The 24HR Fact Pledge

BreakingNews24hr is a demonstration newsroom. Every story on this site is a fictional, illustrative scenario, so the process below describes the target process the demo is designed around, not a certified operation.

Multi-source verification

No factual claim should run on a single voice. The target standard is that each material claim is supported by at least two independent sources, and that those sources do not simply repeat one another. Where only one source exists, the story says so plainly and avoids stating the claim as settled fact.

• Primary documents are preferred over summaries of them.
• Numbers are checked against their original dataset or filing.
• Quotes are confirmed with the speaker or a recording where possible.

The 24-point audit trail

In the target process, every story carries a 24-point checklist covering sourcing, figures, quotations, context, images, headline accuracy and legal sensitivity. Each point is initialled by the person who checked it, so a later reader can see who verified what, and when.

The 180-second sign-off

For fast-moving stories the aim is a final sign-off that takes no more than 180 seconds. This is a target, not a guarantee: the clock only starts once the checklist is complete, and a story that cannot pass is held back or published with clear limits on what is known.

Speed is a goal. Accuracy is the condition attached to it.

What this means for readers

Because this is a demo edition, the pledge describes intent and design rather than an audited track record. If you spot an error, tell us at [email protected] and see our Corrections & Clarifications page for how we would handle it.

Our workflow is built so that checking is never skipped to save time. Where the clock and the facts disagree, the facts win, and the story waits. Editors are expected to record the reason whenever a check is waived, so that exceptions stay visible and rare rather than hidden in routine practice.