RandomGuy
01-25-2018, 04:12 PM
I have become very impressed with the quality of the Atlantic's reporting.
Here is one of the reasons why.
In a world where misinformation thrives and basic editorial standards are often jettisoned as unnecessary expenses, fact-checkers can sometimes feel like an endangered species. But The Atlantic is dedicated to accuracy and truth—and therefore to rigorous fact-checking. Our pieces seek to be thought-provoking and interesting—but to be truly insightful, they must be right.
Checkers verify every fact published in our magazine, from specific details and quotes to larger generalities. We think about a piece on a variety of levels: Are the basic facts correct? Are the facts underlying various opinions correct? And, finally, do they all fit together into a comprehensive and solid argument? We go word by word, line by line. For an intensively-reported piece, I might have dozens of sources to contact and hundreds of questions for an author. The process can take anywhere from a few hours (for a very short article) to weeks or even months (for a complex, legally-fraught one).
[LIST]
Get familiar with the material.
Break down the piece with a red pencil.
Plan interviews with the author’s sources.
Start talking.
Review quotes with the author’s sources.
Call on a few experts.
Talk everything over with the author.
https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2018/01/how-to-fact-check-the-atlantic/551477
Here is one of the reasons why.
In a world where misinformation thrives and basic editorial standards are often jettisoned as unnecessary expenses, fact-checkers can sometimes feel like an endangered species. But The Atlantic is dedicated to accuracy and truth—and therefore to rigorous fact-checking. Our pieces seek to be thought-provoking and interesting—but to be truly insightful, they must be right.
Checkers verify every fact published in our magazine, from specific details and quotes to larger generalities. We think about a piece on a variety of levels: Are the basic facts correct? Are the facts underlying various opinions correct? And, finally, do they all fit together into a comprehensive and solid argument? We go word by word, line by line. For an intensively-reported piece, I might have dozens of sources to contact and hundreds of questions for an author. The process can take anywhere from a few hours (for a very short article) to weeks or even months (for a complex, legally-fraught one).
[LIST]
Get familiar with the material.
Break down the piece with a red pencil.
Plan interviews with the author’s sources.
Start talking.
Review quotes with the author’s sources.
Call on a few experts.
Talk everything over with the author.
https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2018/01/how-to-fact-check-the-atlantic/551477