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| About this FAQ |
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What is a Story Review Form?
This FAQ is for NewsTrust members only. In this beta phase, all NewsTrust members are signed in as reviewers when they join the service. This FAQ contains detailed information about reviewing and submitting stories.
For more info, check our other help FAQs:
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How can I make a suggestion or report a problem?
To help us improve our service, please click "Suggestions" on the left sidebar of our site, or at the bottom of any of our forms. To email us about issues that need to be fixed right away, click "Report a Problem" in our forms, or email us at help@newstrust.net. Thanks for your patience during this beta phase. |
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| Reviewing a Story |
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How do I review a story on NewsTrust?
To review a story, click on "Review a Story" from any story's overview page (to get to a story's overview page, click on its title). A new window with the original story web page will appear on the right. The current window will resize, showing the review form on the left. Follow the instructions on the review form (or check below). Answer as many questions as you like; only one questions is required, all others are optional. |
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What is a Story Review Form?
A story review form is an online score pad where you can rate the quality of a story. To open a review form, click on "Review this Story" or "Rate It" on our site. NewsTrust resizes your browser window, and opens a new story window on the right. We offer two different story review forms: Quick Review and Full Review. We also offer a Mini Review in our Story Submission form, as described below. |
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What is a Mini Review?
Our Story Submission form features a Mini Review, which only asks two questions about the selected story: your Recommendation and Comments. A Mini Review takes about a minute to complete, depending on the length of your comments. See also Quick Review and Full Review below. |
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What is a Quick Review?
The Quick Review form only asks a few simple questions to help you rate and tag a selected story. A Quick Review takes between 1 and 5 minutes to complete. The Quick Review form has only a couple pages: Check, Rate and Tag. By default, all new reviewers get this Quick Review form when they first visit our site. To switch to a Full Review form, click on the "Full Review" button at the bottom of the form. |
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What is a Full Review form?
The Full Review form gives you a wider range of questions, and lets you tag, research or improve the story. A Full Review takes between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on how much time you want to spend. The Full Review form includes these pages: Check, Rate, Tag, Research, Improve and View All (see below). To switch to a Quick Review form, click on the "Quick Review" button at the bottom of the form. |
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How does a review form work?
The NewsTrust review form uses a wizard format to prompt you through a series of questions about the news story you are reviewing (shown in a separate window on the right). Answer as many questions as you like, and press "Submit" when you're done.
The Quick Review form has only a couple pages: Check, Rate and Tag. The Full Review form has more pages: Check, Rate, Tag, Research, Improve and View All (see below). You can step through each page with the "Next" and "Previous" buttons, or click on any page title in the top navbar. To see your full review on a single page, click on "View All." |
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Why does my browser look different?
When you open a review form, NewsTrust resizes your browser window, and opens a second story window. This lets you see our review form on the left, with the full story on the right. It is easier to review a story when you can read our questions right next to the full text of the story. To make both windows fill each side of your screen, click on the "Optimize" button, at the bottom of the review form. To close this review form and restore your original browser settings, simply click on any of these buttons in the review form: "Exit," "Save & Exit" or "Submit". This will close the story window, and reset your browser window to its original size. In future versions of this service, we plan to offer customization options for this review form. |
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What if I can't see the story?
If you do not see a story on the right, click on "Full Story" next to its title on our review form. This will open a new window, showing the story from its original web site. If the wrong story appears in that window, please email us at help@newstrust.net. One of the reasons we show stories in a separate window is to protect the copyrights of their owners. |
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How can I switch review forms?
To use the Full Review form, simply click on the "Full Review" button at the bottom of the Quick Review form. You will now see all the Full Review options in the navigation bar at the top. To switch back to Quick Review, click on the "Quick Review" button in the same location. This is a site-wide setting, and you can toggle back and forth as often as you like between Quick and Full Review. Customized forms and content-specific forms are being planned for the next version of the service. |
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How can I close a review form?
To close your review form, click on "Submit" or "Save and Exit" at the bottom of the review form at any time. Your review will be save, and you will go back to the NewsTrust page you came from. At the same time, your browser window will be resized to its original settings and the story window will be closed. If you don't want to save your review, simply press "Exit" at the top of the form. |
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Check this Story
This page of the review form prompts you to read carefully the story on the right, as well as check the information we have collected about this story so far.
If you do not see a story on the right, click on "Full Story" next to its title in our review form. This will open a new window, showing the story from its original web site. If the wrong story appears in that window, or if you have any questions about this page, please email us at help@newstrust.net.
