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
- Lead (Lede) — Most important facts: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
- Key details — Context, quotes, supporting evidence
- Background — History, related events, lesser details
The reader should get the essential story from the first paragraph alone.
Lead Types
| Type |
Use When |
Example Pattern |
| Hard news |
Breaking/spot news |
WHO did WHAT at WHERE on WHEN |
| Delayed |
Feature/narrative |
Scene-setting, character introduction |
| Summary |
Complex stories |
Synthesize multiple elements |
| Anecdotal |
Human interest |
Start with one person's experience |
| Question |
Rarely (avoid) |
Only when genuinely provocative |
AP Style Quick Reference
| Rule |
Correct |
Incorrect |
| Numbers < 10 |
five people |
5 people |
| Numbers ≥ 10 |
15 people |
fifteen people |
| State abbreviations |
Calif., Texas |
CA, TX (except datelines) |
| Titles before name |
President Biden |
president Biden |
| Titles after name |
Joe Biden, president |
Joe Biden, President |
| Time |
3 p.m. |
3 PM, 3:00 p.m. |
| Dates |
March 9, 2026 |
March 9th, 2026 |
Source Verification
Source Hierarchy
| Tier |
Source Type |
Reliability |
Verification Need |
| 1 |
Primary documents |
Highest |
Authenticate provenance |
| 2 |
Direct witnesses/participants |
High |
Corroborate with second source |
| 3 |
Expert analysis |
Medium-High |
Confirm credentials, check for conflicts |
| 4 |
Secondary reports (other media) |
Medium |
Verify independently before citing |
| 5 |
Anonymous sources |
Variable |
Editor approval, corroboration required |
| 6 |
Social media posts |
Low |
Verify identity, context, authenticity |
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
| Attribution |
Use When |
| On the record |
Default — named source, direct quotes |
| On background |
Information usable, source described but not named |
| Deep background |
Information usable, no attribution at all |
| Off the record |
Cannot be used in any form (establish BEFORE conversation) |
Always: Clarify attribution terms before the conversation, not after.
Fact-Checking Protocol
Pre-Publication Checklist
- ☐ All names spelled correctly (verify against official sources)
- ☐ All numbers verified (dates, statistics, amounts, addresses)
- ☐ All quotes accurate (audio/transcript confirmed)
- ☐ Claims attributed to sources or verified independently
- ☐ Headline accurately reflects story content
- ☐ Context provided for statistics (base rate, time period, methodology)
- ☐ Opposing viewpoints sought and included where relevant
- ☐ Potential defamation reviewed (truth, public interest, fair comment)
Statistical Literacy
| Red Flag |
Question to Ask |
| Percentage without base |
Percent of what? (10% of 10 vs. 10% of 10M) |
| Correlation claimed as causation |
What confounders exist? |
| Cherry-picked time period |
What does the full dataset show? |
| Survey results without methodology |
Sample size? Margin of error? Who funded it? |
| "Studies show" without citation |
Which study? Peer reviewed? Replicable? |
Investigative Reporting
Investigation Framework
- Hypothesis — What do you suspect, and why?
- Document trail — FOIA requests, court records, corporate filings, financial disclosures
- Human sources — Insiders, whistleblowers, affected parties, experts
- Data analysis — Public databases, leaked datasets, data journalism tools
- Pattern recognition — Connect dots across documents, timelines, relationships
- Confrontation — Give the subject fair opportunity to respond
- Legal review — Pre-publication review for defamation, privacy, source protection
Public Records Toolkit
| Record Type |
Source |
| Corporate filings |
SEC EDGAR, state SOS databases |
| Property records |
County assessor/recorder |
| Court records |
PACER (federal), state court portals |
| Campaign finance |
FEC, state election commissions |
| Government contracts |
USAspending.gov, SAM.gov |
| Nonprofit finances |
IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) |
| Environmental data |
EPA Enforcement, Toxic Release Inventory |
Ethical Standards
SPJ Code of Ethics (Four Principles)
- Seek truth and report it — Accuracy, context, transparency about methods
- Minimize harm — Balance public interest against potential damage
- Act independently — Avoid conflicts of interest, refuse gifts
- Be accountable — Acknowledge mistakes, correct promptly
Correction Protocol
| Severity |
Action |
| Minor factual error |
Correction appended, original text updated |
| Significant factual error |
Editor's note at top, original text updated |
| Fundamental error affecting thesis |
Retraction or major revision with prominent notice |
| All corrections |
Date-stamped, transparent about what changed |
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
