fact checking is a normal part of a normal news organization. They all do it and it's above board. I was briefly a freelance journalist at a major urban newspap

fact checking is a normal part of a normal news organization. They all do it and it's above board. I was briefly a freelance journalist at a major urban newspaper and here's how it worked for me: - as I researched and reported, I kept notes about the source of every piece of info I got. - as I wrote, I noted that source every time I stated a fact (using phrases like "according to") - my editor asked me in general whether I had done all this - and during the editing process drilled down on several facts I stated and what the basis for them was. - A factual error once crept into my story through the headline, which was written by a different editorial team. It was a minor thing, but it was a big deal, my editor was super stressed, and they issued a printed retraction. - This was all inline with the general policy followed by a 300 person newsroom. - Editor's year-end review is partly based on the number of retractions issued. - The culture of the organization was such that if a known error made it into print, and there wasn't a retraction, that would be basically a scandal.