Attention students: I’ll be sending out a “Clarification & Amplification” memo shortly to clarify and amplify the “beat reporting” assignment for Monday. In the meantime, in case you didn’t click through to Steve Buttry’s excellent accuracy checklist mentioned in a previous posting on this site, here’s the cheat sheet:

While Reporting

• Ask sources to spell name and title; then verify what you wrote
• Record or transcribe interviews
• When someone cites numbers, ask for (and check) source
• Ask “How do you know that?”
• Seek documentation
• Verify claims with reliable sources
• Save links and other research
• Ask sources what other reports got wrong

While writing

• Note facts that need further verification
• Cut and paste (with attribution) quotes from digital documents.

Final Checks Before Submission

• Numbers and Math (have someone check your math)
• Names (check vs. notes plus one other source)
• Titles (people, books etc.)
• Locations
• Compare quotes to notes/recording/transcript
• Check attribution (insert link if from the web)
• Definitions
• Verify URLs (check them and check whether cited content is still there)
• Phone numbers (call them)
• Spelling and Grammar
• Spellchecker Errors
• Have you assumed anything? (If so, verify, hedge or remove.)
• If you have any doubts, recheck with the original source.
• Where your understanding is weak, read the final copy to someone who does understand.

When finished

• Correct any errors you found in your archives, databases or other resources you control (but be certain you have verified the new information).

On behalf of Steve Buttry, you’re welcome.