Before sharing a story: three questions about sources and context
The date, original document and complete statement help distinguish a report from a shortcut.
Who published the information first? A link to the original statement lets you check what was actually announced and what another writer has added as interpretation.
When did the event happen? A social post may be new while describing an old event. Check both the publication date and the date of the event itself.
What is missing from the excerpt? A longer statement or complete document may contain qualifications, conditions or explanations that change the meaning of a brief quotation.
These are principles we apply when working with information. Where confirmation is missing, identifying uncertainty is more useful than adding confidence to incomplete evidence.
