Fact-Checking Policy

Verification should match the significance of the claim. Names, dates, roles, credits, locations, release information, quotes, statistics, legal claims and assertions that could affect a person’s reputation deserve particular attention.

Routine cultural description and clearly identified opinion do not require the same evidentiary treatment as a contested factual claim.

Whenever practical, INYIM starts with the most direct source available.

• Primary: interviews, written statements, official documents, public records, direct observation, credited creative materials and authorized releases.
• Corroborating: reputable reporting, specialist databases, archives and other sources with a record of accuracy.
• Lead only: unsourced social posts, reposted clips, anonymous screenshots, AI output and unattributed aggregations.

Two-source confirmation may be appropriate for contested or high-impact claims, but the number of sources is not a substitute for source quality or direct evidence.

Recorded interview quotes should be checked against the recording or transcript when available. Written statements and email responses should be preserved accurately, with light edits only when necessary for obvious formatting or clarity and without changing meaning.

Quotes originating with another publication are attributed to that publication rather than presented as INYIM interviews.

Editors check spellings, professional roles, dates, venues, release information, creative credits and numerical claims against the best available source. Historical and anniversary coverage should verify original release dates and era-specific context rather than relying on memory alone.

Images and video used as evidence should be checked for source, date and context when those details are material to the story. Screenshots and excerpts should not be presented in a way that removes context necessary to understand what happened.

Frames captured from video are credited as such rather than treated as independently photographed editorial images.

Anonymous sourcing is exceptional rather than routine. Editors should understand who the source is, why anonymity is needed and what evidence supports the information. Consequential anonymous claims should be corroborated when feasible.

A public post can establish that an account published a statement; it does not automatically establish that every claim inside the statement is true. Editors should authenticate the account and, when relevant, the underlying material before presenting it as fact.

AI tools may help locate leads, organize research or surface questions for further checking. AI-generated output is not treated as evidence. Any factual claim introduced through an AI-assisted workflow must be independently verified against appropriate sources before publication.

Before publication, the editor should confirm that the headline is supported by the story, key claims have appropriate sourcing, quotes and credits are accurate, uncertainty is labeled where necessary, and links point readers toward relevant primary or original sources when useful.

If new evidence changes a published story, the article may be updated or corrected under the Corrections Policy.