This page describes our standards for verifying claims before publication.
Sources we prefer
Primary sources: official statements, court documents, financial filings, on-record interviews, regulatory filings, direct observation. Secondary sources are attributed by name in-text.
Fact-checking process
- News: each factual claim is checked against at least one primary source where possible.
- Reviews: subject details (cast, runtime, release date, episode counts) are checked against authoritative databases.
- Quotes: verified against recordings, transcripts, or the cited source.
- Statistics: traced to the original report or data source — not to outlets that cite them.
What we do not do
- Publish based on social-media rumors without independent verification.
- Paraphrase or rewrite content from other outlets without attribution.
- Invent or modify quotes.
- Use AI-generated text as if it were a verified source.
Anonymous sources
Used only when (a) the information is in the public interest, (b) it cannot be obtained on the record, and (c) at least one editor has verified the source’s identity. The reason for anonymity is explained in the article.