Click "Next" to continue. This page is skipped when you click on "Review this Story" from a Story Overview page. It is shown first when you click on "Rate It" from the home page or any story listing. |
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Publications
The name of the original publication for this story is shown here. If more than one publication originally published this story, other publication names may be included as well. Some publication names may be linked to their NewsTrust source report. |
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Authors
When available, we also feature the names of the journalists that originally authored this story. An author can be a writer, reporter, host, photographer, editor or other significant contributor to this story. |
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Formats
Here are key format tags, such as story type and media type. Story types in our tag menu include: straight news report, special report, opinion, editorial, etc. Media types in our tag menu include: Blog, Magazine, Newspaper, Online, TV, Radio, Wire Service or Other. If a news story belongs in more than one category, we ask members to select the one it is best know for (e.g., CNN is best known as a TV network, even though it also has a popular online web site). Click on any format tag to see a list of other stories for that format. |
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Online Access
If a story has limited online access (e.g., if it requires a free or paid subscription), we try to indicate its status here. If a story does not appear to be available online, please email us right away at help@newstrust.net, so we may remove it from our story listings. |
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Story Date
Shown here is the story's original publication date (or nearest release date). Since stories are constantly updated online, this date may no longer match the latest version date. |
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Tags
This Tags section shows our member's tags (or keywords) for that story, as well as story stats, as described below. Tags can help identify stories by topic, media type, story location or political viewpoint. We offer several pre-defined tag menus, and also collect open-ended tags from our members. We encourage our reviewers to check these tags before they rate the story.
For tips about each tag, click on its title, or keep reading. |
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Topics
Here are key subjects and topic tags that relate to this story. We tag all stories by subject, in standard news categories such as: World, U.S., Politics, Business, Sci/Tech, Health, etc. For each subject area, we've selected some key topics that are of particular interest to our members. If this story matches any of the topics in our tag menu, we feature them here. Click on any subject or topic tag to see a list of other stories for that topic. Our initial list of topics is growing rapidly, based on member requests. |
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Location
Here are location tags to indicate where this story takes place. These include country, state, city or other primary location for this story. If available, we also feature the scope of this story (e.g., international, national, regional, etc.). If no location or scope is selected in our tag menus, this optional line is not shown in the story overview page. Click on any linked location tag to see a list of other stories for that location. |
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Story Quality
Here are special tags that represent the main qualities of a story, from a journalistic standpoint. For each quality, either positive or negative values can be selected from our tag menu (example: Balanced vs. Not Balanced). The most popular quality tags are shown in the story overview page, and they are all listed in the Tags report page. We will soon let you click on any linked quality tag to see a list of other stories for that quality tag. |
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Political Views
If a story seems to favor a political viewpoint, we ask our reviewers to tag that viewpoint (on a left to right scale). If no political viewpoint is found, we ask our members to select "Neutral" in our tag menu. The most popular political tags are shown in the story overview page, and they are all listed in the Tags report page. We will soon let you click on any linked political tag to see a list of other stories for that political tag. |
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Member Tags
We invite reviewers to write their own tags (or keywords) for the stories they review, to provide additional qualitative information about a story. Member tags include important people, places, events, objects and ideas mentioned in this story (example: george bush, white house, terrorism, privacy). We also encourage reviewers to identify newsmakers, sources and stakeholders for this story, as well as key organizations that play a role in this story. The most popular member tags are shown in the story overview page, and they are all listed in the Tags report page. Member tags are typed in an open-ended text field and are not spell-checked by NewsTrust. For consistency, all member tags are converted to lower case. We will soon let you click on any linked member tag to see a list of other stories for that member tag. |
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Story Stats
The Stats section shows at a glance our member's average measurements of that story's contents. Story statistics can provide telltale signs of a story's journalistic quality, by identifying possible strengths and weaknesses based on quantitative analysis. For example, we can flag possible reporting flaws by counting the number of anonymous sources or derogatory words in a story. Conversely, a story with a high count of sources, viewpoints and quoted stakeholders could indicate sound journalistic methodology. These stats cannot be automatically translated into ratings, as they all need to be interpreted in context. But we encourage our reviewers to consider these key measurements while they rate the story.
