Fail closed
Weak attribution, uncertain quotations, inadequate evidence, unresolved contrary evidence, unsupported citations or missing reviews block publication.
Public method
A verdict is the end of the workflow, not the beginning.
Capture, extraction, attribution, classification, supporting research, contrary research, independence review, reconstruction, response, drafting, challenge, citation checking and authorization remain distinct.
Evidence symmetry
The strongest credible case supporting the monitored claim and the strongest credible case against it must both be published.
Human truthfulness
A stage is never labeled human, expert, legal, scientific, statistical or external unless a real qualifying person completed it.
Originals stay original
Untouched captures remain separate from OCR, transcripts, crops, translations, summaries and analytical derivatives.
Twenty-two independent stages
Content acquisition
Independent workflow stage 1: Content acquisition.
Required before publicationClaim extraction
Independent workflow stage 2: Claim extraction.
Required before publicationClaim splitting
Independent workflow stage 3: Claim splitting.
Required before publicationAttribution
Independent workflow stage 4: Attribution.
Required before publication · real human requiredClassification
Independent workflow stage 5: Classification.
Required before publicationCheck-worthiness evaluation
Independent workflow stage 6: Check-worthiness evaluation.
Required before publicationResearch planning
Independent workflow stage 7: Research planning.
Required before publicationSupporting-evidence search
Independent workflow stage 8: Supporting-evidence search.
Required before publicationContradicting-evidence search
Independent workflow stage 9: Contradicting-evidence search.
Required before publicationSource-independence validation
Independent workflow stage 10: Source-independence validation.
Required before publication · real human requiredStatistical or technical reconstruction
Independent workflow stage 11: Statistical or technical reconstruction.
Required before publicationContact and response handling
Independent workflow stage 12: Contact and response handling.
Required before publication · real human requiredDrafting
Independent workflow stage 13: Drafting.
Required before publication · real human requiredAdversarial challenge
Independent workflow stage 14: Adversarial challenge.
Required before publication · real human requiredIdeological-assumption challenge
Independent workflow stage 15: Ideological-assumption challenge.
Required before publication · real human requiredLegal, scientific, statistical, historical, or subject-matter challenge
Independent workflow stage 16: Legal, scientific, statistical, historical, or subject-matter challenge.
Required before publication · real human requiredCitation checking
Independent workflow stage 17: Citation checking.
Required before publication · real human requiredEvidence-to-sentence verification
Independent workflow stage 18: Evidence-to-sentence verification.
Required before publication · real human requiredConsistency comparison
Independent workflow stage 19: Consistency comparison.
Required before publication · real human requiredFinal publication authorization
Independent workflow stage 20: Final publication authorization.
Required before publication · real human requiredPost-publication monitoring
Independent workflow stage 21: Post-publication monitoring.
Correction and challenge handling
Independent workflow stage 22: Correction and challenge handling.
Verdict definitions
Accurate
The material factual claim is supported by the strongest available evidence.
Include when
The central proposition matches reliable evidence without a material omission.
Exclude when
A material qualification or contrary fact changes the ordinary meaning.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Mostly Accurate
The central claim is supported, but a limited qualification, imprecision, or minor error remains.
Include when
The remaining problem does not reverse or materially distort the central proposition.
Exclude when
The missing or incorrect information materially changes audience understanding.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Missing Context
Individual statements may be accurate, but omitted decisive context creates a materially incomplete impression.
Include when
Adding the omitted information materially changes a reasonable audience’s understanding.
Exclude when
The omitted information is merely interesting or peripheral.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Misleading
The presentation produces a materially unsupported overall impression through wording, implication, ordering, juxtaposition, or framing.
Include when
The likely ordinary impression conflicts with the full evidence even if some sentences are technically accurate.
Exclude when
The evidence only supports a minor imprecision or debatable emphasis.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Cherry-Picked
Selected data, examples, locations, or time periods omit materially contrary portions of the relevant record.
Include when
The selection materially changes the conclusion compared with the complete relevant dataset.
Exclude when
A disclosed and reasonable subset answers the stated question.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Exaggerated
The claim overstates magnitude, certainty, frequency, scope, or consequence beyond the evidence.
Include when
A narrower version is supported but the published wording materially exceeds it.
Exclude when
The wording is ordinary rhetorical emphasis that does not change the factual proposition.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Unsupported
Available evidence does not establish the claim, but the record does not justify calling it false.
