HIST 006C: Changing Societies: History and the News
JOURNALIST VS. INFLUENCER
Professional journalist are educated and trained to adhere to the following standards and ethics. Influencers are typically not.
1. Accuracy and Fairness
- Fact-checking: Journalists must ensure that their reports are based on verified, accurate information. They should cross-check facts with multiple sources to confirm their reliability.
- Balance: Journalists strive to present all sides of a story, providing a balanced perspective without showing favoritism. They should avoid misrepresenting people, issues, or events.
2. Independence and Objectivity
- Avoiding conflicts of interest: Journalists must remain impartial and not allow personal opinions, relationships, or financial interests to affect their reporting.
- Independence from outside influence: They must avoid undue influence from advertisers, sponsors, or political figures, ensuring that the content is free from bias.
3. Transparency
- Disclosure of sources: When possible, journalists should disclose their sources, unless doing so would endanger the source or the credibility of the information. Anonymous sources should only be used when absolutely necessary, and their reliability must be carefully evaluated.
- Correcting errors: If a journalist makes a mistake, they are ethically required to correct it promptly and clearly to maintain trust with their audience.
4. Fair Treatment
- Respect for individuals: Journalists must treat individuals fairly, avoiding sensationalism, exploitation, or unnecessary harm, particularly when reporting on vulnerable populations.
- Minimizing harm: Journalists should consider the potential impact of their reporting on people and communities and should avoid unnecessary intrusion into people’s private lives.
5. Accountability
- Responsibility for content: Journalists are responsible for the content they produce and should be held accountable for its accuracy and ethical implications.
- Responding to criticism: If the public or peers raise concerns about a report, journalists should be open to feedback and willing to address legitimate issues.
6. Avoiding Plagiarism
- Proper attribution: Journalists are required to credit all sources of information, including quotes, data, and images. Copying someone else's work without permission is prohibited.
- Originality: They must strive to produce original content that is clearly distinguished from other media.
7. Sensitivity in Coverage
- Cultural sensitivity: Journalists should be sensitive to cultural, social, and political contexts when reporting. They must avoid stereotypes and biases in their coverage of diverse groups and issues.
- Respect for victims: Particularly when covering tragedies or sensitive topics, journalists must approach their subjects with care, avoiding sensationalism or insensitivity.
8. Privacy
- Respecting privacy: Journalists must respect the privacy rights of individuals, especially in cases involving grief, trauma, or personal matters unless there is a compelling public interest in the story.
- Confidentiality of sources: They are bound by ethical standards to protect confidential sources who share critical information under the promise of anonymity.
9. Adherence to Ethical Codes
- Code of ethics: Many professional organizations, like the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), maintain codes of ethics that guide journalistic practice. These codes emphasize principles like accuracy, fairness, independence, and accountability.
10. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
- No personal biases: Journalists are expected to avoid writing about topics where they have personal stakes (financial or emotional), as this could impair objectivity and fairness.
- Separation of editorial and business interests: Journalists should ensure that editorial content is not influenced by the business interests of the media organization, such as sponsorships or advertisements.
Checkology
Sign up for Rumor Guard: RumorGuard from the News Literacy Project
- View this video from Rumor Guard on Lateral Reading.
Create a free account at Checkology and view the free video lessons: Explore | Checkology Virtual Classroom | News Literacy Project
See: MediaWise - YouTube
FACT CHECKING
1. Snopes
- Website: www.snopes.com
- Focus: Debunks myths, rumors, and misinformation on the internet. Snopes covers a wide range of topics, including politics, health, and entertainment.
2. FactCheck.org
- Website: www.factcheck.org
- Focus: A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, FactCheck.org focuses on analyzing and correcting political claims, especially in the U.S. elections.
3. PolitiFact
- Website: www.politifact.com
- Focus: PolitiFact focuses on U.S. political claims and statements, rating them for truthfulness using their "Truth-O-Meter."
4. Poynter Institute (MediaWise)
- Website: www.poynter.org
- Focus: Poynter is an educational institution, and its MediaWise initiative works to help people become better at identifying misinformation and fact-checking online content.
5. Reuters Fact Check
- Website: www.reuters.com/fact-check
- Focus: Reuters Fact Check is a part of the international news organization and provides verified information across various topics, including health, politics, and global events.
6. The Associated Press (AP) Fact Check
- Website: www.apnews.com/APFactCheck
- Focus: The AP Fact Check initiative reviews political claims and news stories to ensure accuracy and accountability.
7. Full Fact
- Website: www.fullfact.org
- Focus: A UK-based organization that checks facts related to public policy, politics, and everyday life. It aims to help people make informed decisions based on accurate information.
8. Agence France-Presse (AFP) Fact Check
- Website: factcheck.afp.com
- Focus: AFP Fact Check is part of the global news agency AFP, and it works to debunk misinformation and rumors circulating on social media and other platforms.
9. The Conversation’s FactCheck
- Website: theconversation.com/factcheck
- Focus: The Conversation’s FactCheck focuses on debunking misleading claims, especially in the context of news stories, research, and scientific studies. It is particularly active in Australia and the UK.
10. TruthOrFiction
- Website: www.truthorfiction.com
- Focus: This site focuses on debunking or confirming various claims that circulate via email, social media, and text messages. They address everything from urban legends to viral news stories.
11. FactCheckEU
- Website: www.factcheckeu.info
- Focus: Focuses on checking the accuracy of claims made by politicians and other public figures within the European Union, with an emphasis on EU affairs.
12. Check Your Fact
- Website: www.checkyourfact.com
- Focus: A project of the Daily Caller News Foundation, Check Your Fact focuses on political claims and viral stories in the U.S. to ensure public understanding of key issues.
13. Africa Check
- Website: www.africacheck.org
- Focus: Africa Check is the first independent fact-checking organization in Africa, providing fact-checking services on African issues, political claims, and global events with an impact on the continent.
14. Media Bias/Fact Check
- Website: www.mediabiasfactcheck.com
- Focus: Media Bias/Fact Check helps users evaluate news sources by providing information about their bias and factual accuracy. It’s useful for understanding the credibility of news outlets.
15. Factly
- Website: www.factly.in
- Focus: Based in India, Factly checks news stories, political claims, and other topics that have a potential to mislead or confuse the public.
16. Chequeado
- Website: www.chequeado.com
- Focus: An Argentine fact-checking organization that focuses on claims in Latin America, especially related to politics, public policy, and social issues.
- Last Updated: Nov 14, 2025 2:15 PM
- URL: https://libguides.hofstra.edu/HIST006C-2025
- Print Page