Want to set up a fact-checking department? Or add to an existing fact-checking process?
We can help.
The below draft guidelines, checklists, FAQs, and contract language are intended to help inform your team and your sources about fact-checking.
Please feel free to use the documents as they are or alter them to fit your needs — they are available as static PDFs or Google Docs, which you can copy and then edit.
The Fact-Checker and Journalist Guidelines are broken into three models:
The Newspaper Model: Fact-checking is primarily the responsibility of the journalist. A fact-checker or copy editor may provide light fact-checking.
The Magazine Model: A person separate from the journalist and the editor double-checks the journalist’s reporting and evaluates the sources.
The Hybrid Model: The newspaper model applies to short or time-sensitive pieces and the magazine model to longform, legally-sensitive stories, and any other complex articles.