Editorial policy

How we choose stories

We pick stories that people are already talking about online, then ask whether there is more to tell than the post itself.

How we check them

A viral post is where a story starts, never the only source. We go back to the original material, such as the study, the court record, the official statement or the first report, and look for other credible sources that confirm or challenge it. Every figure we publish can be traced to a source, and we link to the main ones in the article.

How we write

We write every article ourselves, in our own words. We aim to make stories vivid and easy to read, but we never invent facts, quotes or numbers. Where the evidence is weak or disputed, we say so.

Our writers

Our writers each cover one area, and some publish under pen names.

Mistakes

If we get something wrong, we fix it and say what changed. See our corrections page.