For tips about each stat, click on its title, or keep reading. Stat questions with no answers are not shown here. Since our members use different review forms, they don't all get to answer stat questions. |
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Number of Sources
Q. How many unique sources are quoted in this story?
We count the total number of unique sources quoted in the story, whether they are named or unnamed (anonymous). If a source is quoted more than once, we only count it once. |
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Anonymous Sources
Q. How many unnamed sources are quoted in this story?
We count the total number of unique 'unnamed' or anonymous sources quoted in the story. Those are sources that are not identified by the full name of the individual or organization being quoted. If an unnamed source is quoted more than once, we only count it once. We count unnamed sources referred to in the plural (e.g., “critics,” “Democrats,” “observers,” etc.) as if it was one source. |
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Number of Viewpoints
Q. How many viewpoints are presented in this story?
We count the number of unique viewpoints presented by the journalist in the story. If the same exact viewpoint is repeated in the story, we only count it once. |
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Opinions As Facts
Q. How many times does the journalist present opinions as facts?
We count the number of sentences where opinions are presented by the authors as facts, without supporting evidence. If the same exact opinion is repeated in the story, we only count it once. |
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Number of Stakeholders
Q. How many stakeholders are mentioned in this story?
We count the number of unique stakeholders (or interest groups) who were mentioned in the story. Stakeholders are different from viewpoints in that distinct groups might share an opinion on a subject, though they arrived from a different starting place. Teachers and students, for instance, might largely agree on a school controversy, though they are clearly different stakeholders with different interests. If the same interest group or stakeholder is mentioned several times in the story, we only count it once. If multiple members of the same group are mentioned, we count them as only one interest group. |
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Stakeholders Quoted
Q. How many of these stakeholders were consulted for this story?
We count the number of stakeholders (or interest groups) who were consulted for the story. If multiple members of the same group are consulted or interviewed, we count them as only one interest group. |
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Derogatory Words
Q. How many times does the journalist use derogatory words?
We count the number of derogatory words or phrases used by the journalists in the story (not including words in quotations). We look for overly negative words or phrases that inappropriately discredit an individual or organization, to support the journalist's opinion. |
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Complimentary Words
Q. How many times does the journalist use complimentary words?
We count the number of complimentary words or phrases used by the journalists in the story (not including words in quotations). We look for overly positive words or phrases that inappropriately favor an individual or organization, to support the journalist's opinion. |
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Research
The Research section shows related stories, evidence or other links found by our reviewers. We encourage you to compare this story with its related links before starting your review.
For tips about each research link, click on its title, or keep reading. Research questions with no answers are not shown here. Since our members use different review forms, they don't all get to answer research questions. |
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Related Stories
We feature related stories on the same topic as this story, when available. Our reviewers look for quality journalism that provides a different perspective, for comparison purposes. This can help you make informed decisions, by evaluating different viewpoints. If a related story has already been submitted to NewsTrust, we include a "Review It" link next to its title, and encourage you to review it as well. |
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Related Evidence
We feature related evidence that supports or refutes this story, when available. Our reviewers look for factual evidence that can be verified through other sources. This can help you make informed decisions, by comparing this story to useful documentation. |
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Related Links
We feature other related links for this story, when available. Our reviewers look for additional information that can support their proposed story improvements. |
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Search Sites
If you would like to find out more about this story, our special links to selected search sites can speed up your search. For example, click on Google or Yahoo to have them automatically search for the title of the story you're now reviewing. This will immediately give you related search results; it's an easy way to get started on your search without having to type story keywords from scratch. But don't stop there; be sure to use alternative search methods as well. Once you find a good link, come back to our site and open our full review form to share it with other members. |
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Rate this Story
The Rate page of the review form asks you a few questions about the quality of this story. These questions help you evaluate how well this story supports important principles of journalism, based on codes of ethics from respected news organizations.
For rating tips, click on any question title, or on its question mark (?) (see below). Required questions are marked with an asterisk (*) and must be answered to complete your review. If you can, please write your comments on the journalistic quality of this story at the bottom of the page.
If you do not see a story on the right, click on "Full Story" next to its title in our review form. This will open a new window, showing the story from its original web site. If the wrong story appears in that window, or if you have any questions about this page, please email us at help@newstrust.net.
To submit your review, click "Submit" at the bottom of the page. Note that the Quick Review form now has only six questions, while the Full Review form has twelve. To switch forms, click on "Full Review" or "Quick Review" at the bottom of the page.
