8A CHECKLIST FOR ACCURACY
1. Be sure your lede is supported – or “backed up” – with an abundance of facts, quotes, and background.
2. Double-check all phone numbers, addresses, and online links in the story. Same for names, ages, and titles.
3. Be sure that all proper names are spelled consistently. (Your word processor’s spell-checker cannot verify most words that are capitalized.)
4. If the story includes an address, find it yourself in an online map. You might want to notice if the house that burned down is across the street from a fire station, or if the big drug dealer lives next door to the mayor.
5. If you are using material you found on the internet, try to verify it some other way – with a phone call, a printed document, ...
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