The fact check is a process of verifying and identifying errors in journalistic writing. It’s an essential part of good journalism because it ensures that the public receives information that is accurate, unbiased and based on sound evidence.
In addition to a search for authoritative sources, a fact check should also consider whether the statement can be verified by non-authoritative sources. If it can, a citation should be included in the text and the sources saved for future reference in the publication’s fact-checking folder. This step is particularly important for fact-checking an opinion piece, in which the writer may make subjective and emotional claims that are difficult to evaluate objectively.
A fact checker should contact every person, company, or institution mentioned in the article, even if they weren’t interviewed by the reporter and were not expecting a call. The fact checker should ask them for documentary proof (as well as an interview recording and transcript, if possible). If the document is in a foreign language, send it to an interpreter. Ask them to confirm or deny the facts, and save all records for later reference in the fact-checking folder.
Depending on the nature of the story, the top reader might have several follow-up questions or comments for the fact checker to investigate and correct in the checked copy. The fact checker should save a list of their follow-ups for the handling editor and for the publications’ records. They should also mark the fact-checking folder and checking copy with all new attempts to contact the source, including email correspondences, and times and dates of calls or voicemails.
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