How To Become A Fact Checker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a fact checker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A fact checker is an individual who makes sure the information their organization provides is accurate and true. They can work both in the print and broadcast industries. Normally, fact checkers work in the research department of magazines, newspapers, book publishers, and television news shows. Here they check and source information from news pieces and other forms of communication.

A fact checker's role is extremely important; by keeping published or broadcasted information accurate and truthful, they prevent their organizations from having lawsuits brought against them, as well as maintain their organization's reputation in their industry.

Some of their research duties include confirming the details from a particular source, checking the dates of certain events, checking the identities of quoted sources, and making sure any referenced studies or surveys used are accurate.

Critical skills for a fact checker include attention to detail, strong analytical and research skills, and good organizational abilities.

Fact checker can be an entry-level role at an organization, but it is still an extremely important one. Most fact checkers have bachelor's degrees or more advanced degrees in areas such as journalism, communications, English, or another related area.

If you want to become a fact checker, a college degree is recommended. You should also try to get into an internship program at a media organization, as this is the starting point for most fact checkers.

ScoreFact CheckerUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,635

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.3

Growth rate -10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.20%

Asian 8.32%

Black or African American 9.00%

Hispanic or Latino 13.97%

Unknown 5.80%

White 61.70%

Gender

female 67.42%

male 32.58%

Age - 28

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 28

Stress level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a fact checker

Explore fact checker education requirements

Most common fact checker degrees

Bachelor's

77.6 %

Master's

13.6 %

Associate

5.2 %

Start to develop specific fact checker skills

Skills	Percentages
Fact-Check	65.65%
Fiction	23.25%
Factual Errors	5.39%
Factual Accuracy	3.32%
Blog Posts	2.39%

Complete relevant fact checker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New fact checkers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a fact checker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real fact checker resumes.

Research fact checker duties and responsibilities

Utilize Lexis-Nexis, PublicInfo.com, and other online tools to fulfill research requests from reporters.
Work closely with the research editor to fact-check features, short-form pieces, essays, and infographics in the single-issue publication
Research, retrieve and disseminate information in resource library using Lexis-Nexis and other commercial databases.
Monitor the documenting and recording of sensitive items for retirees authorize to utilize the commissary.

Prepare your fact checker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your fact checker resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a fact checker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable fact checker resume templates

Build a professional fact checker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your fact checker resume.