How reliable is the news? If a reporter gets a story wrong, the editor does not simply shrug and say, “Well, everybody has hobbies.” That is why reputable newsrooms use editors, fact-checkers, named sources, documents, and second opinions before publishing serious claims. Others treat evidence the way raccoons treat garbage cans: loudly, messily, and with great enthusiasm. A reliable news source is not perfect, but it admits errors instead of hiding them under the couch like a dog with a stolen biscuit.