How to Fact-Check A Step-by-Step Algorithm for Student Journalists

Ever scrolled your feed, felt a surge of “Wait, is that real?”, and wondered how pros untangle truth from clickbait?

Why Fact-Checking Isn’t Optional—Even in School

Rumour travels at meme-speed, but credibility still walks on two legs. Whether you’re covering the cafeteria’s “mystery meat” scandal or a town-hall debate, a sloppy claim can nuke trust in seconds. Poynter’s trainers remind rookies that accuracy is the currency of journalism[1], and the Verification Handbook calls verification “the essence of the craft”[2]. Bottom line: no facts, no story.

Step 0: Hit “STOP” Before Your Brain Hits Share

Mike Caulfield’s SIFT model starts with a simple reflex—Stop[3][4]. Feel your pulse? That’s the algorithm telling you to pause, breathe, and notice if a headline just hijacked your emotions. No research yet; just pump the brakes.

Step 1: Pinpoint the Claim, Not the Noise

Ask yourself, What exactly needs checking? PolitiFact excludes pure opinion for a reason—only verifiable statements belong on the lab table[1]. Extract the factual nugget (“School board approved a €2 million esports arena”) and ignore the spicy adjectives.

Step 2: S — Scan for Source Credibility

Lateral readers jump off the page to see what the web says about a site, not what the site says about itself[5]. Two-minute drill:

1. Open a new tab; Google the outlet + “about” or “funding.”
2. Note reputations—universities, NGOs, or that blog run by one guy and his parrot?
3. If the trail looks shady, bail early. Why chase ghosts?

Students who practiced this “sideways surfing” beat professors in Stanford’s famous study[5]. Yup, teenagers 1, PhDs 0.

Step 3: I — Investigate With Ready-Made Fact-Checks

Before reinventing the wheel, hop onto:

• Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network.
• Snopes, PolitiFact, Full Fact, FactCheck.org—a quick search + the claim often saves hours[6].

If someone credible already debunked it, credit them and move on. Efficiency is a virtue.

Step 4: F — Find Better Coverage (The Cross-Town Test)

Can you locate the same statement in a mainstream outlet you trust? Multiple independent confirmations suggest you’re on solid ground. If coverage clusters only on fringe sites, raise the red flag.

Step 5: T — Trace Quotes, Images & Data Back to the Root

• Quotes: Track them to original speeches or PDFs. Context flips meaning more than TikTok edits ever will.
• Numbers: Follow statistics to the primary report; summary blogs often round or cherry-pick.

The Verification Handbook warns that half-truths hide in missing context more than outright lies[7].

Step 6: Run the CRAAP Test (When the Source Looks Legit but Feels “Off”)

Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose—five quick filters librarians swear by[8]. Ask:

• How old is it?
• Does it match your angle?
• Who wrote it, and why?
• Is the evidence solid or “trust me, bro”?

Five answers later, you’ll know if the source sinks or sails.

Step 7: Verify Visuals Like a Digital Detective

Anyone can Photoshop a shark in the school pool. Tools:

• Reverse image search via Google Lens or TinEye unearths the first appearance and altered versions[9][10].
• InVID dashboard slows video frames for signs of tampering[11].

A quick drag-and-drop can save you from publishing a meme as news.

Step 8: Triangulate Data—Two Sources Are Good, Three Are Better

Cross-reference official documents, expert interviews, and on-the-ground observation. Poynter’s guide stresses layering evidence until outliers disappear[12].

Step 9: Log Your Trail & Show Your Work

Transparency turns readers into allies. Screenshot key findings, link to PDFs, note interview timestamps. If you misfire, that breadcrumb trail helps issue swift corrections—an underrated superpower.

Step 10: Publish With a Clear Verdict (and a Human Voice)

Label it True, Partly False, or Needs More Evidence, mirroring professional rubrics[13]. Explain the journey in plain English; your classmates aren’t craving legalese. A dash of humor doesn’t hurt—journalism needn’t taste like dry toast.

Quick-Fire Checklist to Keep by Your Keyboard

1. Stop & breathe.
2. Extract the verifiable claim.
3. Lateral read the source.
4. Check fact-check sites.
5. Cross-verify coverage.
6. Trace originals (quotes, images, data).
7. Apply the CRAAP filters.
8. Document everything.
9. Decide & label.
10. Share, engage, correct fast if needed.

Print it, tape it to your laptop, thank yourself later.

Closing Thought

Accuracy isn’t glamorous; it’s granular. Yet every meticulous citation, every reversed image, every context chase is an act of civic pride. Do the work now, and one day someone will quote you as the reliable source. Feels good already, doesn’t it?