Journalism is about far more than simply gathering information then passing it on. An essential part of the editorial process is to examine everything we are told to make sure it is factual.
Welcome to this Media Helping Media (MHM) exercise about fact-checking and adding context, which is published on MHM. You are invited to complete the exercise either on your own or with a colleague. Please ensure you read the article above before proceeding.
MHM exercises are designed to help those who are new to journalism learn skills and test what they know against fictional scenarios. The articles on which the exercises are based have been created from the experience of journalists who have shared their knowledge in order to help others learn the fundamental principles of robust public service journalism.
The first requirement of any piece of journalism is that it should be accurate. Although this is an exercise involving fictitious material, not for publication, trainees must take everything they are told in the exercise to be factual and they must stick to those facts. If one thing they produce in the exercise is inconsistent with those facts, their whole work is discredited.
The scenario: The Silver-Winged Warbler
You are a reporter for a local news outlet in the town of Oakhaven. A local campaign group called the Green Valley Alliance has sent you a news/press release claiming that a proposed new housing development on the edge of town, known as Meadow View, will destroy the habitat of a rare bird, the Silver-Winged Warbler. The group claims:
- There are 50 breeding pairs of these birds on the site.
- The developer, Stonegate Homes, has ignored environmental laws.
- The local council leader, Councillor Sarah Miller, sits on the board of Stonegate Homes.
Your task is to apply professional rigour to ensure your report contains factual information that has been tested for authenticity.
Task 1: Fact-checking and verification
Your first step is to verify the claims made by the Green Valley Alliance.
- Create a checklist of three specific sources you would contact to verify the presence of the Silver-Winged Warbler.
- Search the (fictitious) public register of councillors’ interests to check the claim about Councillor Miller. You find that she does not sit on the board of Stonegate Homes, but her brother is a junior architect there.
- Draft a short email to Stonegate Homes asking for their response to the allegation regarding environmental laws.
Task 2: Adding context
A story without context can be misleading. You need to provide the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ to help the public understand the significance of the news.
- Research the wider housing situation in Oakhaven. You discover there is a waiting list of 2,000 families for affordable housing.
- Write two paragraphs (around 100 words) that explain the tension between the need for new homes and the need for environmental protection.
- Ensure you maintain impartiality by presenting both sides of the argument without taking a stance.
Task 3: The news report
Produce a 90-second news report script for a local radio bulletin. Your script must be based strictly on the verified facts and provide necessary context.
- Write the lead (the opening sentence of a news story which summarises the most important information).
- Include a ‘clip’ (a short audio extract from an interview) description for a representative of the Green Valley Alliance and a spokesperson for the council.
- Ensure the script avoids causing unnecessary offence or breaching anyone’s privacy (e.g., do not name the councillor’s brother as he is a private individual and not a public official).
Purpose and learning outcomes
The purpose of this exercise is to move beyond the ‘he said, she said’ form of reporting by actively verifying claims and providing essential context. By the end of this exercise, you should be able to:
- Identify which claims in a press release require independent verification.
- Find and use context to make a story more meaningful to the audience.
- Produce a fair and accurate news report that adheres to ethical standards.
Self-assessment quiz
- Why is it important to provide context in a news story?
- To make the article longer and meet word counts.
- To help the audience understand the significance and background of the events.
- To express the journalist’s personal opinion on the matter.
- To confuse the reader with too many statistics.
- If a campaign group makes a claim about a public official, what should a journalist do first?
- Publish the claim immediately to be the first with the news.
- Ignore the claim entirely as it might be biased.
- Verify the claim using official records or primary sources.
- Ask the campaign group for more opinions.
- What does it mean to be impartial in journalism?
- Giving more space to the person you agree with.
- Reporting only the facts that support the government.
- Not taking sides and reflecting a range of views fairly.
- Making sure every person in the town is interviewed.
- When checking a claim about a rare bird species, which would be the most authoritative source?
- A comment on a social media post.
- A local wildlife expert or an official environmental impact report.
- The person who first thought they saw the bird.
- The developer’s marketing brochure.
- What is the danger of failing to fact-check a news/press release?
- The journalist might be promoted for working quickly.
- The story will be more exciting for the readers.
- The journalist and their news organisation could lose credibility or face legal action.
- Nothing, as the responsibility lies with the person who wrote the press release.
Quiz answers
1: b (Context provides the necessary background for the audience to weigh the facts.)
2: c (Verification is essential for accuracy and to avoid libel.)
3: c (Impartiality requires a balanced approach that does not favour one side.)
4: b (Authoritative sources are those with expertise or official status regarding the subject.)
5: c (Accuracy is the foundation of journalism; errors discredit the entire work.)
