In a Nieman Reports article, Craig Silverman of Regret the Error quotes a 19th-century journalism manual that said it was "standard practice for reporters to invent a few details, provided the made-up facts were nonessential to the overall story." How things have changed. Today, Silverman writes, there's a higher standard: "Never before in the history of journalism — or society — have more people and organizations been engaged in fact checking and verification."