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Recommendation *
Q. Is it a good story?
This rating provides a first evaluation of this story, based on its overall quality. We ask this required question to all reviewers upfront, regardless of which review form they use. This overall rating is meant to indicate the reviewer's immediate response to story, so we can measure its overall popularity. Other questions in our review forms help reviewers reach beyond their initial impressions, by verifying this story's journalistic merits in more depth. |
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Trust
Q. Do you trust this publication?
This question measures how much you personally trust the publisher of this story. Based on your experience, is this publication credible? Can it be trusted to provide reliable information? Whatever you answer here will be filled in for all stories you review from this publication. We ask this subjective question upfront, because trust plays such an important role in how we perceive the news. The questions that follow will help you verify this source's journalistic integrity in more depth. If your initial trust level changes during this review, you are welcome to come back and adjust this rating. |
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Information
Q. Is this story informative?
Here we evaluate the originality of this story's news coverage and/or interpretation. Is the journalist providing original information here, or merely repeating what others have written about this topic? To answer this question, you may want to compare this story to other stories on the same topic. To view related links, click on "Check" in the top navbar. |
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Fairness
Q. Is this story fair?
Journalists are expected to present fairly all sides of a controversy. Note this doesn't necessarily mean equal space for all sides. The space allotted to each side should be based on the evidence for its claims and its willingness to respond. Each relevant side, however, should be afforded the opportunity to make its core argument, or decline comment. |
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Sources
Q. Is this story well sourced?
This question evaluates the level of care the authors take to find reliable sources for a story. Are these sources qualified to provide information based on special expertise, or unique knowledge of the facts? Expert sources whose view might not be influenced by a stake in the event or issue are particularly valuable; they help move reporting beyond "he said/she said" counterclaims that can leave readers confused. Additionally, how well does the author inform readers about where the information came from (clearly indicating and naming sources, explaining why a source may have been granted anonymity and providing some identifying information to help the reader/viewer assess credibility). As a rule, all sources should be named, including other news organizations. When a source cannot be named, readers are owed an explanation of why. Authors should also provide as much information short of identification to permit the reader to assess the credibility of an unnamed source. Readers have a right to know how the story was gathered, including any unconventional means. Surveys should indicate whether the approach was scientific - based on random selection of respondents - and describe the sample size, response rate, and if available, the margins of error. |
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Context
Q. Does this story show the "big picture"?
This question asks how well the story provides context by seeking answers to questions the public most needs to know about this issue or event. "Big picture" reporting that asks about causes, effects, solutions and trends, rather than describing a particular episode, such as a shooting, fire or accident, is also more helpful for this key sense-making function of news. |
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Evidence
Q. Does this story provide factual evidence?
This question asks whether the authors of a story provide verifiable, factual evidence to support their assertions. Pay particular attention to whether the right sources are quoted (authoritative quotes, appropriate statistics, documents, etc.), especially in the headline and lead paragraphs (i.e., the principal generalizations the story makes). Documents and statistics often provide more compelling evidence for a generalization than statements by individuals. Multiple sources of evidence strengthen the support, as well as independent verification by the authors that this evidence is valid. |
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Importance
Q. Is this an important topic?
This question focuses on the importance of the topic or subject of the story, from the standpoint of informing citizens so they can participate in local, state and national government. Socially responsible journalism requires careful attention to what people in the community served need to know to make wise decisions, particularly collective (usually political) ones. Stories that provide what people want, but don't need to know, are less valuable because they are less empowering; they fail to provide what people need to know to be informed, active community participants. Stories covering topics such as the lives of celebrities, sports news, fender-benders and purely human interest stories generally are not as helpful to people in making sense of the world around them as are stories covering politics, government, education, crime, science, military actions, economics, social trends, etc. Another way to judge the importance of a story's topic is to ask yourself how many people are affected by the topic of this story? tens? thousands? millions? billions? |
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Balance
Q. Does this story present all key viewpoints?
This question probes whether one or more important sides to the event or issue are missing or given less space than they deserve. In general, the more perspectives a story includes, the fuller the picture of reality it provides. Note that most news stories only have room for the core arguments each side makes, rather than their complete point of view. |
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Style
Q. Is this story well presented?
The way a subject is treated also matters. Here we evaluate this story's overall style and the quality of its writing. Is the story clear and easy to understand? Does it present useful information in an interesting way? Does it make complex issues meaningful? Does it explain unfamiliar terms and processes to the average reader? Does it inspire as well as inform? |
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Your Knowledge
Q. Do you know about this topic?
This question assesses how much you personally knew about this topic, before reading this story. How much information did you have on this subject already? This knowledge could be specific to the event or issue, or more general (e.g., familiarity with similar topics). |
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Accuracy
Q. Is this story accurate?
Only answer this question if you have sufficient knowledge of this topic. In most cases, you may not be able to judge the accuracy of a story without additional research. This question examines how closely the description of events and issues in this story matches reality. When assessing a story's accuracy, be sure to review both its sources and the journalistic statements. How well do they square with the reality you observed? what other media reported? or what you already know about this topic? If you don't have access to sufficient information, select "not sure". Don't rate the story merely on plausibility. |
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My Average Rating
Your average rating for this story is shown as a series of stars. As you answer the questions on this review form, you can update your current Average Rating for this story by pressing the Calculate Rating button to the right. Your rating will remain 0 until you've answered the required "Recommendation" question.
