Accuracy is a workflow. Before publication, verify every name, title, date, number, quotation and link against the strongest available source. A press release is a source, not automatic proof of every claim it contains.
For news, separate what happened from interpretation. Attribute disputed or promotional claims. Confirm that the headline does not overstate the body and that an old event is not presented as current. Check whether a regulatory proposal has since changed.
For guides, distinguish professional advice from legal, medical or financial advice. Remove invented examples that could be mistaken for real people or organisations. Review images for consent, caption accuracy and rights. Check accessibility, spelling of Ghanaian names and the consistency of place names.
Finally, ask what a fair-minded subject would say is missing. Record the sources consulted and the time of the final check. If material uncertainty remains, hold the piece or label it clearly. Publishing later is less costly than correcting a confident falsehood.
Editorial note: Apply this checklist to every PR Compass Ghana draft before approval.
The editor’s pre-publication accuracy checklist
