Fact-Checking

OVERVIEW

This module was created by Brooke Borel, author of The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking and an adjunct instructor at NYU. In it, you will learn about the practical and philosophical aspects of editorial fact-checking (as distinguished from political fact-checking, a related but separate journalistic practice).

This fact-checking module takes about an hour and a half to complete. At the end is a knowledge check and a short fact-checking exercise, which, to receive credit, you must complete.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Define editorial fact-checking.
• Explain how fact-checking differs from reporting, copy-editing, and other related roles.
• Understand why fact-checking is an important journalistic process.
• Understand the basic workflow for fact-checking.
• Know how to properly source.
• Know how to spot common mistakes in reporting on science, health, and the environment.
• Know how to use diplomacy to work with writers, editors, and sources.
• Be able to integrate fact-checking even at cash-strapped or fast-paced media outlets.