fact-checking & FOIA workshop for january 2007

why fact check? –The work cant be dismissed as propaganda or rumor – Legal risks associated with printing inaccuracies can be avoided – An even more interesting story might be discovered – Sources are kept happy – Embarrassmentor worsecan be avoided – Determine and highlight all facts in a story – Can tighten writing – Go beyond spelling and dateslook for causal links, attributions, reporter assumptions, facts contained within quotes, and memories – Evaluate sources used by the reporter Confirm everything, using multiple sources for controversial facts! Much of this information can be found in an easy to read book, The Fact Checker's BibleThe Fact Checker's Bible, by Sarah Harrison Smith.

fact tracking Organize sources used to write the story –Contact info for interviewees –Website addresses –Database, journal and book names –Copies of documentation Confirm quotes

With video, as much of this as possible should be done before the work gets shot Read the copy/view the piece through once Go at copy with a highlighter pen on the second pass, with video take notes and note time stamp Organize into types of sources required for verifying –Telephone Free411, InfoSpace, SuperPagesFree411InfoSpaceSuperPages –Databases Internet (Librarians Internet Index, Clusty, Advanced Google)Librarians Internet IndexClustyAdvanced Google –Reference sources encyclopedia, dictionary, atlas–could be print or online Wikipediayea or nay? –Other Aside: sources for images and data –Archive.org, Wikimedia Commons, Yahoo Creative Commons searchArchive.orgWikimedia CommonsYahoo Creative Commons –RSS feeds a practical how to

FOIA: Freedom of Information ActFOIA State versions of the same, e.g. UIPA in HawaiiUIPA Government Documents – depository libraries (most of the big ones, academic and public) have to let you in to use them. ask the feds

July 4, 1966: FOIA signed into law. October 2, 1996: Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments. October 12, 2001: new FOIA memorandum 2002: more amendments timeline

Freedom of Information Act (1966) mandates federal government agencies to comply with public solicitation of information. Nine exemptions specified and the President has unlimited power in declaring something off-limits. The FOIA does not apply to Congress or the courts, nor does it apply to records of state or local governments. Nearly all state governments have their own FOIA-type statutes.FOIA-type statutes Department of Justice Frequently Requested Records What about petitioning the FBI or CIA? – How to file a FOIA request from CIAFOIA request from CIA – FBI FOIA website FBI FOIA What is FOIA?

Pdfs preferable to html docs.edu,.gov sites Reputation of sources Evaluating web resources guideguide Radical Reference This presentation online Contact me notes