What are the most effective strategies for fact-checking print content?

There's a useful psychological tool colloquially called the "Crichton aphorism." Michael Crichton, most famously the author of "Jurassic Park" was also a medical doctor. He commented in an interview that he would read the Science section of newspapers and say to himself "no that's wrong" or "this person doesn't know what he's talking about" but then turn to the politics or finance sections and read those as authoritative. He eventually concluded that you should read everything skeptically, realizing that the author has unstated biases, opinions, and unknown methods. Just because something is outside your expertise doesn't mean you should defer to the written word.

“If someone says it’s raining & another says it’s dry, it’s not your job to quote them both. Your job is to look out the window and find out which is true.” Fact-checking requires a bit of reverse psychology. Read everything as if it's false, and only be happy when you are proven wrong. Misinformation spreads fast, and because the same content has been shared or quoted by several influencers doesn't make it accurate. Question the source of the information and check the official website of the source quoted to cross-check. Write emails to concerned authorities seeking clarity about the accuracy of the 'fact' stated. During interviews, ask the person quoting the stats their source of information. Lastly, never cite an opinion as the truth.

I find that fact-checking can be challenging when there is conflicting information from different sources. I came across it in the medical field where I found a few sources saying a condition was a result of one particular cause and then finding the exact opposite stating that said cause could help alleviate symptoms of the condition. In any case, cross-checking and advice from ProZ helped to filter out the rocky sources.

The process of fact-checking print content requires a systematic approach. Identify the source's credibility and potential bias. Utilize fact-checking websites and cross-reference information with trusted sources. Verify the accuracy of data, quotes, and statistics. Verify claims with primary sources or expert opinions. Check publication dates to ensure relevance. Context and tone can distort facts, so pay attention to them. Multiple sources should be consulted for confirmation. Be alert for red flags, such as sensationalism, and maintain a critical mindset. In the age of misinformation, fact-checking in print requires diligence, skepticism, and a commitment to upholding the truth.

Even the best information goes out of date. Understanding the socio-political, historic, and economic context of information will help you evaluate its accuracy - and usefulness.

I find this strategy to be one of the most important ones. Especially if you're writing about a topic you plan to dive deeper into with time and research. Later down the line, as you write more and more text regarding a specific topic, you might find yourself going back to some of your first pieces. There might be things to expand on. Additionally, views and facts might change, which can alter the validity of your text in its entirety or a section of it. For example, in my case, I left an article I published alone for some time. Someone had reached out to me to bring to my awareness another source to reiterate the central topic of the piece. After checking the source and information, I decided on its relevance and revised my article.

People often rely on tools like ChatGPT for fact-checking due to their accessibility and the speed with which they can generate comprehensive responses. However, leveraging AI like ChatGPT for fact-checking is tempting but risky due to its potential for replication of inaccuracies. ChatGPT synthesizes information based on patterns in data, not from certified facts. To counter this, cross-reference AI-provided information with authoritative databases, peer-reviewed journals, or direct interviews with professionals. For instance, if ChatGPT cites a statistic, confirm it against government databases or academic studies. Always attribute facts to the primary source. AI can guide you towards sources but should never be the source itself.