This average story rating is based on your answers to all rating questions on review form (e.g., Recommendation, Accuracy, Balance, Fairness). Your answers are first weighted based on the importance of each rating question for that type of news. That first weighted average is then weighted again, taking into account your own member rating, in order to determine a final, double-weighted rating for the reviewed story. Note that you can change your story ratings at any time, by simply clicking on "Review this Story". Your member rating is mostly determined by other members (though you can affect it a little with self-assessments questions such as Your Knowledge - see the member rating section). |
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Comment
Q. Write about the journalistic quality of this story.
Write your comments about this story, to explain why you gave it these quality ratings. Is this good journalism? Explain why, keeping your comments to a maximum of 250 words. Please be civil, thoughtful, concise, and respectful of others. If you haven't already, read our community guidelines. Offensive comments may be removed at NewsTrust's discretion and can lead to termination of your membership. Thank you for your understanding. |
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Tag this Story
The Tag page of the review form asks you to categorize this story with tags (or keywords) and stats. Your answers will be combined with other reviewer tags to help the public find quality journalism based on a variety of useful criteria. Click on any field title for a tip on how to fill it (see below). All fields on this page are optional, but we encourage you to fill at least one, if you can. |
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Your Tags
Write your own tags (or keywords) for this story. Please name all important people, places, events, objects and ideas mentioned in this story (example: george bush, white house, terrorism, privacy). Also try to identify newsmakers, sources and stakeholders for this story, as well as key organizations that play a role in this story. Be sure to separate each tag with a comma. There is no need to capitalize your tags, as all tags are converted to lower case, for consistency. |
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Story Quality
Select the tag that best represents the main quality of this story, from a journalistic standpoint. Tags include both positive and negative values for each quality (example: Balanced vs. Not Balanced). |
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Political Viewpoint
Does this story favor any political viewpoint? If so, which viewpoint? (on a left-right scale) If no political bias is evident, select "Neutral viewpoint" or "not applicable." |
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Story Stats
Story statistics can provide telltale signs of a story's journalistic quality, by identifying its possible strengths and weaknesses as quantitative measurements based on story content. For example, we can flag possible reporting flaws by counting the number of anonymous sources or derogatory words. Conversely, a story with a high count of sources, viewpoints and quoted stakeholders could indicate sound journalistic methodology. These stats cannot be automatically translated into ratings, as they all need to be interpreted in context. But we encourage our reviewers to consider these key measurements while they rate the story. |
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Number of Sources
Q. How many unique sources are quoted in this story?
Count the total number of unique sources quoted in the story, whether they are named or unnamed (anonymous). If a source is quoted more than once, only count it once. |
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Anonymous Sources
Q. How many unnamed sources are quoted in this story?
Count the total number of unique 'unnamed' or anonymous sources quoted in the story. Those are sources that are not identified by the full name of the individual or organization being quoted. If an unnamed source is quoted more than once, only count it once. Count unnamed sources referred to in the plural (e.g., “critics,” “Democrats,” “observers,” etc.) as if it was one source. |
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Number of Viewpoints
Q. How many viewpoints are presented in this story?
Count the number of unique viewpoints presented by the journalist in the story. If the same exact viewpoint is repeated in the story, only count it once. |
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Opinions As Facts
Q. How many times does the journalist present opinions as facts?
Count the number of sentences where opinions are presented by the authors as facts, without supporting evidence. If the same exact opinion is repeated in the story, only count it once. |
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Number of Stakeholders
Q. How many stakeholders are mentioned in this story?
Count the number of unique stakeholders (or interest groups) who were mentioned in the story. Stakeholders are different from viewpoints in that distinct groups might share an opinion on a subject, though they arrived from a different starting place. Teachers and students, for instance, might largely agree on a school controversy, though they are clearly different stakeholders with different interests. If the same interest group or stakeholder is mentioned several times in the story, only count it once. If multiple members of the same group are mentioned, count them as only one interest group. |
