Questions answered in this file

Do five newspaper stories equal five independent sources?

Not if they share one wire report, announcement, or other origin. Assess independence for each claim.

Does identical wording prove plagiarism?

No. Syndication or common source material may explain it. Describe the supported dependency without unsupported accusations.

Can a wire story contain independent local reporting?

Yes. Separate the shared core from added interviews or document checks and assess their support individually.

Should I discard reprints?

Not necessarily. They can preserve missing text and show editorial differences, but should not inflate corroboration counts.

What if I cannot locate the original?

Record the earliest version found and label unresolved source relationships. Do not claim it is definitively the first report.