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As a Journalist, how do you ensure your work is accurate and factual?
I am doing a career blog project and is interested in getting an insight into how you know your work is accurate and factual
#journalist #journalism
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3 answers
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Steve’s Answer
Credibility is everything. You have to make sure your information is accurate and factual. You double check, cross check, and confirm everything. You do not just take information and apply it without fact checking it.
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David’s Answer
It sounds simple, but my advice is to ask questions. Ask lots of questions and listen to the answers. Make sure they make sense to you. If they don't, ask again. You can't explain something to your audience if you don't understand it yourself, right?
Ask the same questions of multiple people with expertise or knowledge in the area you are seeking to learn more about. This is the whole idea behind multiple sourcing....
For example, one person might tell you the sky is green. That could be her opinion or it could be 100% true. You don't know. But, you do know that one person says it's true. So ask some more folks who are knowledgable about the color of the sky. Maybe a second person says "yes, indeed, the sky is green." OK, so now you have two sources telling you the same thing... that's good. A third is even better and a fourth or fifth even better than that...
Ideally, as others have written, you have an editor or fact-checker (or both) working with you, but that's not always the case. Best practice is to be your own fact checker, first, and rely on others second.
Lastly, trust your gut. If something doesn't sound right or doesn't make sense even after you've asked multiple questions of multiple people, there's good chance it isn't. Common sense is invaluable. Don't forsake it.
And ask questions. ;-)
Ask the same questions of multiple people with expertise or knowledge in the area you are seeking to learn more about. This is the whole idea behind multiple sourcing....
For example, one person might tell you the sky is green. That could be her opinion or it could be 100% true. You don't know. But, you do know that one person says it's true. So ask some more folks who are knowledgable about the color of the sky. Maybe a second person says "yes, indeed, the sky is green." OK, so now you have two sources telling you the same thing... that's good. A third is even better and a fourth or fifth even better than that...
Ideally, as others have written, you have an editor or fact-checker (or both) working with you, but that's not always the case. Best practice is to be your own fact checker, first, and rely on others second.
Lastly, trust your gut. If something doesn't sound right or doesn't make sense even after you've asked multiple questions of multiple people, there's good chance it isn't. Common sense is invaluable. Don't forsake it.
And ask questions. ;-)
Updated
Margaret’s Answer
Most newspapers have copyeditors who are responsible for fact-checking the story. Most magazines have a robust fact-checking department with staffers who check every sentence, using multiple sources. That doesn't mean you're off the hook if you've written the story. As the journalist, you should check your work carefully (particularly the spelling of names) before you file a story. Then you work with the fact-checker, providing your sources, phone numbers, etc.