"A column by Glenn Garvin on Dec. 20 stated that the National Science
Foundation 'funded a study on Jell-O wrestling at the South Pole.' That
is incorrect. The event took place during off-duty hours without NSF
permission and did not involve taxpayer funds."
Corrections such as this one from the Miami Herald have become a
familiar sight for readers, especially as news cycles demand faster and
faster publication. While some factual errors can be humorous, they
nonetheless erode the credibility of the writer and the organization.
And the pressure for accuracy and accountability is increasing at the
same time as in-house resources for fact-checking are dwindling. Anyone
who needs or wants to learn how to verify names, numbers, quotations,
and facts is largely on their own.
Enter The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking, an accessible, one-stop
guide to the why, what, and how of contemporary fact-checking. Brooke
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 fact-checking in a variety of
media-from magazine articles, both print and online, to books and
documentaries-and from the perspective of both in-house and freelance
checkers. She also offers advice on navigating relationships with
writers, editors, and sources; considers the realities of fact-checking
on a budget and checking one's own work; and reflects on the place of
fact-checking in today's media landscape.
"If journalism is a cornerstone of democracy, then fact-checking is its
building inspector," Borel writes. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking
is the practical-and thoroughly vetted-guide that writers, editors, and
publishers need to maintain their credibility and solidify their
readers' trust.
