Verification & Fact-Checking Policy

NewsFormal publishes business-intelligence briefs at volume, with AI assistance. Verification is therefore built into the workflow rather than left to chance. This page describes the checks a brief passes before and after publication.

1. General Principles

We would rather publish a brief later and right than sooner and wrong. Every brief must be traceable to identifiable source reporting, and every claim of fact in it must be supported by that reporting or by a check we performed ourselves.

2. Source Selection

• We draw on established publishers, regulators, central banks, exchanges and companies' own disclosures.
• Sources are assessed for track record and independence before they are used, and reviewed when that record changes.
• Reporting that relies solely on anonymous sourcing is handled under our Unnamed Sources Policy.

3. Verification Before Publication

• Figures, dates, tickers, currencies and percentages are checked back to the original source.
• Quotations are kept in their original context and attributed to the publication that obtained them.
• Where a story is significant or contested, we look for a second independent source before publishing.
• AI-drafted text is reviewed by the responsible desk; the model's output is a draft, never a source.
• The risk and opportunity assessment attached to a brief is checked for consistency with the facts in it.

4. Images and Multimedia

Images are licensed, credited to their source, or clearly illustrative. We do not present generated or stock imagery as documentary photography of the events described.

5. Claims and Allegations

Allegations are reported as allegations, with the response of the party concerned where it is available. Claims that could affect a company's share price, a market or a large group of people are held to a higher verification bar.

6. After Publication

Briefs are monitored for follow-up reporting, retractions by the original publisher and reader correction requests. Confirmed errors are handled under our Correction Policy, with a visible note on the brief.

7. Improving the Process

Errors that slip through are analysed and fed back into source lists, AI prompts and review checklists. Editors are expected to keep their verification skills current.

8. Feedback

If you think a brief has not met these standards, write to [email protected].