Welcome to Check Yourself: Quick, Simple and Thorough Fact-Checking
The 24-hour news cycle, viral content on social media and the internet’s ability to give just about anyone a platform has made the ability to fact-check critical to reputable, high-quality writing and social media management. In this course, you will learn how to establish yourself as a trustworthy writer through practical fact-checking strategies and exercises.
Please note that as of April 24, 2019, this course will no longer be supported or updated. MB Unlimited members can access the new version of this course, Fact-Checking For Journalists. Try MB Unlimited with a free 14-day trial and get access to all of our current courses.
Skills You Will Learn
How to fact-check your own work, or someone else’s
Identify objective and subjective facts
Responsibly include quotes in your writing
Understand the difference between primary and secondary sources, and how to locate primary sources
Utilize documentation and workflow to organize your research, properly attribute information and ensure your notes are accessible
Create, share and promote accurate content on social media
Best practices for correcting your mistakes, whether large or small, caught early or late
Session 1
Get Started
- Introduction: Welcome to the Course / Why Check Facts? / A Brief Look Back / Who’s Checking Facts
- What Are Facts, Anyway? / Identifying Objective and Subjective Facts / Checking Quotes
Session 2
Fact-Check Like a Pro
- Check Your Quotes and Sources
- The Importance of Documentation and Workflow / Working with Others / How to Correct Mistakes
- Fact-Checking and Social Media / Corrections, After the Fact / Looking Forward
