Accurate information is the foundation of everything we publish. This Fact-Checking Policy describes how we verify the facts in our articles before, during, and after publication.
Pre-publication checks
- The writer is responsible for sourcing every factual claim.
- An editor reviews the draft, checks claims against the cited sources, and flags any unsourced statements.
- For data-heavy or technical pieces, a subject-matter editor or external expert reviews the article.
- Quotations are verified against original recordings, transcripts, or written communications.
Source standards
- Primary sources (peer-reviewed studies, official statistics, court filings, original interviews) are preferred over secondary reporting.
- Reputable secondary sources (established news organizations, major academic publishers) are used when primary sources are unavailable.
- We avoid relying on anonymous social media posts, AI-generated summaries, or unverified user-submitted content as sole sources for factual claims.
Numbers and statistics
We cite the original source for every statistic, including the date of the data and any methodological caveats. We avoid cherry-picking statistics that misrepresent the underlying research.
Post-publication review
If a reader, source, or expert flags a factual issue after publication, we re-verify the claim and follow our Corrections Policy.
Contact
Questions or fact-checking concerns: [[email protected]].