What are the most effective collaboration techniques with fact-checkers and verification experts?

1 Establish clear roles and expectations

Before you start working on a story, make sure you understand who is responsible for what and how you will communicate with each other. For example, you might assign a lead fact-checker who will coordinate with other verification experts, such as data analysts, photo editors, or subject matter specialists. You should also agree on the standards and criteria for verifying information, such as sources, methods, and evidence. Having clear roles and expectations will help you avoid confusion, duplication, or conflict.

2 Share your sources and methods

One of the best ways to collaborate with fact-checkers and verification experts is to share your sources and methods openly and transparently. This means providing them with the original documents, data, images, or videos that you used for your reporting, as well as explaining how you obtained, analyzed, and interpreted them. Sharing your sources and methods will help them verify your information faster and more efficiently, as well as identify any gaps, errors, or inconsistencies.

4 Seek feedback and guidance

Collaborating with fact-checkers and verification experts is not only about checking facts, but also about learning from them and improving your skills. Therefore, you should seek feedback and guidance from them throughout the process, not just at the end. For example, you might ask them for advice on how to find reliable sources, how to verify data or images, or how to handle sensitive or controversial information. You should also be open to their suggestions, corrections, or criticisms, and acknowledge their contributions.