Fact-Checking Your Content: A #CMWorld Twitter Chat with Lisa Dougherty and Kim Moutsos

In the wake of COVID-19, you’re likely spending more time consuming content. You’re probably finding yourself on social media more too. As the pandemic expands, the volume of content has exploded.

As marketers, we have a responsibility to our audiences to fact-check before hitting “publish.” Misinformation can erode their confidence in your work. This is problematic because content marketing is built on trust.

According to our 2020 B2B Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report, 92% of content marketers surveyed said their organization “always” or “frequently” fact–checks their content. What about the other 8% of marketers?  

On this week’s #CMWorld Twitter chat, CMI’s VP of Editorial Kim Moutsos and Blog Operations and Community Director Lisa Dougherty explained why an investment in credibility is important. They also gave their recommendations for fact-checking. What follows is a brief look at our conversation. 

Content marketing is built on trust. Why is it so difficult for brands to maintain consumer trust in the digital age?

A1: There is so much misinformation spread around that audiences don’t know what to believe anymore. It’s a legit problem. #CMWorld

— Lisa Dougherty ✨ #ContentTECH #CMWorld (@BrandLoveLLC) March 24, 2020

A1: Errors can lead to irritated readers, customers, sources, or worse lawsuits. #CMWorld

— Lisa Dougherty ✨ #ContentTECH #CMWorld (@BrandLoveLLC) March 24, 2020

A1: I’m going to badly paraphrase @unmarketing here, but too many brands are focused on getting info out 1st instead of getting the RIGHT info out 1st. #CMWorld https://t.co/fnH4VIlhoF

— Jeremy Bednarski (@JeremyBednarski) March 24, 2020

A1. It’s not just brands. Edelman’s Trust Barometer says it’s gov’t, NGOs, media, too, b/c people are uneasy. https://t.co/FDVoNqvZTk Clickbaity headlines and playing fast/loose with facts doesn’t help. #CMWorld.

— Kim Moutsos (@KMoutsos) March 24, 2020

A1: There’s an incredible amount of misinformation spreading at the speed of light. We need trusted sources, which means we have to trust their process of vetting & sharing information. #CMWorld

— Berrak ??‍?| MissQuello on ACNH (@BerrakBiz) March 24, 2020

A1: The demands to build & maintain trust now are different. It’s harder now. There are more ways you can make mistakes – and more people out there ready to call you out on it. #cmworld

— Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) March 24, 2020

How does fact-checking fit into your editorial process? What protocols do you have in place?

A2. First, we lay out our sourcing expectations for writers in our blog guidelines and FAQs. We take a “trust but verify approach,” so @BrandLoveLLC leads the fact checking process from there #CMWorld

— Kim Moutsos (@KMoutsos) March 24, 2020

A2: At @cmicontent, editorial has a multi-step process for #factchecking. We have a team of four: @anngynn (editor), me (finalization process), @angelinakamin (production), and then to @LisaSHiggs (proofreader). #CMWorld

— Lisa Dougherty ✨ #ContentTECH #CMWorld (@BrandLoveLLC) March 24, 2020

A2: We fact-check line by line, and word by word. #CMWorld

— Lisa Dougherty ✨ #ContentTECH #CMWorld (@BrandLoveLLC) March 24, 2020

A2: If there is a fact or quote in an article that needs confirmation or clarification, we make notes in the document and send it back to the author for verification. #CMWorld

— Lisa Dougherty ✨ #ContentTECH #CMWorld (@BrandLoveLLC) March 24, 2020

A2: We partnered with our legal team to become “ambassadors” who help reinforce legal requirements. We also require citations via our style guide (used by the entire Content Team and agencies) to ensure our content is trusted and accurate. #cmworld https://t.co/mIEtWvQJ2r

— Laura Hamlyn (@LauraHamlyn) March 24, 2020

A2: Because I do a lot of technical writing, fact checking occurs during the initial writing process. Waiting until a second draft to check things would make things take twice as long, so the effort needs to go in at the front to avoid starting over. #CMWorld

— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) March 24, 2020

What counts as confirmation of a fact? Is it enough that the fact was published on a reputable site?

A4. Even reputable sites make mistakes. Go for the original source: The actual research report, not someone’s blog mentioning the stat. A company’s website, not an email signature (which can be changed), etc. #CMWorld.

— Kim Moutsos (@KMoutsos) March 24, 2020

A4: When I’m researching an article, I trust no one and always look for the most up-to-date stats. #CMWorld

— Lisa Dougherty ✨ #ContentTECH #CMWorld (@BrandLoveLLC) March 24, 2020

A4: Make it easy for readers to check each and every stat and fact by linking to the native source. You shouldn’t have to follow a trail of breadcrumbs. #CMWorld

— Lisa Dougherty ✨ #ContentTECH #CMWorld (@BrandLoveLLC) March 24, 2020

A4: .@CTrappe shared this disclaimer from @medium yesterday. When writing, be mindful of what sites you’re using when doing research. Make sure sources are researched and attributed properly. #CMWorld pic.twitter.com/TsfEgVoZTP

— Lisa Dougherty ✨ #ContentTECH #CMWorld (@BrandLoveLLC) March 24, 2020

A4: So many websites, even reputable ones, are parroting each other. So, better be safe and find an original source, be it a person, or a scientific study. #cmworld https://t.co/Bowve0mexg

— Loes van Dokkum (@loesvandokkum) March 24, 2020

A4 Great question! You have to see it in 2-3 reputable sources. Sometimes a video or direct quote seals the deal #CMWorld

— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) March 24, 2020

A4: Coming from an economics background I don’t believe any statistics. There will always be a margin of error. #cmworld

— Jennifer Baker | Social Media Trainer (@JenniferBakerCo) March 24, 2020

Want to ensure your content is accurate? Check out these tools our community recommended to help you verify information. 

Everyone makes mistakes. Has an error ever been found in your content? How did you respond? Tell us in the comments below. Stop a misstep from happening again. Use our fact-checking content checklist. 

Do you trust that your team is the best in the business? Get them the recognition they deserve. Submit your projects to the Content Marketing Awards. The deadline for Early Bird entry is April 24.