Write down the claim you are checking
A headline may combine a fact, an interpretation and a prediction. Separate them. “A bishop published a letter” is a different claim from “the letter changes Church teaching.” Decide which statement you need evidence for before collecting more articles.
Notice whether the story concerns a particular diocese, a national bishops’ conference or the universal Church. The identity and office of the person speaking matter. Our guides to the bishop and the diocese provide the institutional background.
Follow the report to the original source
Open the source links and look for the underlying document, speech, decree, interview or institutional announcement. Read the paragraphs around the quoted passage. A report about a document is useful, but it is not the document itself.
For statements attributed to the Holy See, begin with the Vatican website and the Holy See Press Office. For local announcements, look for the diocese or parish’s own publication. Record the exact source URL so another reader can repeat your check.
Check the dates and the language
Publication date, event date and effective date can all differ. An article published today may concern a speech from last week or a change that begins next year. Compare those dates before calling an old statement a new development.
If the story depends on a translated phrase, seek an official translation when one exists. If you are relying on a translation supplied by a reporter or a machine, keep that limitation attached to the claim. Do not resolve an ambiguous theological or legal phrase from a headline alone.
Count independent evidence, not repeated headlines
Several outlets can reproduce the same agency report or institutional release. That can show how widely a story has circulated without adding independent confirmation. Trace their links and attribution to see whether they are all drawing from one account.
Separate direct evidence from commentary, and identify corrections or subsequent statements. If a report supplies neither a named source nor a document, describe the claim as unconfirmed until better evidence appears.
Use the news desk as a route to the evidence
Start with the news desk, open the story and follow the reporting sources. Consult the source directory when you want to understand an outlet’s place in the coverage. A summary helps orient a reader; the linked reporting and original material carry the evidence.
To flag an error, send us the story URL, the sentence in question and the source that supports your correction. A specific, reproducible correction is more useful than a general judgment about a headline.
Prepared by Catholic Intelligence with AI assistance. Church teaching is linked to the cited sources; practical checklists are our editorial guidance. Suggest a correction.