What does fact-checking ensure in journalism?

Fact-checking is a critical process in journalism that serves to verify the accuracy of information presented in an article. This ensures that the claims made by the author are supported by credible evidence, thereby enhancing the integrity and trustworthiness of the news. When journalists engage in thorough fact-checking, they help to prevent the dissemination of false or misleading information, which is essential for maintaining public trust in the media.

The other options touch on various aspects of journalism but do not directly relate to the primary purpose of fact-checking. For instance, while the entertainment value of news content can be important for audience engagement, it does not contribute to journalistic accuracy. Similarly, the attribution of articles to writers is about crediting authorship, and distribution through multiple channels focuses on the spread of information rather than its verification. All these factors are relevant in journalism, but they do not encapsulate the core function of fact-checking, which is fundamentally about ensuring the reliability of information shared with the public.