Fact-Checking Tips When Live, On-Air

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a live broadcast of an international radio news program. Guests and hosts alike arrived to the venue for the three-hour live discussion with stacks of stories they had printed out the night before. Each story had been highlighted in an array of colors with hand-written notes on the margins. These stories would guide their conversation and provide context.

Once each settled-in, what I witnessed next underscores why public uncertainty about the news and information they receive continues to haunt media. Hosts and guests alike, pulled out their mobile phones, checking for trending stories and real-time social media conversation. Throughout the news program, content read directly from social media channels and online sources was shared on-air with no effort to fact-check content prior to dissemination. With 91 percent of journalists reporting that they believe the public trusts them less than in previous years, fact-checking is paramount to restore public confidence and critical to practicing responsible journalism.

Fact-checking is paramount to restore public confidence and critical to practicing responsible journalism.Click To Tweet

Here are three tips for fact-checking sources when on-air:

Bottom Line: Media sources continue to explode, making journalist’s task of discerning fact from fiction more difficult. PR professionals are uniquely poised to help restore trust in media by providing journalists with accurate and well-sourced information for their stories.

For more insights on communications and brand strategy, industry trends and more, subscribe today to the Weekly Buzz here.

Related Posts: Make Color Work for You Amazon Prime Air: A Naughty or Nice Idea? 20 Digital Facts That You Need to Know Mobile Marketing Tips To Reach The Modern Physician Will Football Streaming Outpace Radio? A Sports Marketer’s Prediction Signal: The Latest and Greatest Tool in Journalism