fact-checking
When the stakes are high, your work should be bulletproofed against scrutiny and the risk of its impact being undermined by avoidable mistakes.
Whether public interest investigations, substantive nonfiction or even fictional stories, professional fact-checking goes beyond verifying details like dates, names and similarly specific facts.
It ensures that quotes are represented in their context, that targets of an investigation are treated fairly, that historical and scientific references are accurate, and that the overarching logic and conclusions of complex narratives are sound.
As an investigative reporter, I know the fact-checking process can be challenging. I also know the difference between a pit in my stomach before publication when I was working without a net, and the reassurance I felt when my newsroom’s fact-checker had my back.
With both empathy and exactitude, I work with reporters, producers and editors to protect my clients’ legal standing and the professional reputations of their team members — and allow their best work to shine.
It’s essential for fact-checking to be conducted by a neutral third party, rather than an editor or team member who’s already familiar with the story.
Working from annotations collected during the reporting process and full interview transcripts, my carefully sourced and transparently documented fact-checking identifies every assumption and backstops every reference, claim and conclusion to bulletproof your work.
“Hilary did fill-in editing and fact-checking work for us, and she was fabulous. …
And the project she led fact-checking for, Dirty Business, went on to win several awards, including an Edward R. Murrow award.
I highly recommend working with Hilary and Niles Media.”
- Gabrielle Jones, then Vice President of Content for Louisville Public Media