Diary of a Mad Fact-Checker

sasquatchmedia:

I work on and off as a fact-checker at the most accurate magazine in America. I think so, at least. The checker assigned to this piece may come up with a list of competitors for that title—and in that case I’ll say that, having either been fact-checked by or been a fact-checker at most of them, she can count this fact as my own original reporting. My editor will probably agree and, if she pushes it, tell her that anyway “most accurate” is a qualitative evaluation, like “best defensive shortstop,” or “hottest freshman.” He won’t say, though it’ll be implicit, that the whole idea of The Oxford American assigning an essay about fact-checking works better if the guy they got to write it works as part of the best research department in the country—which makes me seem like an authority—and that it’d be a shame to lose the superlative when the magazine in question isn’t even going to be named. Superlatives, if you pay attention, are how magazines make stories seem worth reading, and not even the checkers at the most accurate magazine in America can fight off all the spurious ones.

Bringing this to my news reporting class Tuesday. 

FJP: Genius. Read On.

oxfordamerican.com

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  1. fromrusholmewithlove reblogged this from futurejournalismproject
  2. mekrizzia reblogged this from futurejournalismproject and added:
    Yes.
  3. sabbi reblogged this from the-feature
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  12. futurejournalismproject reblogged this from sasquatchmedia and added:
    FJP: Genius. Read On.
  13. journo-geekery reblogged this from sasquatchmedia
  14. sasquatchmedia reblogged this from the-feature and added:
    Bringing this to my news reporting class Tuesday.
  15. angelawublog reblogged this from the-feature and added:
    This is the best, the absolute best.
  16. kthread reblogged this from the-feature and added:
    There is a whole mess of spurious that needs fighting off right now.

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