Editorial Standards

Core principles: Every sentence that states a fact (time, place, quantity, actor behaviour, causation) must be supported by at least one explicit source. Key facts — whether an event occurred, what a principal stated, or what official data show — must be cross-verified by at least two independent sources before being presented as shared fact. If a fact is provided by only one source and cannot be corroborated, it must be explicitly labelled in the article as "mentioned by a single source".

Handling data and quotations: Cited data (financial figures, statistical indicators, dates) must identify the source and publication date. Direct quotations must match the original text exactly — no rewording, decontextualisation, or reordering. Indirect quotations (paraphrase) must not alter the original meaning and must be attributed in the text as "according to source X".

Countering misinformation: We do not republish unverified social-media screenshots or anonymous posts as factual evidence. Claims that have been jointly debunked by multiple authoritative outlets are not re-examined as "disputed" content unless substantial new evidence emerges.

Source types and priority: Highest — primary documents (court filings, regulatory submissions, SEC filings, congressional hearing records, original interview recordings/transcripts). High — authoritative wire services and major outlets (Reuters, AP, Bloomberg, FT, WSJ, The Economist, and comparable institutions with independent editorial capacity). Medium — industry vertical media (The Information, TechCrunch, MIT Technology Review, etc.). Low — aggregator outlets that relay other media content, not treated as independent sources. Lowest — personal blogs, social media, anonymous forums, which may not be used as factual evidence and may only be referenced as "online discussion" with an explicit label.

Anonymous source policy: We do not rely on anonymous sources as a rule. Where an anonymous source provides critical information unavailable through public channels, the following conditions must all be met: the editorial team knows the source's real identity and has assessed their standing to know; the article explains why anonymity was granted (e.g. "a former employee who requested anonymity for fear of professional retaliation"); and the information is cross-verified by at least one additional independent source (which may also be anonymous). Key claims from a single anonymous source are not published unless they fall into the category of widely known but publicly unacknowledged facts.

Source link requirements: Every TSO article must provide the original URLs of its three primary sources at the top of the article. Links must be permanent or archived links. Where an original link requires a paid subscription, this must be noted as "subscription required".

Definition of "independent source": An independent source means a different media organisation, a different editorial team, and a different original information chain. The following do not qualify as independent sources: outlet A citing outlet B where B is the original source; different brands within the same parent media group; joint press-release copy distributed simultaneously to multiple outlets without additional independent reporting.

Handling fewer than three sources: If a systematic search yields fewer than three independent sources reporting the same specific event, the full in-depth reporting process is not initiated. Alternatives include producing a "source brief" — listing only what existing sources confirm, flagging missing information, and drawing no synthesised judgement — or waiting for further sources before producing a full article.

Handling contradictions across three sources: When three sources fundamentally disagree on a key fact, no selective preference for any one account is permitted. The different claims must be presented side by side, each attributed to its source. The TSO verdict must read "Uncertain" or "Logically Complex".

Permitted uses of AI: keyword extraction, headline completeness pre-screening, spelling and grammar checking, formatting. Prohibited uses of AI: generating factual content, fabricating quotations, rewriting source text in ways that alter the original meaning, issuing value judgements or conclusions.

Countering AI hallucination: Any AI-generated summary or paraphrase must be checked line by line against the original source text by a human editor. If AI generates information that does not exist in the cited sources, it must be deleted and flagged as an "AI hallucination" — it may not be published.

Transparency: Readers have the right to know whether AI assistance was used in an article. We note in article metadata when "AI assistance was used for translation or formatting"; core fact-checking and writing remain the work of human editors.

TriSourceObserve does not accept external funding that could compromise editorial independence. We do not publish native advertising, sponsored content, or paid placement of any kind.

We do not enter into content partnership agreements with any government body, political party, lobbying group, or corporation. All editorial decisions are made solely on the basis of news value and public relevance.

If an editor or researcher holds a personal financial interest (stocks, cryptocurrency positions, etc.) related to a topic they are covering, they must disclose this to the editorial team, and another editor will take over the relevant assignment.

Factual errors: Any factual error (date, figure, name, quotation) identified by a reader or source party will be investigated by the editorial team within 48 hours. Once confirmed, a correction notice is added immediately at the top of the article, stating the erroneous content, the corrected content, and the date of correction. The original text is retained with strikethrough formatting rather than deleted, to ensure traceability.

Verdict updates: If subsequent developments (a court ruling, new official data, etc.) render the original TSO verdict no longer valid, we will publish a "TSO Update Note". The update note is placed above the original article, which is preserved in full; the note explains the basis for the update and the revised conclusion.

Retraction policy: If the core facts of an article are proven entirely incorrect and cannot be salvaged by correction, we will remove the article and publish a retraction notice at the original URL explaining the reason. The retraction notice retains the original headline, publication date, and retraction date, but does not reproduce the original content.

Privacy and harm minimisation: We do not publish private information about private individuals (home addresses, ID numbers, medical records, etc.) unless the individual has voluntarily made the information public and it is directly relevant to the story. When reporting disasters, crimes, or sensitive events, we avoid causing secondary harm to victims or their families, and we do not use graphic imagery or excessive descriptive detail.

Conflicts of interest: Editors and researchers may not conduct financial transactions based on non-public information. We do not accept gifts, travel sponsorship, or payment of any kind from subjects of our coverage.

Intellectual property: All quotations must cite their source. Reproducing images or charts from other outlets requires authorisation or must comply with fair-use provisions. We do not use images with removed watermarks or of unverifiable origin.

This editorial standards document will be reviewed and revised periodically in light of industry practice, reader feedback, and internal experience. Any revision will be published on this page with the effective date noted. Material changes — such as amendments to core principles — will also be announced via a site notice and emailed to subscribers.

TriSourceObserve Editorial — Enquiries or complaints: editors@trisourceobserve.com