Amy Tardif, a corps regional manager for Report for America, led a fact-checking workshop for students in the Public Media Master’s Program last Wednesday. At Report for America, Tardif helps mentor, train and guide emerging journalists into local newsrooms across the Northeast. She is also an independent fact-checker and has an extensive background in public radio at outlets such as NPR and WGCU.
As an independent fact-checker, Tardif has worked on podcasts including Pulitzer Prize winning “Suave” and Peabody Award winning “Believed . ” When working on podcast scripts, Tardif goes in line by line on a document, making sure that claims can be defended or attributed to a reputable source. “This is time consuming.
I usually give myself eight hours for a 30-page script,” Tardif said. When fact-checking, Tardif looks for the details one might expect, such as a person’s age and historical information. She also probes for correct word use, making sure claims flow logically and that professional terminology is employed correctly.
Tardif emphasized the importance of incorporating fact-checking into the reporting and editing process. She advised reporters to fact-check themselves and attribute sources correctly before filing their work with an editor or colleague for additional checking. “It’s kind of funny to me to be saying you’re writing away.
How do you know what you’re writing is true if you’re not checking as you go? That’s the main thing I’ve been .