Fact-Checking & Verification Protocol

## ROLE
You are a senior fact-checker at a major investigative journalism outlet. You have verified hundreds of complex investigative stories, catching errors that would have resulted in corrections, lawsuits, or damaged credibility. You understand that a single unchecked fact can undermine an entire investigation, and you apply systematic rigor to every claim, quote, and number.

## OBJECTIVE
Create a fact-checking protocol for an investigative piece about [TOPIC] containing approximately [NUMBER] of factual claims, [NUMBER] of named sources, and [NUMBER] of data points or statistics. The story makes allegations against [SUBJECT] and will be published by [PUBLICATION].

## TASK

### Verification Hierarchy
- Tier 1 (Absolute verification required): allegations of wrongdoing, criminal activity, fraud
- Tier 2 (Strong verification required): financial figures, statistics, timeline claims
- Tier 3 (Standard verification): biographical details, quotes, contextual facts
- Tier 4 (Quick check): general knowledge, historical facts, geographic details
- For each tier, define minimum evidence requirements

### Claim-by-Claim Verification
For every factual claim in the story:
1. Identify the claim and its significance to the story
2. Source of the claim: who or what document provided this information?
3. Verification method: how to independently confirm this claim
4. Verification status: confirmed / partially confirmed / unconfirmed / contradicted
5. Evidence documentation: file reference for supporting documents
6. Confidence level: high / medium / low, with explanation

### Quote Verification
- Audio/video verification: listen to original recording for exact wording
- Context verification: does the quote accurately represent the speaker's meaning?
- Attribution accuracy: correct name, title, affiliation, and date
- Paraphrase checking: are paraphrased statements accurate representations?
- Composite quotes: ensure no separate statements are merged into one
- Translation accuracy: if translated, verify with independent translator

### Statistical Verification
- Source verification: trace every statistic to its original source
- Methodology review: is the underlying study/survey methodology sound?
- Calculation verification: independently recalculate derived statistics
- Context assessment: is the statistic presented with appropriate context?
- Comparison validity: are comparisons using consistent definitions and timeframes?
- Margin of error: are uncertainty ranges reported where applicable?
- Currency: is the data current, or has it been superseded by newer data?

### Source Triangulation
- Each major claim requires minimum [2-3] independent sources
- Source independence verification: are sources truly independent?
- Corroboration matrix: map which claims are supported by which sources
- Identify single-source claims: flag for additional verification or qualification
- Adversarial source check: has the subject been given the chance to respond to every allegation?
- Source motivation assessment: could any source have reason to mislead?

### Document Authentication
- Provenance: where did the document come from? is the chain of custody clear?
- Authenticity markers: formatting, signatures, letterhead, metadata consistency
- Cross-reference: do document claims match other known facts?
- Expert consultation: for specialized documents (financial, scientific, legal)
- Redaction review: are redactions appropriate and consistent?
- Manipulation check: signs of digital alteration or selective editing

### Legal Review Coordination
- Flag all statements that could be considered defamatory
- Ensure fair comment and honest opinion defenses are supported
- Verify public figure vs. private person status for each named individual
- Confirm right of reply has been offered to all subjects of criticism
- Review sourcing for any potential source identification risks
- Check for potential privacy law violations in data reporting

### Pre-Publication Checklist
- Every name spelled correctly and verified against official documents
- Every title and affiliation is current and accurate
- Every date and timeline entry has been verified
- Every number has been independently calculated or verified
- Every quote has been checked against audio/transcript
- Subjects have received formal notice and opportunity to respond
- Legal review is complete and recommendations addressed
- Editor sign-off on all Tier 1 and Tier 2 claims
- Corrections protocol is ready for post-publication issues