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Stakeholders Quoted
Q. How many of these stakeholders were consulted for this story?
Count the number of stakeholders (or interest groups) who were consulted for the story. If multiple members of the same group are consulted or interviewed, count them as only one interest group. |
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Derogatory Words
Q. How many times does the journalist use derogatory words?
Count the number of derogatory words or phrases used by the journalists in the story (not including words in quotations). We're looking for overly negative words or phrases that inappropriately discredit an individual or organization, to support the journalist's opinion. |
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Complimentary Words
Q. How many times does the journalist use complimentary words?
Count the number of complimentary words or phrases used by the journalists in the story (not including words in quotations). We're looking for overly positive words or phrases that inappropriately favor an individual or organization, to support the journalist's opinion. |
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Research this Story
The Research page of the full review form invites you to find related stories or factual evidence, either supporting or refuting this story's main points. These links are very helpful to other reviewers looking for related information for comparison purposes. Click on any field title for a tip on how to fill it (see below). Click "Next" to continue. Note that this page is only offered in the Full Review form. |
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Related Story
Find another story on the same topic (quality journalism preferred). Look for stories that provide a different perspective, for comparison purposes. This will help other reviewers make informed decisions, by comparing this story to other works of journalism. If you know of a related story that has already been submitted to NewsTrust, enter the link address of its story overview page, to encourage comparative reviews between stories on our site. You can use our special links to selected search sites to speed up your search (see below). |
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Search Sites (Related Story)
Use our special links to selected search sites to speed up your search. For example, click on Google or Yahoo to have them automatically search for the title of the story you're now reviewing. This will immediately give you related search results; it's an easy way to get started on your search without having to type story keywords from scratch. But don't stop there; be sure to use alternative search methods as well. Once you find a good link, come back to our review form to submit it as a related story link. |
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Link Title (Related Story)
Enter the full title of your related story. Cut and paste its headline as it appears on the original web site. |
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Link Address (Related Story)
Cut and paste the full web URL of your related link (example: http://www.ap.org/story.htm). If available, enter the printer-friendly address of your related link, to make it easier to read. If this is a related story that has already been submitted to NewsTrust, enter its story overview page URL (About this Story). Please check that your link address is valid and accessible to the public. |
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Link Source (Related Story)
Enter the media type and publication name of your related story, as described below. If your related link source does not appear in our drop-down Publication menu, select the appropriate media in the Media Type menu, then select 'Other' at the bottom of the corresponding Publication menu, then type in your publication name in the special text box. |
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Media Type (Related Story)
Select the main media type for the original source of your related story, from one of these categories: Blog, Magazine, Newspaper, Online, TV, Radio, Wire Service or Other. If your source belongs in more than one category, select the one it is best know for (e.g., CNN is best known as a TV network, even though it also has a popular online web site). |
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Publication (Related Story)
Select a publication name for the original source of your related story, from our publications drop-down menu. Once you select a media type for your source, this drop-down menu will change to only show publication names for your selected category. If your publication name does not appear in our drop-down menu, select 'Other' to type it in yourself in a special text box. |
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Related Evidence
Find related evidence that supports or refutes this story (factual evidence preferred). Look for evidence that can be verified through other sources. This will help other reviewers make informed decisions, by comparing this story to related documentation. You can use our special links to selected search sites to speed up your search (see below). |
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Search Sites (Related Evidence)
Use our special links to selected search sites to speed up your search. For example, click on Google or Yahoo to have them automatically search for the title of the story you're now reviewing. This will immediately give you related search results; it's an easy way to get started on your search without having to type story keywords from scratch. But don't stop there; be sure to use alternative search methods as well. Once you find a good link, come back to our review form to submit it as a related evidence link. |
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Link Title (Related Evidence)
Enter the full title of your related evidence link. For example, write the title of the document or fact you are citing. |
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Link Address (Related Evidence)
Cut and paste the full web URL of your related evidence link (example: http://www.ap.org/story.htm). If available, enter the printer-friendly address of your related link, to make it easier to read. Please check that your link address is valid and accessible to the public. |
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Link Source (Related Evidence)
Select the source of your related evidence link, using our dropdown menus, as described below. If your related link source does not appear in our drop-down Publication menu, select the appropriate media in the Media Type menu, then select 'Other' at the bottom of the corresponding Publication menu, then type in your publication name in the special text box. |
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Media Type (Related Evidence)
Select the main media type for the original source of your related evidence link, from one of these categories: Blog, Magazine, Newspaper, Online, TV, Radio, Wire Service or Other. If your source belongs in more than one category, select the one it is best know for (e.g., CNN is best known as a TV network, even though it also has a popular online web site). |
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Publication (Related Evidence)
Select a publication name for the original source of your related evidence, from our publications drop-down menu. Once you select a media type for your source, this drop-down menu will change to only show publication names for your selected category. If your publication name does not appear in our drop-down menu, select 'Other' to type it in yourself in a special text box. |
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Improve this Story
The Improve page of the full review form asks you to improve this story by offering general comments, as well as specific enhancements to a selected excerpt. Your improvements will help us identify parts of the story that seem to need work, and pass on this detailed feedback to the authors of the story. We also invite you to find a related link to support your proposed improvements. If you have already written about this topic on your blog or other publication, you may want to link to that work. Click on any field title for a tip on how to fill it (see below). All fields on this page are optional, but we encourage you to fill at least one, if you have time. Click "Next" to continue. Note that this page is only offered in the Full Review form. |
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Story Improvements
How can this story be improved? What's missing? Please write about specific improvements that could make this story more useful to the public. Please keep your comments under 250 words. Try to provide constructive feedback to the journalists, to help them improve the quality of their news coverage over time. We think some of these journalists will find thoughtful suggestions valuable.
