The reading this week was all about the anatomy of the fact check. It discussed the role of the media, the rise of fact checking and five elements of fact checking. While I did find this whole article interesting, the one section that really grabbed my attention was the section titled “showing your work”. In this section, writer Lucas Graves, discussed the importance of reporters showing how they came to the conclusion they came to. This is not something I had previously considered to be integral to the fact-checking process, but Graves makes some interesting points that has broadened my view and shown me the importance of showing your work.

 

Although I had noticed on fact checking websites that they always listed their sources at the end of the article, I never fully grasped why that is so important for fact checkers. As graves puts it, reporters conclusions will often come into question, so being able to show the path their research took them is an important step in verifying claims and debunking false information. This is a transparent approach to journalism that I have never really encountered before, but I must say it is quite refreshing. Even without followed the links at the bottom of the page I find myself giving these fact check sites more credibility because they do so. By showing everywhere they have gone to research the article, even if they don’t quote it directly, anyone else can follow their path and see the conclusion for themselves from the raw data.  

 

It adds a level of objectivity to the work as well, as if you are relying on detailed research leading you to facts, there is no room for opinion or blurred language that could confuse audiences. It serves as proof and justification for the conclusion as well as a strong argument against critics and non-believers.

 

Fact check articles often read more like a school report than what most would consider a news article. Personally I enjoy this approach, as it definitely feels more open and reliable. I also think there is a whole lot more information conveyed, not just via the article, but by the wealth of information the sources include.

 

I can see now the importance not only of solid research when fact checking but also the need to show your work at the end. Fact checking is a long and difficult process but one, I think, that is becoming more and more important in the world today.