What is it?
This reporting exercise separates the language in a verified record from assumptions about a person’s current status.
Why would I need this?
Practice avoiding a headline that turns an old event into an unsupported current claim.
Show me.
- Identify the record and its date.
- Check what happened at the stage you are reporting.
- Verify whether later information changes the account.
- Use precise wording and leave unconfirmed current status unstated.
Try it.
An invented old article reports an arrest. List what must be checked before writing that the person was convicted or is currently supervised.
Watch out for this.
Do not infer a conviction, active case, or current condition from an old headline.
Explain this another way
Focus on one small task: check the legal status before naming it. You can practice aloud, on paper, or with someone you trust.
Show me an example
HAB practice example: An editor asks for the later disposition rather than repeating the arrest as if it established the outcome.
What does that word mean?
Open the full glossaryYou did it.
You have practiced a useful next step. Repeat it if you want, or continue at your own pace.