The Redline News publishes world news of every kind. A story runs because it is true and because it matters, not because of who it helps or harms. This page sets out how that works in practice, so readers can hold us to it.
What we publish
We cover any country, any subject and any outcome. Reporting that reflects well on a government is published on the same terms as reporting that damages one. We do not suppress a story because it is inconvenient for an advertiser, an official, a company or ourselves, and we do not run one because it is popular.
We also cover places that receive little routine attention. A story is not less newsworthy because it happened somewhere that is rarely in the running order.
How a story is checked
Before publication, every factual claim in a filing is checked against a source that can be shown to a reader. In practice that means:
- Names, titles, dates, figures and quotations are verified against primary material such as official records, court filings, published data, transcripts or direct statements.
- Where a claim rests on a single source, that is made explicit in the story.
- Images and video are checked for origin and date before use, and captioned with what they actually show.
- Any claim we cannot verify is either left out or clearly labelled as unverified.
Stories that meet this standard carry a Fact checked marker in the byline. A fast moving story that is still being confirmed carries a Developing story marker instead, and is updated as verification arrives.
Sources and attribution
Reporting is attributed. Most stories carry a list of sources at the foot of the page, linking to the material the report was built from, so a reader can check our working rather than take our word for it.
We use anonymous sources only where the information is of clear public interest and the person would face a real risk by being named. In those cases we explain in the story why the source is unnamed and what position they are in to know.
Independence
Editorial decisions are made by the desk. No advertiser, sponsor, political party, government body or commercial partner has any say over what we cover or how we cover it. Where a story touches a party we have a commercial relationship with, that relationship is disclosed in the story.
Use of software in the newsroom
We use software tools in production, including for research, translation, transcription and editing assistance. No story is published on the authority of a tool. A human editor is responsible for every claim that appears here, and the verification steps above are carried out by people.
Challenging a story
If you believe something we have published is wrong, tell us. We would rather correct the record than defend a mistake. Our corrections policy explains what happens next.