A selection of the articles I have fact-checked.
Lost in Translation: On J.M. Coetzee’s The Pole
My first fact-check for The Drift! For this review of Coetzee’s latest novel, I had to read various sources in Spanish.
Unpacking the Underlying Political Tensions Driving the Effort to Repeal Chicago’s Sanctuary Status
I was asked to check this investigation into Chicago politics, a collaboration between ITT and Triibe.
How to Avoid Nuclear Stand-Offs That Threaten the Entire World
This article appeared in In These Times Volume 47, Issue 11. I called activists to check descriptions and recollections of historical peace movements.
The Rural Vote Is Again in Play
This article appeared in In These Times Volume 46, Issue 11. My analysis of voting shares improved several comparisons of election results.
Will Lithium Mining Turn California’s Salton Sea into a Green Energy Sacrifice Zone?
This article appeared in In These Times Volume 46, Issue 11. To check it, I extensively researched the history of the Salton Sea and the technology behind Lithium extraction and refining.
How Donald Trump Jr. Promised—and Failed—to House the World’s Poor
This check, done in collaboration with a fact-checker at Type Investigations, involved detailed examination of lengthy legal documents to ensure all claims against this infamously litiguous subject were watertight. (They were.)
Inside the Elite, Underpaid, and Weird World of Crossword Writers
I never thought I’d become an expert on creating crosswords. My attention to detail on this check caught a tiny data misreading that significantly changed one of the claims in the article.
The Long Road to Methadone Access in Rural America
During this check I extensively researched America’s history with and policies on drug prohibition, which enabled me to later successfully pitch articles further exploring the topic.
Are These Satellite Images War Propaganda?
For this check I extensively used reverse image search to verify claims made about Maxar’s imagery.
How the “Jewel of Harlem” Became Unlivable
During this check I examined video, photographic, and audio records to verify accounts of degrading living conditions.
These Three Migrants Were Rescued at Sea. Then They Were Charged With Terrorism.
This important piece relied almost entirely on witness testimony, which had changed in the years since the incident. I had to carefully cross-reference interviews with every statement made to the press and courts to verify every claim made in the story.