Downey Jr’s opinion piece, “Newsrooms that move beyond ‘objectivity’ can build trust“
- Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication article: Can a journalist be trustworthy without being “objective?” (about survey, “Beyond Objectivity.“)
- From the Arizona Republic’s Phil Boaz, “ASU’s Cronkite school says ‘objectivity’ is hurting the news media. They’re wrong“
January 13, 2023 – How the Washington Post covered the funeral Mass of Pope Benedict XVI. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
January 6, 2023 – Teresa talks about the writings of Pope Benedict XVI. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 32:46)
December 16, 2022 – Teresa discusses Pope Francis’ advice to look at each other, not your cell phones. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
December 9, 2022 – Teresa discusses the recent revelations with Twitter and Election Interference. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 24:48)
October 28, 2022 – A large group of prominent people are very upset that Elon Musk has taken over Twitter. Musk said he wants to help humanity by allowing a range of views and greater dialog among people. Those who are upset only want one side’s views to be featured. Teresa discusses this latest development. Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 25:47)
October 14, 2022 – The episode of supposed “whipping by Border Control agents at the border” shows how government promoted a specific agenda, even though they knew it was incorrect, and how the media did not question it. Click here to listen (Segment begins at 25:47)
October 7, 2022 – A candidate pushes back on a pro-choice reporter’s question and is an example of how to handle the media. Click here to listen (Segment begins at 25:45)
September 30, 2022 – Yes, we do help pregnant women, not just their babies. Why won’t the media cover the available assistance the multitude of pro-life groups provide to women, or the help individuals give to those women in need? Click here to listen (Segment begins at 34:44)
September 23, 2022 – Why are the media hiding radical politicians who support abortion up to birth? Click here to listen. (Segment begins at 26:01)
September 16, 2022 – We listen to Fr. Gordon Reigle explain the 54-Day Rosary Novena aimed at defeating Proposal 3 in Michigan that will take all limits off abortion;
September 9, 2022 – Researchers have found sharing articles online, even if people haven’t even read the article, makes people think they know more than what they actually do, and even causes them to make important decisions or take more risks, than if they haven’t seen it. This confirms what former Archbishop Charles Chaput said in 2009 about the deluge of information from the media that causes people to have difficulty discerning what matters from what doesn’t. Click here to listen to Teresa’s Fact Check Friday on this topic. (Begins at 25:47)
September 2, 2022 – Alleged discrimination of Catholics in the hiring process and in education. What are the press doing to follow up on this story showing those in charge of hiring teachers admitting they deliberately weeded out Catholics and used certain techniques to secretly indoctrinate students with certain views? Listen here to Teresa’s Fact Check Friday. (Begins at 25:47). Also watch statement from Connecticut Catholic Conference or read their written statement.
August 19, 2022 – Why are modern media not asking the simple questions of a story such as Who, What, Where, When & Why? (Begins at 25:54)
August 12, 2022 – Know how the media work so they don’t work on you. How the media change the language they use to obfuscate the truth and make it harder to understand what is going on. (Begins at 25:48) Resources mentioned: Inter Mirifaca, The Rapid Development.
August 5, 2022 – Media misinformation campaigns, trust in the media at a low and affecting the financial viability of those companies. (Begins at 25:47)
July 29, 2022 – Journalists living in a bubble. On Fact Check Friday this week, Teresa Tomeo interviews Bill Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights about his article on the press living in a bubble of their own making. (Begins at 25:47)
July 22, 2022 – The secular media are ignoring the truth of their own studies on abortion, and government cutting funding to pregnancy resources centers who actually do help women (Begins at 25:47)
July 15, 2022 – Pro-life news the media are not covering (Begins at 25:47)
June 3, 2022 – How Pregnancy Resources Centers are covered in the media. (Begins at 25:50)
May 20, 2022 – What the media don’t know CAN hurt us. (Begins at 25:55)
April 22, 2022 – Considering the Source – Whether it is secular or Catholic media, use common sense and do your homework on questionable reporting. (Begins at 25:48.) Resources mentioned: Inter Mirifaca, The Rapid Development.
