Tips and Tricks of Fact Checking

When: Tues., March 12, 2019, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Rondo Community Library, 461 Dale Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55104

Verifying the accuracy of facts in a piece of writing has become more important than ever with the growth of digital journalism. Daily, we’re challenged by figures that don’t add up, claims that seem too good to be true, quotes taken out of context, and other misuses of information that speed falsehoods, harm reputations, and erode trust.

In this discussion, you’ll learn to recognize when fact-checking is essential, whose job it is to check facts, and ways to make fact-checking a more in-depth and trustworthy exercise.

Betsy Barnum is a Twin Cities freelance copy editor, writer, and proofreader. Her writing experience includes journalism, essays, websites, blogs and academic papers. Academic editing is her specialty, and Betsy’s past experience includes editing public information for a state environmental agency. She has taught writing and literature on the college level, and ESL to international students at the university level. She earned a BA in English from Carleton College, a Master of Liberal Studies from the University of Minnesota, and a PhD in English from the University of North Dakota.

Steve LeBeau is a Twin Cities media professional with more than 30 years of radio, television and print experience. He was chief editor of the Star Tribune's MARQ Magazine, managing editor of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, and a member of Governor Jesse Ventura’s communications staff. He earned an MA in journalism from the University of Minnesota, his thesis entitled “The Moral Context of the First Amendment.” Steve is CEO of Autobiography Inc., where he co-writes and ghostwrites corporate histories and books, including The Memoir of Ella Pillsbury Crosby.

Paul W. Mamula, PhD, is a freelance writer and editor who has worked as a bench scientist and researcher before becoming an editor and writer. He has a broad general background (liberal arts and anthropology) and reads widely, including novels, history, and biomedical works. He will describe his experiences in finding and using sources to confirm facts, figures, clinical studies, and more as an editor for McGraw-Hill’s Healthcare Information Group publications. In addition to the web, Paul will suggest some unusual resources and share anecdotes about publications he has edited, mistakes in current fiction and medical books, and pitfalls to avoid. He currently works as a freelance writer and editor, but still has to hunt down facts.