Think Like a Reporter to Avoid Genealogy Mistakes
This talk covers how more than two decades of journalism experience has helped Jennifer as a genealogist, both to zero in on reliable information and not to be duped by unreliable information. She will talk about using the “Law and Order” method (follow the “dun duns!”) to track down information and how relying on simple principles like Occam’s Razor – that the most likely scenario is the least complicated – and logic grids can help you get further. We’ll go over pitfalls like not blindly using Ancestry hints, assessing the credibility of sources, not being wedded to spelling, (hello, wildcard searches!) and why genealogy is like playing Concentration: you always have to remember the cards you’ve seen and turned over.
Jennifer Mendelsohn is a seasoned journalist and ghostwriter whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, People, Slate, and USA Today. A native Long Islander now based in Baltimore, Mendelsohn serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland and is the administrator of Facebook’s Jewish genetic genealogy group. A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, she is the creator of the movement known as #resistancegenealogy, a project that uses genealogical and historical records to fight disinformation and honor America’s immigrant past. Her work has received international media attention including being featured on CNN, MSNBC, The New Yorker and The Washington Post.
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