Editorial Standards

Sources and attribution

Prefer primary records when they address the claim: filings, legislation, datasets, direct statements and original documents. An official statement establishes what its speaker said; it does not independently prove every claim within it.

Use independent reporting to test and contextualize the record. Identify the source near the relevant claim and provide a usable reference. A list of links alone is not proof that an assertion is correct.

If a source cannot be linked publicly, explain the access limitation without exposing confidential information. Do not invent a citation, quotation, eyewitness account or detail missing from the evidence.

What the labels mean

News report

Reports a development with clear sourcing and attribution.

Analysis

Interprets evidence and consequences, distinguishing inference from fact.

Explainer

Provides background and context for understanding a subject.

Opinion

Presents a viewpoint or argument, with factual claims still accountable to evidence.

Sponsored

Identifies a commercial relationship and names the sponsor.

“Developing coverage” describes an ongoing story. It is not a reliability score or a guarantee that a prediction will happen.

Headlines and uncertainty

Headlines and summaries must match the underlying report. Attribute allegations, qualify estimates and explain what is unknown. Do not turn a possibility into an inevitable outcome or create urgency unsupported by the evidence.

AI and human accountability

AI-assisted work must remain traceable to source material. An AI response is not a primary source and does not establish that a fact, quotation or citation is accurate.

The publisher is responsible for reviewing source support, context and uncertainty before publication. Using an automated drafting or checking tool does not transfer that responsibility to the tool.

Images, video and reconstructions

Credit media and describe its origin and context. Label illustration, reconstruction and AI-generated imagery so readers can distinguish them from documentary evidence. Generated images must not be presented as photographs of a real event.

Commercial separation and corrections

Disclose sponsorship and commission-bearing links where readers encounter them. Payment must not change evidence standards or prevent correction of a material error.