Dr.

Brown-Smith’s Reporting Class Checklist

1. Have you gone through your entire story and double-checked every
single fact or assertion? Have you made any assumptions you
can’t back up?

2. Did you spell check?

3. Did you edit your story carefully for grammar errors and AP Style?

4. Is there enough context or background information so somebody

who has never heard of your topic before knows what the heck you
are talking about?

5. Have you double-checked the spelling of all names and places

mentioned in your story? These won’t get fixed with spell check.

6. Do you have at LEAST two sources for your story?

7. Are the direct quotes accurate and properly attributed (your only
verb is “said”) with the correct titles? Have you fully captured what
each person meant?

8. Is this story fair? Who or what might be missing from the story?
Have all the stakeholders been called and given a chance to talk?
Does the story make subtle value judgments?