Sources
Attribution Leaves a Trail, Not a Verdict
Learn how news attribution traces statements to their sources, what each sourcing phrase establishes, and what readers…
The full reading list
All stories
Explore explainers on the sources, framing, verification and newsroom choices that shape how news is made and read.
Framing
Breaking Alert or Background Briefing?
Breaking alert or background briefing? Choose the right format for your immediate question, understand its limits, and…
Newsrooms
Before the Byline: How News Desks Took Shape
How newsroom desks took shape: trace an invented harbor report from scattered notes to an edited story, and see how…
Verification
The Screenshot That Pretends to Be the Whole Story
Learn how to read a news screenshot without mistaking its crop, interface, or repost for the full report—and decide…
Media
A Photo Shared Without Context: A Reader’s Check
A photo shared without context can mislead even when genuine. Learn to separate what its caption asserts from what the…