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Einstein’s rejection letter: Journalists must ask skeptical questions
One of journalism’s oldest clichés is that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. I had the desired initial reaction to the letter above, rejecting Albert Einstein for an associate...
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‘Marie Christmas:’ Some journalists fell for San Bernardino prank; others...
These tweets early in the San Bernardino shooting Wednesday attracted a lot of media attention, including a blog post from me last night and the initial version of this post (most of which will be...
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New York Times public editor notes need to update matchmaker story
Thanks to New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan for providing the first acknowledgment by anyone at the Times of a fundamentally flawed story I have noted here before. I won’t revisit the saga...
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Writing for memes, with lots of Ben Carson examples
I was updating some slides for a class on writing for social media last week and wanted to update the memes I used early in the class. When I taught a similar class last spring, I used some Rand Paul...
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Other journalists correct a story the New York Times stubbornly refuses to...
Stubbornness can lead to some outstanding journalism. But it also can cause journalists to stand by stories that need to be corrected or re-examined. I think it’s time to say the New York Times is just...
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Why are journalists so reluctant to correct and re-examine challenged stories?
I am dismayed by the continuing refusal of respected media companies to re-examine and correct their reporting when confronted with documentation of their errors. I blogged about this problem in...
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Jonathan Landay elaborates on Judith Miller’s flawed Iraq reporting
Jonathan Landay I was perhaps not detailed enough in my criticism of Judith Miller’s memoir/fantasy book The Story: A Reporter’s Journey. Jonathan Landay, a Knight-Ridder (now McClatchy) Washington...
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Judith Miller still blames sources for her false reporting
Judith Miller clearly reflected in great detail on her rise to prominence in working on her memoir, The Story: A Reporter’s Journey. She appears to have reflected very little, though, on her failures...
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Rolling Stone forgot: Investigative reporting is about discovery, not...
Investigative reporting is about discovery of a story, not confirmation of your notions. That is the key mistake Rolling Stone made in its false, and now retracted, story “A Rape on Campus,” as I read...
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Tips on verifying, debunking and carefully handling rumors
Craig Silverman Journalists and news organizations need to do a better job of avoiding involvement in the spread of lies and unconfirmed rumors. Accuracy and credibility are the heart of good...
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Tips for interviewing rape survivors and verifying their stories
Investigating an allegation of rape is one of the most difficult things for a reporter (or police detective or prosecutor) to do. I’m not going to dwell here on the Rolling Stone reporting about an...
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Corrections should be accurate, not misleading
When news organizations correct errors, we should not mislead readers. That sounds like an obvious statement, but it’s actually the topic of a debate on Twitter that I’ve joined today. I should preface...
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Slides and links for workshops at Southern Regional Press Institute
I am leading some workshops for the Southern Regional Press Institute at Savannah State University today. I participated in a panel discussion on “Ethics, Urgency and Accuracy” this morning. Here are...
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The Verification Handbook is now available
I was honored to have been involved in the writing of The Verification Handbook, which is available now as an ebook. I’ll blog more about it later after I read the other chapters (I wrote one chapter)....
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How to verify information from tweets: Check it out
Journalists should treat information we gather on social media the same way we treat information gathered any other way, or an assurance from Mom that she loves you: Check it out. My #twutorial series...
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John Kroll: Ask the 5 W’s in fact-checking
John Kroll, photo linked from johnkrolldigital.com John Kroll advises journalists to fact-check by asking the 5 W’s when we’re reporting on statistics that sources cite. The truth is that many...
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Verification Handbook to be published in January
I’m pleased to be involved in the Verification Handbook, a new project to help journalists and aid providers sort fact from fake. The handbook is a project of the European Journalism Centre and is...
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Advice for editors: Stand for accuracy and accountability
This continues a series on advice for new top editors in Digital First Media newsrooms. The Digital First editor needs to lead the staff in mastering the art of reporting the unfolding story...
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Verification tips, examples, case studies compiled by Josh Stearns
Verification of information gathered through social media is one of the most pressing matters in journalism today. Josh Stearns has done the most comprehensive job I have seen of compiling links to...
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Verification doesn’t threaten narrative journalism
Narrative journalism will survive the Manti Te’o hoax. In fact, the sports stories that spouted and perpetuated the lies of the hoax were not narrative journalism. They were shallow journalism. Sports...
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