Editorial policy
The standard is simple: make each conclusion traceable to evidence, and state clearly when the evidence cannot carry the claim.
Claim selection
We analyze concrete statements that can be tested. Predictions, rhetoric, and clearly labeled opinion are not forced into factual verdicts. Material claims take priority over incidental details.
Evidence standards
Primary documents, official statistics, direct records, and independent reporting receive priority. A publisher repeating the original claim is not independent corroboration. Absence of evidence is not automatically contradiction.
Verdicts and scores
Each claim receives a written verdict and explanation. The overall reliability score summarizes those claim results; it does not rate the publisher as a whole. Status is always communicated in words as well as color.
AI assistance and human accountability
AI assists extraction, research, and comparison. It can make mistakes. Factful preserves source links and uncertainty so readers can inspect the basis of a result. Material errors can be reported through the contact page.
Corrections
When a published check is materially wrong, we correct the analysis and record the change. Source removals, changed articles, and newly available evidence may justify rechecking a story.