March 11, 2022 – The secular media, & even some “Catholic” Media make money by keeping you in constant fear. (Begins at 25:15)
February 25, 2022 – The Pope’s Lenten Message and suggestions on media use in your life and those in your family.
February 18, 2022 – The Rest of the CNN Story on Jeff Zucker and Chris & Andrew Cuomo – and why it should matter to Catholics
February 11, 2022 – The Canadian Trucking Saga & the Media (Begins at 25:45)
February 4, 2022 – The Implosion of the Secular Media & what outlets do we have that we can trust (Begins at 26:39)
January 28, 2022 – Pope to Catholic media: Check facts but always respect people (Begins at 24:58)
November 5, 2021 – Sins of Omission about “Women’s Health”. How often are abortion facilities inspected? A great many are never inspected. (Begins at 25:43).
October 22, 2021 – New Poll: 70% of Americans think Twitter & Facebook do more harm than good. (Begins at 34:50)
August 13, 2021 – Look at what the Church gives us in the media. (Begins at 25:54). Mentioned on the broadcast: Inter merifica by Pope Paul VI, The Rapid Development by Pope St. John Paul II, World Communications Day Statements since 1967.
July 30, 2021 – NPR announces new rules allowing reporters to take part in demonstrations for the “freedom and dignity of human beings.” (Begins at 25:47)
July 23, 2021 – Discerning media messages, especially how the secular press covers Catholics. (Begins at 25:48)
July 16, 2021 – Ex-Planned Parenthood CEO Is Not ‘Pro-Choice’ When It Comes To Vaccine Mandates (Begins at 26:12)
July 2, 2021 – America Ranks Dead Last Among 46 Countries in Media Trust. (Begins at 25:50)
June 4, 2021 – The Wuhan lab-leak theory concerning COVID-19 and the media’s complete lack of interest. (Begins at 24:34)
May 28, 2021 – 60 Minutes’ story about transgender youth “de-transitioning”, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfood refusing to give interviews to white reporters (Begins at 23:49)
May 21, 2021 – Fact Checkers, Lack of Knowledge, & Confirmation Bias (Begins at 25:55)
May 14, 2021 – News Producers Insisting on Pre-Conceived Story Ideas v. the Real Story. (Begins at 25:48)
May 7, 2021 – Staffing of News Outlets v. Quality Journalism v. Ad Revenue (Begins at 25:47)
April 23, 2021 – NBC Deceptive Editing of 911 Call of Police Shooting (Begins at 25:54)
April 16, 2021 – The latest revelations about CNN from James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas (Begins at 23:44)
March 26, 2021 – Teresa Analyzes President Biden’s First Press Conference (Begins at 25:47)
March 12, 2021 – The Importance of Doing Your Best to Make a Difference (Begins at 25:47)
February 26, 2021 – How the Media Are Not Covering Andrew Cuomo (Begins at 44:00)
February 5, 2021 – Journalism 101: Don’t Be Lazy, Go Out To The Story (Begins at 25:47)
December 4, 2020 – If It Bleeds It Leads: The Impact of the Media’s Doomsday COVID Coverage (Begins at 34:45)
November 20, 2020 – Election Questions That Need Answered (Begins at 42:26)
November 6, 2020 – How the News Media Have Abandoned the Most Basic of Journalistic Principles (Begins at 41:29)
October 30, 2020 – Who is Watching the Watchdogs? (Begins at 34:47)
October 23, 2020 – Sins of Omission
October 16, 2020 – Social Media Companies & Censorship
Like What You Hear? Ask Teresa to Speak at Your Event. Click Here for Info!
Recommended Reading:
Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics
Click the Graphic to be Taken Directly to the SPJ Code
Media Distortion Examples
October 2020
- CBS News’ John Dickerson on Hunter Biden laptop scandal: ‘Joe Biden has an ally in the news cycle’
- GovTrack.US: Kamala Harris is the most liberal politician in the U.S. Senate (How the press covers up a candidate’s record)
- Glenn Greenwald on resigning from his own publication due to censorship (A journalist explaining the media censorship in his own co-founded organization)
- And the accompanying Article on Joe and Hunter Biden Censored By The Intercept
