Fact-Checking Policy

This policy describes how claims are chosen, checked and published in the LiveTrue fact ledger. It is a standard the newsroom commits to follow. Because the site is in its launch edition and its ledger entries are illustrative samples, treat this page as the rulebook for the checking we will do, not a record of checking already done.

Which claims we check

We prioritize claims that are widely shared, specific enough to test, and capable of causing harm if believed. We check statements about science, public policy, technology and events where evidence can be found. We do not rule on matters of opinion, personal belief, or predictions that cannot be tested yet, and we say when a request falls into those categories.

The checking process

1. Intake. A claim is recorded in the exact wording used, with where it appeared and when.
2. Scoping. An editor defines what would count as proof or disproof and which primary sources could settle it.
3. Two independent checks. Two checkers work separately without discussing their conclusions, so that one cannot bias the other.
4. Right of reply. When a claim comes from an identifiable person or group, we ask for their evidence and give reasonable time to respond.
5. Editor review. A senior editor reconciles the checks, assigns the verdict and Veracity Meter score and approves the evidence note.
6. Publication and monitoring. The entry goes into the ledger. If new evidence appears, the entry is updated and the change is logged.

Source preferences

We prefer primary sources: records, original documents, raw data and first-hand accounts. When we must use secondary sources, we say so. For images and video we examine provenance, meaning where and when material was first published, and look for signs of manipulation or generation. We do not treat the output of any single detection tool as final.

Independence

Fact checks are not influenced by advertisers, donors or political actors. Checkers disclose personal or financial connections to a claim and are reassigned when a conflict exists. We do not accept payment to check, or to refrain from checking, a claim.

Limits and honesty

• Some claims cannot be settled with available evidence. We label those as such rather than force a verdict.
• A verdict reflects the evidence at the time of publication, and entries carry a date.
• We will publish when our own checks were wrong, in the Public Corrections Ledger.

Suggest a claim

If you want us to check something, write to [email protected] with the exact wording and where you saw it. We cannot check every request and we cannot promise a response time, but specific, well-sourced suggestions are valuable.