Fact-checking policy

Verification is the core of our work. Before a story is published, an editor other than the writer checks it.

What we check

• Numbers and data against the original source, such as a government release, a regulator's data or a court record.
• Quotes against recordings, transcripts or official statements.
• Names, titles and dates.
• Legal and constitutional references against the text of the law.
• Images and videos for origin and context before we describe or use them.

How we handle claims we cannot verify

If a claim cannot be verified, we leave it out, or we attribute it clearly and say that we have not been able to verify it independently.

Fast-moving news

In breaking news, details can change quickly. We say what is confirmed and what is not, and we update stories with a visible "Updated" date as facts become clearer.

After publication

If a reader or our own team finds an error, we follow our corrections policy.