WHEN 4 weeks, July 21 - August 11 Chats Mondays, 8-9 pm ET WHERE Online. Click here for more information. LEVEL Intro PRICE $350 ($325 for ) more info

Course Details

Fact-checking is a wonderful way to start out in magazines, hone a skill you can use in the freelance job market, or become a life-long truth warrior. If you're looking for in-depth fact-checking instruction, as well as hands-on experience with how to fact-check and take fact-checking tests, this is the course 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 great reporters.

In this class, you will learn:

Check out the preview of Katherine Wessling's Mediabistro On Demand Fact-Checking Video, included in full in this online course.

Admission Requirements:
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history).

The online classroom has several interactive components:

• Instructors post lectures once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
• Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and class.
• Weekly chats allow your class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend.
• Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

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Instructor Bio

Katherine Wessling's Courses

Katherine Wessling has fact-checked for magazines including Esquire, Newsweek International, Ladies' Home Journal, Us, In Touch, Star, and Teen People. She was associate research editor at Glamour and headed up the research department at Good Housekeeping. Katherine has also done primary research for Sky magazine, Chic Simple books, and playwright Eve Ensler (for The Good Body). She's attended and/or participated in numerous MPA and ASME seminars on fact-checking.
Her other journalism experience includes: contributing literary editor for Swing, senior editor at Speak, and editor-in-chief of (ai) performance for the planet. She's also been a commentator on WNYC's broadcast of NPR's Morning Edition.

photo credit: Susan Shacter

Testimonials

Katherine's in-depth knowledge of fact-checking and her on-the-job anecdotes made this course both informative and fun. -- Lisa Sabatini

"Katherine drew on many illustrative examples from her career as she led us through the basics and answered our questions. Her real-world examples were invaluable, and she was always engaging." -- Dustin Smith

"Katherine is an industry veteran who can share as many useful tips as she can interesting anecdotes. I highly recommend her course for anyone lost on how to get started in the magazine research world." -- Janine Yu

"I was very impressed. I loved how Katherine balanced her anecdotes with more technical information. It kept the class interesting." -- Jessica Feder, editorial assistant, Country Living

"The class was very helpful in my role as fact-checker at the Seton Hall University Magazine. Katherine was able to successfully communicate the basics of fact-checking." -- Isabel Bauer, Graduate Assistant, Seton Hall University

"Katherine was very personable. Her anecdotes are enjoyable and helped me gain a better grasp of how interesting the fact-checking process really can be." -- Daniel Quiterio, Proofreader, JWT