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 follows, explanatory material omitted-RG]
  • 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/20...tlantic/551477