Here is my fact-checking mission as follows:
My article of choice, "Woman, 84, rescued after family hears cries," was published in the Edmonton Journal on January 23, 2010. It is one of the many hopeful survival stories surfacing in the news these days following the fatal earthquake in Haiti. In terms of fact-checking, the article "checked out," so to speak.
- The numbers in reference to the quake are consistent with what has been reported thus far.
- Names, titles, and locations appear to be in order.
- Sources are well attributed.
- Spelling and grammar were up-to-par with what I expected as a reader.
However, despite all of this, there were no external links within the story that allow the reader to physically confirm the above mentioned information. Including such links would have strengthened this story's accuracy and reliability. As well, there was no specific author mentioned. The byline simply read Agence France-Presse. Interesting...
In general, fact-checking is a crucial component to any successful piece of writing, especially in a field such as journalism. Even simple mistakes can set off a frenzy of skepticism in readers: Well, if they made a mistake in this article, have they made mistakes in the past? Will they in the future? The simple truth of the matter remains: No fact-checking=bad reputation=no readers=no career. You follow? Save yourself the trouble, and get your facts straight!
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