Include when
The claimant has not supplied adequate evidence and independent research finds none sufficient.
Exclude when
Reliable evidence affirmatively contradicts the claim.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Unverifiable
The claim cannot presently be resolved with accessible reliable evidence.
Include when
Essential records are unavailable, unknowable, protected, or inherently unresolvable.
Exclude when
The claim is unsupported merely because research is incomplete.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Outdated
The claim relies on information that was once reasonable or accurate but has been superseded.
Include when
Later authoritative evidence, law, guidance, or data materially changed the answer.
Exclude when
The statement was wrong when made.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Misattributed
The statement, source, action, image, quotation, or responsibility is assigned to the wrong person or institution.
Include when
Reliable provenance establishes a materially different origin or responsible actor.
Exclude when
The attribution is imprecise but still identifies the correct responsible entity.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
False
Reliable evidence directly contradicts the material factual claim.
Include when
The central proposition is incompatible with dispositive evidence or converging independent evidence.
Exclude when
The record only fails to support the claim.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Fabricated
The represented event, quotation, document, source, or evidence was invented rather than merely mistaken.
Include when
Reliable evidence establishes creation without the represented real-world basis.
Exclude when
The claim is false because of ordinary error or unreliable sourcing.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Altered Image
An image was materially manipulated in a way that changes what it represents.
Include when
Forensic or provenance evidence establishes consequential alteration.
Exclude when
Routine crop, color, or compression changes preserve the material meaning and are disclosed where needed.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Altered Video
Video was materially edited or manipulated so the presented event, sequence, or statement is misrepresented.
Include when
Full-context or forensic evidence establishes consequential alteration.
Exclude when
Ordinary editing fairly preserves meaning.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
AI-Generated
Media presented as authentic was generated or substantially synthesized by AI.
Include when
Reliable provenance or forensic evidence supports synthetic origin.
Exclude when
AI assistance was disclosed and did not falsely represent an event.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Satire Presented as Real
Satirical material was promoted or repeated as factual reporting.
Include when
The source is demonstrably satirical and the downstream presentation treats it as real.
Exclude when
The audience was clearly informed that the material was satire.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Opinion Presented as Fact
A value judgment or contested interpretation was presented as an established factual result.
Include when
The conclusion depends on undisclosed normative or interpretive premises.
Exclude when
The statement contains an independently checkable factual proposition.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Headline Misrepresents Article
The headline materially overstates, contradicts, or omits a decisive qualification in the article body.
Include when
A reasonable headline reader receives a materially different impression from the body and evidence.
Exclude when
The headline fairly compresses the article.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Banner Misrepresents Broadcast
An on-screen banner or chyron materially misstates or overstates the spoken segment.
Include when
The displayed text conflicts with or exceeds the spoken evidence and qualifications.
Exclude when
The banner accurately summarizes the segment.
Evidence threshold
Use the strongest available evidence and require two genuinely independent sources unless one authoritative primary record is independently dispositive.
Boundary guidance
Record why both a stronger and a weaker neighboring verdict were rejected.
Public quality targets
Archive completeness
Percentage of published claims with verified original assets and manifests.
100.0000 percentAttribution-error rate
Percentage of published findings later found to contain material attribution error.
1.0000 percentBroken-source rate
Public source links unavailable without a preserved accessible archive.
2.0000 percentChallenge-response time
Median calendar days to resolve a substantive challenge.
30.0000 daysCitation-to-sentence coverage
Percentage of materially factual FoxWatchdog sentences mapped to evidence.
100.0000 percentContact-attempt completion
Eligible adverse findings with public right-of-response status.
100.0000 percentContrary-evidence-search completion
Published findings with completed contrary search.
100.0000 percentMaterial-correction rate
Material corrections per published finding.
3.0000 percentQuotation-error rate
Percentage of published findings later found to contain material quotation error.
1.0000 percentReproduction success
Verified technical packages reproduced successfully.
95.0000 percentRequired-review completion
Published findings with all required real-human reviews.
100.0000 percentSource-independence validation
Published findings with completed independence validation.
100.0000 percentTranscript-error rate
Material transcript errors per reviewed transcript segment.
2.0000 percentUnsupported FoxWatchdog statement rate
Material FoxWatchdog assertions not supported by cited evidence.
1.0000 percentVerdict-reversal rate
Full verdict reversals per published finding.
1.0000 percent