Few would argue these are hard times for the media. The term “fake news” has become a breezily efficient way to dismiss rigorously reported stories. Its implication of intentional manipulation of facts tarnishes respected news outlets that prize accuracy. Some outlets that don’t hew to high reporting standards gain the same privileges – such as White House press credentials – as those who do.

The vast majority of journalists work honestly to serve readers well. And The Washington Post just set an example for how to help those readers understand what they do, something that could help counter an increasingly toxic attitude toward media.

The Post broke a story earlier this month in which women went on the record about alleged sexual misconduct by Roy Moore, the GOP candidate in Alabama for the US Senate. On Monday, it recounted its careful investigation of an individual's claim that she had a potentially related story for them. The Post ultimately determined the information was aimed at getting them to publish a false report that would undermine their earlier reporting.

The Post’s account resonates with a statement by Louis Brandeis, a Supreme Court justice from 1916 to 1939. “Sunlight,” he wrote, “is the best disinfectant.”

Now to our five stories that look at consistency, accountability, and the broadening of children’s horizons.