A dose of healthy skepticism is good
by John Talgiareni
Talk about being a stickler for accuracy. Cordell Hull, secretary of state during World War II, was traveling on a train. A friend pointed to a flock of sheep grazing in a field. "Look, those sheep have just been shorn," he said. Hull studied the flock and said, "On this side anyway."

This skepticism may seem excessive, but for any journalist it should be standard operating procedure. Any practical consideration of ethics in journalism must deal with accuracy.

The first responsibility of a journalist must be to get the facts straight and to take a deliberate approach in gathering the information in order to present a complete and unbiased article to other readers.

It is crucial for student journalists to learn this as we stress responsibilities as well as rights to our students, however mundane the topic may seem to them. Students must learn accuracy is a matter of credibility. The reporter may get an interview with the principal or faculty member the first time, but after a serious factual error is reported, the staff member may have a tough time getting access again.

Even worse, the entire publication can suffer due to one person's carelessness, and other staff members may have difficulty gaining access to a source. It only takes a few errors to erase a record of solid reporting and a trust that has taken years to develop.

Fortunately, there is a fact-checking procedure many advisers follow in order to make accurate reporting routine, and I also have developed one for my students. Each Bear Facts assignment sheet has, in addition to the instructions from the assignment editor, a checklist the reporter must follow in getting the story.

It asks questions such as:
· "Have you checked your copy for grammatical errors, errors in punctuation and spelling errors?
· Are all proper names spelled correctly? For people mentioned in the article, do you have first names and titles?
· Have you rechecked your facts with the person(s) you have interviewed? · Have you checked off each fact statement after reviewing your notes with the person(s) interviewed? "

Students should know the difference between facts and fact statements. A fact on its own can simply be a number, for example, an SAT score. A fact statement, however, puts factual information in a sentence which is then given in a specific context. It is up to the reporter to check both facts and fact statements in order to avoid confusion and to avoid misstating the information.

In addition, I instruct my students to double check quotes with the person they have interviewed. Many professionals don't do this, and I believe much of the inaccuracy and unethical reporting done by professionals is because they do not review this information with their subjects.

This method eliminates a major concern faculty members have because they are worried their comments could be taken out of context or they could be misquoted. This technique not only ensures the information is accurate, it also reassures the subject and helps the student gain professional status in his eyes.

It eliminates faculty members' requests to see the article written by the student. I don't allow that practice because I want my students to be treated like professionals and not have the staff member take a condescending attitude toward them.

This method allows the interviewee to feel more confident because the reporter is following an organized procedure to gather information andis showing evidence of proper training. I think a better interview takes place because it frees the subject from being unnecessarily cautious or treating the reporter with skepticism. In addition, the student gains confidence by not having the teacher or administrator read the article and patronize him.

The use of tape recorders is another area needing reassessment in terms of ethical reporting. While a tape can capture the exact words of the subject, it also encourages the reporter to be lax during the interview because, he may think, "Why worry? I've got it all on tape."

The problem arises when quotes are taken out of context, even from the tape, or when fact statements or quotes are not reviewed immediately after the interview. It is possible to go back to the source after a first draft is completed, but a second appointment then needs to be scheduled, which is not always possible.
However, if the reporter does return asking to double check the facts and shows a desire to get everything clear in a complex story, the reporter will gain more respect and credibility.

With the types of complex stories covered today – budgets, board of education elections, state aid, special education mandates, stories on AIDS, sexual harassment, drugs, etc.– it is essential to voice a disciplined approach is taken in getting first hand interviews that follow an organized procedure. The effort will result in organized and accurate articles, proving it pays for reporters to be as meticulous as Cordell Hull when it comes to accuracy.

We should always check the sheep – on both sides.