Course Details

Did you ever wonder exactly what fact-checkers do? Or why they're even necessary? Do you want to learn more about the ins and outs of editorial research and what it takes to enter the world of facts? If so, this seminar is for you. Since fact-checkers work closely with editors, writers, copy editors, and production staff, they gain a thorough understanding of what it takes to put out a magazine. And by retracing the footsteps of reporters and writers while bringing their own expertise to the table, they learn how to be reporters. It's a great way to start out in magazines (many writers and editors have begun their careers as fact-checkers), hone a skill you can use in the freelance job market, or become a life long truth-warrior.

This seminar will answer the following questions:

• What, exactly, is fact-checking, and why is it necessary?
• How do various publications fact-check?
• What sources are considered valid?
• How is it possible to find work as a fact-checker?
• Why is there sometimes some tension between fact-checkers and writers and/or editors and how can this be minimized?
• How might fact-checking apply to future jobs?
• What is the career path to being a research editor and what can you do with it if you decide to leave?

Instructor Bio

Joanna Pearlstein's Courses

As Wired magazine's research editor, Joanna Pearlstein manages the publication's fact-checking department and edits the Infoporn, Atlas, and Playlist sections. She oversees Wired's fact-checking process, coordinates research resources, and works closely with the company's corporate counsel on the legal review of stories. Before joining Wired in 2003, Pearlstein was news editor and editorial research manager at Red Herring magazine. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Oakland Tribune, and Macworld.

Testimonials

I enjoyed the seminar with Joanna. She was well-prepared and explained things very clearly. She had good real-world experience to share with the class. The presentation included an extensive list of online resources for research, techniques for using those resources, and advice for gathering information from other sources, on and off the internet. -- Karla Leibowitz, independent business consultant