Publisher standards
Fact-Checking & Verification
Verification is proportionate to the nature of the story, the available evidence and the seriousness of what is being reported.
Evidence used
Reporting may be tested against primary documents, official records, public statements, interviews, direct observation, documentary evidence, multiple-source corroboration and reputable secondary reporting where necessary.
Claims and conclusions
Established fact, allegation, analysis and unresolved questions are distinguished. A conclusion should not extend beyond the evidence supporting it, and more serious assertions require a stronger evidential basis.
Sources
A source’s access, proximity to events, consistency and supporting material are considered. Confidentiality does not remove the obligation to scrutinise and corroborate information where reasonably possible.
Scope
PearceRobinson.com is a news and current-affairs publication, not a separate third-party fact-checking organisation. Methods vary according to what can lawfully and responsibly be established in each report.