Journalism Skill

News writing, investigative reporting, source verification, editorial standards, and fact-checking for journalists.

Core Principle

Journalism'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.

News Writing Fundamentals

The Inverted Pyramid

1. Lead (Lede) — Most important facts: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
2. Key details — Context, quotes, supporting evidence
3. Background — History, related events, lesser details

The reader should get the essential story from the first paragraph alone.

Lead Types

AP Style Quick Reference

Source Verification

Source Hierarchy

Two-Source Rule

• Every factual claim should be confirmed by at least two independent sources
• Independent = not derived from the same original source
• Exceptions: official documents, on-record statements, direct observation

Fact-Check Tracker

story: "City council approves budget"
deadline: "2026-04-14 18:00"
claims:
  - claim: "Budget is $4.2 billion"
    sources:
      - type: "Primary document"
        ref: "Budget proposal PDF"
        verified: true
      - type: "Official statement"
        ref: "Finance director quote"
        verified: true
    status: "confirmed"
  - claim: "Largest increase in 10 years"
    sources:
      - type: "City records"
        ref: "Historical budget data"
        verified: true
      - type: "Secondary"
        ref: "2016 Observer article"
        verified: false
    status: "pending verification"

Source Attribution

Always: Clarify attribution terms before the conversation, not after.

Fact-Checking Protocol

Pre-Publication Checklist

1. ☐ All names spelled correctly (verify against official sources)
2. ☐ All numbers verified (dates, statistics, amounts, addresses)
3. ☐ All quotes accurate (audio/transcript confirmed)
4. ☐ Claims attributed to sources or verified independently
5. ☐ Headline accurately reflects story content
6. ☐ Context provided for statistics (base rate, time period, methodology)
7. ☐ Opposing viewpoints sought and included where relevant
8. ☐ Potential defamation reviewed (truth, public interest, fair comment)

Statistical Literacy

Investigative Reporting

Investigation Framework

1. Hypothesis — What do you suspect, and why?
2. Document trail — FOIA requests, court records, corporate filings, financial disclosures
3. Human sources — Insiders, whistleblowers, affected parties, experts
4. Data analysis — Public databases, leaked datasets, data journalism tools
5. Pattern recognition — Connect dots across documents, timelines, relationships
6. Confrontation — Give the subject fair opportunity to respond
7. Legal review — Pre-publication review for defamation, privacy, source protection

Public Records Toolkit

Ethical Standards

SPJ Code of Ethics (Four Principles)

1. Seek truth and report it — Accuracy, context, transparency about methods
2. Minimize harm — Balance public interest against potential damage
3. Act independently — Avoid conflicts of interest, refuse gifts
4. Be accountable — Acknowledge mistakes, correct promptly

Correction Protocol

Digital & Multimedia Journalism

Verification of Digital Content

• Reverse image search — Google Images, TinEye to check origin
• EXIF data — Check photo metadata for date, location, device
• Geolocation — Cross-reference landmarks, shadows, signs with claimed location
• Video verification — Frame analysis, audio consistency, compression artifacts
• Social media verification — Account age, posting history, network analysis

Data Journalism Principles

• Show your work: publish methodology and datasets when possible
• Visualizations must not misrepresent data (avoid truncated axes, misleading scales)
• Acknowledge limitations of the data
• Peer review analysis before publication

AI in Journalism — Guardrails

• AI can assist with: document analysis, data processing, transcription, translation
• AI must never: fabricate quotes, generate fake sources, write opinion as news
• All AI-assisted reporting must be disclosed to editors and readers
• AI-generated images must never be used as documentary evidence
• Every AI-generated draft must be verified line by line against source material
• The journalist remains solely responsible for accuracy