These hints are aimed mostly at reporters, who are, after all, the first and best line of defense. You should find a routine that works for you, but here are some general principles:

_ Fact-checking should not be the quick last chore before leaving the office. Rather, it should be part of the process of doing a story from start to finish — an approach that will save time on the back end.

_ For instance, whenever possible, go back over your notes as soon as possible after an interview, mark or highlight quotes and other stuff you know you’ll use and try to spot holes where you’ll need more information.

_ Always ask sources to spell their names, even common ones. One question that can get you into trouble: Is it the normal spelling?Or ask for business cards, which is also a shortcut to building a source list.

_ Ask for people’s date of birth, not just their age. As we all know, stories can hold a while.

_ Get a number where the person can be reached later to check any information.

_ It’s a good idea that the last questions you ask are: Is there anything else I should know for this story? And is there anyone else I should talk to? People, especially those who don’t talk to reporters regularly, will sometimes give very limited answers to questions, and won’t give the broader context or explanation needed for the story.

_ Make copies of reports you plan to cite, and printouts of material from the Web.

_ Fact check as much as possible as you go along in writing the story, or mark stuff you know you want to check.

_ When you’re ready to pencil check, gather all your reporting material and get a printout of the story.

_ Do a line by line check. Or you can check facts by category: all names and proper names, then all dates, then all numbers, then quotes, then other facts.

_ Even if something is in your notes, cross check facts when other sources are available. Thanks to the Internet, there are lots more sources out there to use. Ideally, you can look at the Web sites for the actual group or agency you’re citing.

_ Listen to that little voice that says, “Gee, I ought to check that.”

_ Put CQs by names, addresses, phones, Web sites whenever possible and avoid questions later.

_ Pencil check maps, charts and other graphics as closely as stories.

_ Make sure to check any editing changes made before the story is moved.

_ Take a printout of the story and your notes home with you to answer late queries from desk.

FREQUENTLY FAULTY FACT-CHECKING RESOURCES
Compiled by James Shiffer

BEWARE USING THESE IN YOUR PENCIL CHECKS!

_ Archived clips (unless you wrote them yourself)

_ Road maps (for road name and place spellings)

_ Phone books (for name spellings)

_ Unofficial web sites

_ Other newspapers

... AND THE MOST UNRELIABLE OF ALL

_ Your memory

THE MOST RELIABLE SOURCES

1. The documents where you got the data in the first place

2. Sources themselves, for name spellings, ages and all other personal facts

3. Attributable Web sites, i.e. according to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, the Environmental Protection Agency Web site, etc.

4. The blue criss-cross directories, for spellings of road names

5. The North Carolina Gazetteer (although not flawless, the most comprehensive and accurate collection of place names. Thank you, Bill Powell!)