As always, please be civil and respectful, even if you disapprove of this story. If you haven't already, read our community guidelines. Offensive comments may be removed at NewsTrust's discretion and can lead to termination of your membership. Thank you for your understanding. |
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Story Excerpt
Cut and paste a short excerpt from the story, which you think needs improvement. This could be a sentence that is particularly misleading, unfair or inaccurate. Please keep all excerpts under 250 words. |
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Your Improvement
Improve your selected excerpt. Here's your chance to rewrite this part of the story, if you like. Or simply write down specific ways in which you think the excerpt you selected could be enhanced. Please keep your proposed improvements under 250 words. If you know of a better work of journalism that supports your point about this particular excerpt, or if you have already written material that improves this story on your blog or other publication, please link to that work as described below. |
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Related Link
Find related information that supports your proposed improvement (factual evidence preferred). Look for evidence that can be verified through other sources. This will help other reviewers make informed decisions, by comparing this story to your related link. You can use our special links to selected search sites to speed up your search (see below). |
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Search Sites (Related Link)
Use our special links to selected search sites to speed up your search. For example, click on Google or Yahoo to have them automatically search for the title of the story you're now reviewing. This will immediately give you related search results; it's an easy way to get started on your search without having to type story keywords from scratch. But don't stop there; be sure to use alternative search methods as well. Once you find a good link, come back to our review form to submit it as a related link. |
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Link Title (Related Link)
Enter the full title of your related link. For example, write the title of the document or fact that you are citing. |
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Link Address (Related Link)
Cut and paste the full web URL of your related link (example: http://www.ap.org/link.htm). If available, enter the printer-friendly address of your related link, to make it easier to read. Please check that your link address is valid and accessible to the public. |
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Link Source (Related Link)
Select the source of your related link, using our dropdown menus, as described below. If your related link source does not appear in our drop-down Publication menu, select the appropriate media in the Media Type menu, then select 'Other' at the bottom of the corresponding Publication menu, then type in your publication name in the special text box. |
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Media Type (Related Link)
Select the main media type for the original source of your related link, from one of these categories: Blog, Magazine, Newspaper, Online, TV, Radio, Wire Service or Other. If your source belongs in more than one category, select the one it is best know for (e.g., CNN is best known as a TV network, even though it also has a popular online web site). |
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Publication (Related Link)
Select a publication name for the original source of your related link, from our publications drop-down menu. Once you select a media type for your source, this drop-down menu will change to only show publication names for your selected category. If your publication name does not appear in our drop-down menu, select 'Other' to type it in yourself in a special text box. |
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View All
The "View All" page of the full review form lets you see your whole review at a glance, before you submit it. Here's your chance to make any final corrections to your review, or answer a few more questions. Click on any field title for a tip on how to fill it (see below). When you're done, click "Submit" to complete your review. If you like seeing all review questions in a single page like this, you can jump to this page anytime by clicking "View All" in the top navbar of this review form. Note that this page is only offered in the Full Review form. |
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| Submitting a Story |
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How do I submit a new story?
To submit a story for review by NewsTrust, click on "Submit a Story" in the left side bar. Then follow the instructions on the submission form (or check below). Required questions are marked with an asterisk (*), all others are optional. Click on any field title for submission tips. |
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What kinds of stories can I submit?
