Accuracy Checklist for Journalists / archived / read-only

 
  • Instructions
    • After completing your story, use the down arrow on your keyboard or tap on each item on your phone to highlight and then complete each of these checks.
  • I. Facts
    • Check these first three items while your story is on the screen:
    • 1. Run spell-check, review suggestions and correct any actual errors.
    • 2. Click links.
    • 3. Call phone numbers.
    • Use a printout of the story (if possible) for the remaining checks:
    • 4. Put a ruler under each line as you read the text. Underline every fact, and then double-check each one, including:
    •       a) Names and titles of people, places and companies - Also, does each second reference (Jones) have a first reference (Mary Jones)?
    •       b) Numbers and calculations - Do the numbers add up? Is it millions or billions? Are the percentages correct?
    •       c) Dates and ages - Watch references to “next month/last month” when the month is changing.
    •       d) Quotes - Are quotes accurate and properly attributed? Have you fully captured what each person meant?
    •       e) Superlatives - What’s your source that something is the biggest, oldest, etc.?
  • II. Grammar
    • 5. Check each sentence for correct use of:
    •       a) Subject-verb agreement - Also, are you consistent in your use of either the present or the past tense to tell the story?
    •       b) Pronoun-noun agreement.
    •       c) Plurals and possessives.
    •       d) Punctuation.
  • III. Spelling
    • 6. Read the story backwards, checking the spelling of each word. Here's a dictionary.
  • IV. Fairness and context
    • 7. Terms - Define or eliminate unfamiliar terms, such as acronyms and jargon.
    • 8. Fairness - Have all stakeholders been contacted and given a chance to talk?
    • 9. Missing - Does the story leave any important question unanswered?
    • 10. Context - Does the reader have the context to understand the story?
  • V. Your own common errors
    • 11. ____________________________________________
    • 12.____________________________________________
  • VI. Final checks
    • 13. Read the story aloud.
    • 14. Have someone else read it.
    • 15. Accompanying elements - Run the previous checks on the story's headlines, cutlines, sidebars, photos, graphics, videos and podcasts. Check for inconsistencies.
  • Thanks to these sources for inspiring this checklist:
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