1---2name: journalism3description: News writing, investigative reporting, source verification, editorial standards, and fact-checking for journalists.4---56# Journalism Skill78> News writing, investigative reporting, source verification, editorial standards, and fact-checking for journalists.910## Core Principle1112Journalism's job is to tell the truth as completely and fairly as possible. Every story serves the public's right to know. Accuracy is non-negotiable — speed is secondary.1314## News Writing Fundamentals1516### The Inverted Pyramid171. **Lead (Lede)** — Most important facts: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How182. **Key details** — Context, quotes, supporting evidence193. **Background** — History, related events, lesser details2021The reader should get the essential story from the first paragraph alone.2223### Lead Types24| Type | Use When | Example Pattern |25|------|----------|----------------|26| **Hard news** | Breaking/spot news | WHO did WHAT at WHERE on WHEN |27| **Delayed** | Feature/narrative | Scene-setting, character introduction |28| **Summary** | Complex stories | Synthesize multiple elements |29| **Anecdotal** | Human interest | Start with one person's experience |30| **Question** | Rarely (avoid) | Only when genuinely provocative |3132### AP Style Quick Reference33| Rule | Correct | Incorrect |34|------|---------|-----------|35| Numbers < 10 | five people | 5 people |36| Numbers ≥ 10 | 15 people | fifteen people |37| State abbreviations | Calif., Texas | CA, TX (except datelines) |38| Titles before name | President Biden | president Biden |39| Titles after name | Joe Biden, president | Joe Biden, President |40| Time | 3 p.m. | 3 PM, 3:00 p.m. |41| Dates | March 9, 2026 | March 9th, 2026 |4243## Source Verification4445### Source Hierarchy46| Tier | Source Type | Reliability | Verification Need |47|------|-----------|-------------|-------------------|48| 1 | Primary documents | Highest | Authenticate provenance |49| 2 | Direct witnesses/participants | High | Corroborate with second source |50| 3 | Expert analysis | Medium-High | Confirm credentials, check for conflicts |51| 4 | Secondary reports (other media) | Medium | Verify independently before citing |52| 5 | Anonymous sources | Variable | Editor approval, corroboration required |53| 6 | Social media posts | Low | Verify identity, context, authenticity |5455### Two-Source Rule56- Every factual claim should be confirmed by at least two independent sources57- Independent = not derived from the same original source58- Exceptions: official documents, on-record statements, direct observation5960### Fact-Check Tracker6162```yaml63story: "City council approves budget"64deadline: "2026-04-14 18:00"65claims:66 - claim: "Budget is $4.2 billion"67 sources:68 - type: "Primary document"69 ref: "Budget proposal PDF"70 verified: true71 - type: "Official statement"72 ref: "Finance director quote"73 verified: true74 status: "confirmed"75 - claim: "Largest increase in 10 years"76 sources:77 - type: "City records"78 ref: "Historical budget data"79 verified: true80 - type: "Secondary"81 ref: "2016 Observer article"82 verified: false83 status: "pending verification"84```8586### Source Attribution87| Attribution | Use When |88|------------|----------|89| **On the record** | Default — named source, direct quotes |90| **On background** | Information usable, source described but not named |91| **Deep background** | Information usable, no attribution at all |92| **Off the record** | Cannot be used in any form (establish BEFORE conversation) |9394**Always**: Clarify attribution terms before the conversation, not after.9596## Fact-Checking Protocol9798### Pre-Publication Checklist991. ☐ All names spelled correctly (verify against official sources)1002. ☐ All numbers verified (dates, statistics, amounts, addresses)1013. ☐ All quotes accurate (audio/transcript confirmed)1024. ☐ Claims attributed to sources or verified independently1035. ☐ Headline accurately reflects story content1046. ☐ Context provided for statistics (base rate, time period, methodology)1057. ☐ Opposing viewpoints sought and included where relevant1068. ☐ Potential defamation reviewed (truth, public interest, fair comment)107108### Statistical Literacy109| Red Flag | Question to Ask |110|----------|----------------|111| Percentage without base | Percent of what? (10% of 10 vs. 10% of 10M) |112| Correlation claimed as causation | What confounders exist? |113| Cherry-picked time period | What does the full dataset show? |114| Survey results without methodology | Sample size? Margin of error? Who funded it? |115| "Studies show" without citation | Which study? Peer reviewed? Replicable? |116117## Investigative Reporting118119### Investigation Framework1201. **Hypothesis** — What do you suspect, and why?1212. **Document trail** — FOIA requests, court records, corporate filings, financial disclosures1223. **Human sources** — Insiders, whistleblowers, affected parties, experts1234. **Data analysis** — Public databases, leaked datasets, data journalism tools1245. **Pattern recognition** — Connect dots across documents, timelines, relationships1256. **Confrontation** — Give the subject fair opportunity to respond1267. **Legal review** — Pre-publication review for defamation, privacy, source protection127128### Public Records Toolkit129| Record Type | Source |130|------------|--------|131| Corporate filings | SEC EDGAR, state SOS databases |132| Property records | County assessor/recorder |133| Court records | PACER (federal), state court portals |134| Campaign finance | FEC, state election commissions |135| Government contracts | USAspending.gov, SAM.gov |136| Nonprofit finances | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) |137| Environmental data | EPA Enforcement, Toxic Release Inventory |138139## Ethical Standards140141### SPJ Code of Ethics (Four Principles)1421. **Seek truth and report it** — Accuracy, context, transparency about methods1432. **Minimize harm** — Balance public interest against potential damage1443. **Act independently** — Avoid conflicts of interest, refuse gifts1454. **Be accountable** — Acknowledge mistakes, correct promptly146147### Correction Protocol148| Severity | Action |149|----------|--------|150| Minor factual error | Correction appended, original text updated |151| Significant factual error | Editor's note at top, original text updated |152| Fundamental error affecting thesis | Retraction or major revision with prominent notice |153| All corrections | Date-stamped, transparent about what changed |154155## Digital & Multimedia Journalism156157### Verification of Digital Content158- **Reverse image search** — Google Images, TinEye to check origin159- **EXIF data** — Check photo metadata for date, location, device160- **Geolocation** — Cross-reference landmarks, shadows, signs with claimed location161- **Video verification** — Frame analysis, audio consistency, compression artifacts162- **Social media verification** — Account age, posting history, network analysis163164### Data Journalism Principles165- Show your work: publish methodology and datasets when possible166- Visualizations must not misrepresent data (avoid truncated axes, misleading scales)167- Acknowledge limitations of the data168- Peer review analysis before publication169170## AI in Journalism — Guardrails171172- AI can assist with: document analysis, data processing, transcription, translation173- AI must never: fabricate quotes, generate fake sources, write opinion as news174- All AI-assisted reporting must be disclosed to editors and readers175- AI-generated images must never be used as documentary evidence176- Every AI-generated draft must be verified line by line against source material177- The journalist remains solely responsible for accuracy
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