| name | journalism |
| description | News writing, investigative reporting, source verification, editorial standards, and fact-checking for journalists. |
| tier | extended |
| applyTo | **/*journal*,**/*news*,**/*reporter*,**/*editorial*,**/*press*,**/*investigat*,**/*fact-check* |
Journalism Skill
News writing, investigative reporting, source verification, editorial standards, and fact-checking for journalists.
Core Principle
Journalism's job is to tell the truth as completely and fairly as possible. Every story serves the public's right to know. Accuracy is non-negotiable — speed is secondary.
News Writing Fundamentals
The Inverted Pyramid
- Lead (Lede) — Most important facts: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
- Key details — Context, quotes, supporting evidence
- Background — History, related events, lesser details
The reader should get the essential story from the first paragraph alone.
Lead Types
| Type | Use When | Example Pattern |
|---|
| Hard news | Breaking/spot news | WHO did WHAT at WHERE on WHEN |
| Delayed | Feature/narrative | Scene-setting, character introduction |
| Summary | Complex stories | Synthesize multiple elements |
| Anecdotal | Human interest | Start with one person's experience |
| Question | Rarely (avoid) | Only when genuinely provocative |
AP Style Quick Reference
| Rule | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|
| Numbers < 10 | five people | 5 people |
| Numbers ≥ 10 | 15 people | fifteen people |
| State abbreviations | Calif., Texas | CA, TX (except datelines) |
| Titles before name | President Biden | president Biden |
| Titles after name | Joe Biden, president | Joe Biden, President |
| Time | 3 p.m. | 3 PM, 3:00 p.m. |
| Dates | March 9, 2026 | March 9th, 2026 |
Source Verification
Source Hierarchy
| Tier | Source Type | Reliability | Verification Need |
|---|
| 1 | Primary documents | Highest | Authenticate provenance |
| 2 | Direct witnesses/participants | High | Corroborate with second source |
| 3 | Expert analysis | Medium-High | Confirm credentials, check for conflicts |
| 4 | Secondary reports (other media) | Medium | Verify independently before citing |
| 5 | Anonymous sources | Variable | Editor approval, corroboration required |
| 6 | Social media posts | Low | Verify identity, context, authenticity |
Two-Source Rule
- Every factual claim should be confirmed by at least two independent sources
- Independent = not derived from the same original source
- Exceptions: official documents, on-record statements, direct observation
Fact-Check Tracker
story: "City council approves budget"
deadline: "2026-04-14 18:00"
claims:
- claim: "Budget is $4.2 billion"
sources:
- type: "Primary document"
ref: "Budget proposal PDF"
verified: true
- type: "Official statement"
ref: "Finance director quote"
verified: true
status: "confirmed"
- claim: "Largest increase in 10 years"
sources:
- type: "City records"
ref: "Historical budget data"
verified: true
- type: "Secondary"
ref: "2016 Observer article"
verified: false
status: "pending verification"
Source Attribution
| Attribution | Use When |
|---|
| On the record | Default — named source, direct quotes |
| On background | Information usable, source described but not named |
| Deep background | Information usable, no attribution at all |
| Off the record | Cannot be used in any form (establish BEFORE conversation) |
Always: Clarify attribution terms before the conversation, not after.
Fact-Checking Protocol
Pre-Publication Checklist
- ☐ All names spelled correctly (verify against official sources)
- ☐ All numbers verified (dates, statistics, amounts, addresses)
- ☐ All quotes accurate (audio/transcript confirmed)
- ☐ Claims attributed to sources or verified independently
- ☐ Headline accurately reflects story content
- ☐ Context provided for statistics (base rate, time period, methodology)
- ☐ Opposing viewpoints sought and included where relevant
- ☐ Potential defamation reviewed (truth, public interest, fair comment)
Statistical Literacy
| Red Flag | Question to Ask |
|---|
| Percentage without base | Percent of what? (10% of 10 vs. 10% of 10M) |
| Correlation claimed as causation | What confounders exist? |
| Cherry-picked time period | What does the full dataset show? |
| Survey results without methodology | Sample size? Margin of error? Who funded it? |
| "Studies show" without citation | Which study? Peer reviewed? Replicable? |
Investigative Reporting
Investigation Framework
- Hypothesis — What do you suspect, and why?
- Document trail — FOIA requests, court records, corporate filings, financial disclosures
- Human sources — Insiders, whistleblowers, affected parties, experts
- Data analysis — Public databases, leaked datasets, data journalism tools
- Pattern recognition — Connect dots across documents, timelines, relationships
- Confrontation — Give the subject fair opportunity to respond
- Legal review — Pre-publication review for defamation, privacy, source protection
Public Records Toolkit
| Record Type | Source |
|---|
| Corporate filings | SEC EDGAR, state SOS databases |
| Property records | County assessor/recorder |
| Court records | PACER (federal), state court portals |
| Campaign finance | FEC, state election commissions |
| Government contracts | USAspending.gov, SAM.gov |
| Nonprofit finances | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) |
| Environmental data | EPA Enforcement, Toxic Release Inventory |
Ethical Standards
SPJ Code of Ethics (Four Principles)
- Seek truth and report it — Accuracy, context, transparency about methods
- Minimize harm — Balance public interest against potential damage
- Act independently — Avoid conflicts of interest, refuse gifts
- Be accountable — Acknowledge mistakes, correct promptly
Correction Protocol
| Severity | Action |
|---|
| Minor factual error | Correction appended, original text updated |
| Significant factual error | Editor's note at top, original text updated |
| Fundamental error affecting thesis | Retraction or major revision with prominent notice |
| All corrections | Date-stamped, transparent about what changed |
Digital & Multimedia Journalism
Verification of Digital Content
- Reverse image search — Google Images, TinEye to check origin
- EXIF data — Check photo metadata for date, location, device
- Geolocation — Cross-reference landmarks, shadows, signs with claimed location
- Video verification — Frame analysis, audio consistency, compression artifacts
- Social media verification — Account age, posting history, network analysis
Data Journalism Principles
- Show your work: publish methodology and datasets when possible
- Visualizations must not misrepresent data (avoid truncated axes, misleading scales)
- Acknowledge limitations of the data
- Peer review analysis before publication
AI in Journalism — Guardrails
- AI can assist with: document analysis, data processing, transcription, translation
- AI must never: fabricate quotes, generate fake sources, write opinion as news
- All AI-assisted reporting must be disclosed to editors and readers
- AI-generated images must never be used as documentary evidence
- Every AI-generated draft must be verified line by line against source material
- The journalist remains solely responsible for accuracy
