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An accessible, one-stop guide to the why, what, and how of contemporary editorial fact-checking.
Over the past few years, fact-checking has been widely touted as a corrective to the spread of misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and propaganda through the media. "If journalism is a cornerstone of democracy", says author Brooke Borel, "then fact-checking is its building inspector".
In The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking, Borel, an experienced fact-checker, draws on the expertise of more than 200 writers, editors, and fellow checkers representing the New Yorker, Popular Science, This American Life, Vogue, and many other outlets. She covers best practices for editorial fact-checking in a variety of media – from magazine and news articles, both print and online, to books and podcasts – and the perspectives of both in-house and freelance checkers.
In this second edition, Borel covers the evolving media landscape, with new guidance on checking audio and video sources, polling data, and sensitive subjects such as trauma and abuse. The sections on working with writers, editors, and producers have been expanded, and new material includes fresh exercises and advice on getting fact-checking gigs. Borel also addresses the challenges of fact-checking in a world where social media, artificial intelligence, and the metaverse may make it increasingly difficult for everyone – including fact-checkers – to identify false information. The answer, she says, is for everyone to approach information with scepticism – to learn to think like a fact-checker.
The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking is the practical – and thoroughly vetted – guide that writers, editors, and publishers continue to consult to maintain their credibility and solidify their readers' trust.
Introduction
Chapter One: Why We Fact-Check
Chapter Two: What We Fact-Check
Chapter Three: How We Fact-Check
The Magazine Model
The Newspaper Model
The Hybrid Model
Fact-Checking Other Media
Navigating Relationships with Editors, Writers, and Producers
Fact-Checking on a Budget
Fact-Checking Your Own Writing
How to Get a Fact-Checking Job
Chapter Four: Checking Different Types of Facts
Basic Facts
Numbers and Measurements
Polls
Quotes
Concepts
Analogies
Images
Physical Descriptions
Sports
Historical Quotes and Stories
Product Claims
Languages Other than English
Outlets outside the United States
"Common Knowledge"
Headlines and Cover Lines
Facts from Anonymous or Sensitive Sources
Sensitive Subjects: Trauma, Abuse, and More
Conflicting Facts
Gray Areas
Litigious Material
Plagiarism and Fabrication
Chapter Five: Sourcing
People
Interview Recordings and Transcripts
Search Engines and Wikis
Maps and Atlases
Press Releases
Books
Newspapers
Other Publications
Academic Literature
Chapter Six: Record Keeping
Paper Backup
Electronic Backup
Chapter Seven: Test Your Skills
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Appendix One: "Test Your Skills" Answer Keys
Appendix Two: Suggested Reading and Listening
References
Index
Brooke Borel is an award-winning journalist and the articles editor at Undark. She is the author of Infested: How the Bed Bug Infiltrated Our Bedrooms and Took Over the World, and her writing has appeared in Popular Science, BuzzFeed News, the Guardian, Scientific American, Nature, and Science, among other outlets.
"This new edition is clear-eyed in addressing emerging challenges such as social media, AI, and virtual environments and presents practical, adaptable strategies for professional fact-checkers and editors [...] Highly recommended."
– Choice