You can submit any English-language news item that is available online and that concerns the public interest. Check our topics page for a list of subjects that we are most interested in covering. We welcome submissions from a wide range of publication types (e.g., blogs, newspapers, radio and TV) and news types (e.g., news reports, opinions). We discourage submissions that are primarily of an entertainment or sensational nature, such as celebrity coverage, or tabloid news. Please don't submit stories that are exact duplicates of items already reviewed on NewsTrust. You can submit as many stories as you like, as long as they fit the guidelines above. |
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How do I delete a story I submitted?
To delete a story that was submitted in error, please email us at help@newstrust.net. You can also click on "Report a Problem" anywhere on our site to send us an email message. |
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Story Title *
Enter the title or headline of your story. If the story does not have a title, please cut and paste the first sentence of the story (without the date, place or author name). Story titles that exceed 80 characters may be truncated. |
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Web Address *
Cut and paste the web address (or URL) of the story you are submitting. Some browsers let you drag this URL directly from the address bar to this field. If a print page or printer-friendly address is available for this story, enter it instead of the main address. The less cluttered the page, the easier it will be to review. |
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Story Date *
Select the story's original publication date from our drop-down menu, which goes back 90 days. If the correct date is not available, select the earliest available date. We will soon offer a more sophisticated date selection method. |
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Story Type *
Select a story type from our drop-down menu. Options include: straight news report, special report, opinion, editorial, etc. Over time, we will offer different review forms for different story types. |
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Media Type *
Select the main media type for the original publication of the story you are submitting. Options include these categories: Blog, Magazine, Newspaper, Online, TV, Radio, Wire Service or Other. If your source belongs in more than one category, select the one they are best know for (e.g., CNN is best known as a TV network, even though it also has a popular online web site). |
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Publication *
Select the original publication name for this story, from our publication drop-down menu. Once you select a media type for your source, this drop-down menu will change to only show publication names for your selected media type. If your publication name does not appear in our drop-down menu, select 'Other' to type it in yourself in a special text box. |
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Subject *
Select the main subject for the story you are submitting, from our subject drop-down menu. Options include these standard news categories: World, U.S., Politics, Business, Sci/Tech, Health, etc. If your story belongs in more than one category, select the one that seems to fit best. We can add more subject tags once the story is submitted. |
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Topic
Select the main topic for the story you are submitting, from our topic drop-down menu. Once you select a subject for your story, this topic drop-down menu will change to only show current topics for your selected subject. If your story belongs in more than one topic category, select the one that seems to fit best. We can add more topic tags once the story is submitted. If you don't see an appropriate topic in our menu, select "Other." Our initial list of topics is growing daily, based on member requests. To submit a new Topic, click on the Topics tab in the top navigation bar of our site, then click "Submit a Topic." |
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Story Quote *
Copy and paste a quote or description for this story. Select a quote that summarizes the main point of the story, if possible. If you're not sure, select the first paragraph of the story, omitting the source byline, date or location. Quotes that exceed 100 words will be automatically truncated. |
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Authors
Copy and paste the names of the journalists that originally authored this story, if available. If more than one author, separate each of their full names with a comma (First name and Last name, then comma). Please use Initial Caps for names rather than all UPPER CASE or all lower case (Example: Edward R. Murrow). |
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Mini Review
Our Story Submission form features a Mini Review, which only asks two questions about the selected story: your Recommendation and Comments. A Mini Review takes about a minute to complete, depending on the length of your comments. |
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Recommendation *
Q. Is it a good story?
This rating provides a first evaluation of this story, based on its overall quality. We ask this required question to all reviewers upfront, regardless of which review form they use. This overall rating is meant to indicate the reviewer's immediate response to story, so we can measure its overall popularity. Other questions in our review forms help reviewers reach beyond their initial impressions, by verifying this story's journalistic merits in more depth. |
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Comment
Q. Write about the journalistic quality of this story.
Write your comments about this story, to explain why you gave it this quality rating. Is this good journalism? Explain why, keeping your comments to a maximum of 250 words. Please be civil, thoughtful, concise, and respectful of others. If you haven't already, read our community guidelines. Offensive comments may be removed at NewsTrust's discretion and can lead to termination of your membership. Thank you for your understanding. |
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You didn't answer my question in this FAQ! What now?
Please send your additional questions, ideas and thoughts to help@newstrust.net. We appreciate your interest in NewsTrust and your patience during this beta phase.
For more information about using NewsTrust, check our other help FAQs:
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