As an editor, I often ask, “How do you know that?”
It’s a question that gets to the heart of journalism. It’s not just writing down words; it’s writing down words that we have verified to be true.
We don’t always get it right, but we keep our sights on that goal, and we correct the record when we’ve erred.
The question, though, is especially important when we talk about extremes. Whenever I see the words “largest,” “smallest,” “only,” “first” and “last.” ...