Journalist & Fact-checker — Pretender

Missions

1. Is this source strong enough?

   A post is going viral: 'The Vale Novo river bridge will close for a year!' Your editor at the fictional Vale Novo Gazette asks you to check before anything is published.

   Sort into groups · ~4 min

2. Write a fair headline

   Facts checked: the Vale Novo bridge will close for repairs for 6 weeks in July and August, and a free shuttle bus will run. Now you write the start of the story.

   Write a message · ~4 min

3. Edit the school-fair story

   A young reporter wrote a short story about the Vale Novo school science fair. You're the editor, and it goes online in one hour.

   Spot the issues · ~4 min

4. Tonight's news bulletin

   You run a fictional 10-minute local news bulletin. Choose which stories fit. Some must be in; others are nice extras.

   Sprint board · ~4 min

5. From tip to published story

   A reader tells your fictional local paper that the town's new playground has broken equipment. Put the reporting steps in order.

   Put in order · ~3 min

6. The viral rumour

   A video is spreading fast: it claims the fictional town's school will close next week. Thousands have shared it. Your editor wants a story in two hours.

   Decisions · ~4 min

What they do

Journalists find out what is happening and explain it clearly. They talk to several sources, check facts before publishing, separate facts from opinions, protect people who could be harmed, and correct mistakes openly.

Skills

• Vigilance — Noticing warning signs early.
• Clear explaining — Making ideas easy to understand.
• Fairness — Applying rules the same way for everyone.

Typical tasks

• Interview several sources
• Check numbers, dates and photos
• Write a clear, fair headline

Tools

• Notebook and recorder
• Reverse image search
• Official records

Responsibilities

• Tell the truth and correct mistakes
• Protect children and vulnerable people

Myth or reality?

Myth: If it's online, someone already checked it.
Reality: Anyone can post anything. Checking the source and a second source is the job.

Myth: Being fast matters more than being right.
Reality: A wrong story spreads fast and hurts people. Good newsrooms check first.

Explore next

• Data Analyst — Turn numbers into honest answers.
• Teacher — Help others understand — and check that they did.
• Lawyer & Mediator — Help people solve disagreements fairly.

Related careers

• Editor
• Photojournalist
• Podcast producer

All careers