as a matter of fact...

The details of technology aside, checking your facts is central to responsible journalism.  Anyone can claim their information is factual, but all it takes is a Google search for facts on the same subject to see that there is a lot of information out there that simply doesn't match up with other sources.  Your fact search doesn't have to end with a search engine.  Remember, you can still pick up a phone and talk to a living breathing human being.

If you are going to cite a something like a statistic, it's a good idea to let your readers know with a hyperlink or a reference list at the bottom of your post.