Editorial standards

Accuracy before speed

We publish only when the essential fact, date, source and status can be verified. A missing primary source, incompatible comparison or unclear implementation date is a reason to delay, narrow or reject a page.

Page purpose

Every indexable page must perform a distinct reader job. Synonyms and close keyword variants are consolidated. A release does not automatically deserve a new article; it may update a current hub, data record or existing explainer.

Evidence labels

We distinguish:

• official observed data;
• preliminary and revised estimates;
• forecasts and projections;
• scenarios;
• nowcasts;
• modelled estimates;
• private indicators;
• editorial inference;
• unverified claims.

These labels are not removed for smoother prose.

Causal language

We separate an accounting identity, temporal sequence, plausible mechanism, contributing factor and causal finding. “Caused” requires evidence appropriate to the claim. Credible disagreement is represented and attributed.

Dates and geography

Current articles show exact event, release and publication dates with time zones where relevant. We do not use “global” for a partial aggregate without naming its coverage.

Statistics

Numerical comparisons must reconcile period, frequency, unit, price basis, seasonal adjustment, annualization, currency/PPP basis, geographic coverage, sector perimeter, standard version and revision status.

Sources

Primary sources are preferred for official data, policy and legal claims. Secondary reporting is used for original interviews, reactions, local reporting and chronology that a primary document cannot supply.

Quotes

Quotes are accurate, contextual and limited. We prefer paraphrase when wording is not essential. We do not fabricate quotations, unnamed consensus or interview access.

Corrections

Material errors are corrected visibly with time, source and impact. Old data values remain in revision records.

Editorial labels

News, analysis, explainer, historical research, data note, forecast, scenario, opinion, correction and sponsored content are visibly differentiated.

Prohibitions

We do not publish invented sources, credentials, authors, reviewers, organizations, data or consensus. We do not conceal AI assistance, commercial conflicts or material revisions.

Editorial independence

Editorial conclusions, corrections, source selection and publication timing are controlled by the editorial process, not by advertisers, sponsors, data vendors, governments, political parties, donors, research partners or consulting clients.

Commercial separation

Commercial staff may identify sponsorship or product opportunities but may not:

• assign a favorable conclusion;
• suppress a correction or negative finding;
• select a comparison to benefit a sponsor;
• obtain advance editorial approval rights;
• purchase an unlabeled link or ranking;
• use sponsored access to represent paid material as independent news.

Covered entities

An institution, government, sovereign issuer, bank, firm or data provider cannot sponsor an article substantially about itself. Site-level sponsorships must be disclosed wherever they appear and recorded in the conflict register.

Research partnerships

Partners may contribute funding, data or expertise only under a written agreement stating:

• editorial control;
• publication rights;
• data ownership and licensing;
• attribution;
• review limited to factual or confidentiality obligations;
• conflict disclosure;
• correction rights;
• termination.

Donors and grants

Material donors and grants are disclosed on the Ownership and Funding page. Restricted funding is not accepted when it determines an editorial conclusion.

Staff and contributor independence

Authors disclose relevant financial, employment, advisory, political and institutional relationships. A conflicted contributor may be recused, paired with independent review or prevented from covering the subject.

Retaliation

No commercial partner may penalize an author for a good-faith correction or evidence-based conclusion. A threat to do so is documented and escalated.