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A fact checker verifies all facts presented in print and media journalism, usually employed by magazines and television broadcasters. They must make informed decisions while staying true to the facts of the story, and are different from copy editors who focus on grammar and style.
A fact checker is a common job position in the journalism and publishing industries. A fact checker is responsible for verifying all facts presented in a magazine, newspaper or online article, among other forms of print and media journalism. Fact-checking is generally viewed as an entry-level position, although it takes a high level of skill and attention to detail to be a competent fact-checker.
Fact checkers are most commonly employed by magazines, offline and online, and television broadcasters. In general, newspapers mostly rely on their writers and reporters to verify their own facts, and any errors are theoretically caught by editors. The same is true with book publishing, where publishers often rely on book authors to get the information right. However, this is not always the case, and some fact checkers can also work on newspapers and books.
The day-to-day responsibilities of a fact-checker are relatively straightforward. He will be given one or more documents to work with, which he will need to read through and determine what factual information needs to be verified. This can be something as simple as a birth or death date or ambiguous as a quote from a source. In many cases, fact-checking will require multiple phone calls to sources. This can be tricky when a source can retract a quote they made or rework something to make it better.
In these cases, a fact checker needs to be able to verify the facts of the quote without allowing the source to change or manipulate the story. Fact-checkers need to be able to make informed decisions about what information should be included in a story while staying true to the facts of the story, both ethically and legally. In addition to calling sources to verify information, fact checkers need to be excellent researchers, as much of their work involves thoroughly searching for information through online databases.
Although a fact checker and copy editor are mentioned interchangeably, they are two different positions. A copy editor may be responsible for fact-checking, but in general, a copy editor is responsible for reading the copy to correct errors in grammar, usage, and style, among other parameters. A fact checker must be able to work quickly but accurately, keeping a very detailed orientation when looking for information; however, they are usually not focused on grammar or style errors.
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