At 24earth.org, the Fact-Checking Policy establishes the standards used to verify factual claims before publication and to correct material inaccuracies after publication. Its purpose is to ensure that articles about climate, oceans, ecosystems, geology, biodiversity, pollution, energy, sustainability, and other Earth-related subjects are dependable, transparent, and grounded in credible evidence.
Environmental information can be technically complex and politically sensitive. It may also change as new measurements, studies, and assessments become available. For that reason, factual verification is treated as an integral part of the editorial process rather than a final formality.
Sources and Evidence
Articles should rely on authoritative and relevant sources. Depending on the subject, these may include peer-reviewed research, scientific journals, government agencies, universities, international organizations, recognized research institutions, technical reports, and direct data from established monitoring programs.
Primary sources are preferred whenever practical. A scientific paper, official dataset, legislation, or institutional report is generally more reliable than a secondary summary that may omit context. Secondary sources may still be used when they provide useful explanation, but important claims should be checked against the original material where possible.
The Fact-Checking Policy prohibits the use of fabricated studies, invented quotations, fictitious experts, unsupported statistics, or misleading citations. A source must genuinely support the statement associated with it.
Verification of Key Claims
Before publication, writers and editors should verify essential factual elements, including:
- Names of people, organizations, locations, and scientific programs
- Dates, timelines, and historical sequences
- Statistics, measurements, percentages, and units
- Scientific definitions and technical terminology
- Study findings and the limits of those findings
- Quotations and their original context
- Laws, policies, agreements, and regulatory details
- Comparisons between datasets, events, technologies, or environmental impacts
Numbers require particular scrutiny. A statistic may be technically correct but still misleading if its time period, geographic scope, baseline, or methodology is omitted. Articles should therefore provide enough context for readers to understand what a figure represents.
Scientific Uncertainty
Science rarely provides absolute certainty, especially when describing future conditions, complex ecosystems, or emerging research. The Fact-Checking Policy requires uncertainty to be communicated accurately rather than concealed or exaggerated.
Terms such as “may,” “likely,” “projected,” “associated with,” and “evidence suggests” should be used when they reflect the underlying research. Stronger language should be reserved for conclusions supported by robust evidence and broad scientific agreement.
Preliminary findings, preprints, model projections, and observational studies should not be presented as equivalent to established consensus. When experts disagree for legitimate scientific reasons, the disagreement should be described proportionately and without manufacturing false equivalence.
Current and Time-Sensitive Information
Some environmental facts remain stable for years, while others change rapidly. Weather records, climate indicators, sea-ice extent, emissions estimates, energy prices, environmental laws, conservation status, and disaster statistics may require recent verification.
Time-sensitive claims should include dates or reporting periods where relevant. This helps readers distinguish between a current measurement and an older value that may no longer represent present conditions.
Articles may be reviewed and updated when new evidence materially changes the subject. An update should improve accuracy, not merely refresh the publication date.
Quotations and Attribution
Direct quotations must be reproduced accurately and attributed to the correct person or organization. Words should not be removed in a way that changes the intended meaning. When a quotation has been translated, edited for brevity, or taken from a longer statement, that context should be handled carefully.
Paraphrased material must also preserve the source’s meaning. Deceptive paraphrasing, selective quotation, and citation laundering are inconsistent with the Fact-Checking Policy.
Images, Charts, and Visual Evidence
Visual material can communicate facts powerfully, but it can also mislead. Charts should use appropriate scales, clear labels, and identifiable data sources. Maps should provide relevant geographic context. Photographs should not be presented as evidence of an event unless their origin, date, and subject are reasonably verified.
Illustrations, simulations, and conceptual graphics should be identified when they are not literal photographs or direct observations.
Corrections
If a substantive factual error is discovered, it should be corrected promptly. Corrections may involve changing an inaccurate statement, replacing an unreliable source, clarifying ambiguous wording, or adding missing context.
Minor spelling, grammar, or formatting changes may be made without a formal notice. Significant corrections may include an editorial note explaining what was changed and why. The goal is not to conceal mistakes, but to maintain an accurate public record.
Readers may report suspected inaccuracies through the website’s contact channel. Reports should include the article title, the disputed statement, and supporting evidence when available.
Independence and Accountability
Fact-checking decisions should not be influenced by advertisers, sponsors, political organizations, commercial partners, or personal preferences. Claims are assessed according to the strength and relevance of the evidence.
The Fact-Checking Policy supports accountability by requiring clear distinctions between facts, interpretation, commentary, and prediction. Articles should not use authoritative language to disguise opinion or advocacy as settled evidence.
Commitment to Reliable Information
24earth.org aims to make complex Earth and environmental topics understandable without sacrificing precision. The Fact-Checking Policy supports this objective by promoting rigorous sourcing, careful verification, transparent corrections, and responsible communication of uncertainty.
Reliable information helps readers evaluate environmental claims, understand scientific developments, and make better-informed decisions. Accuracy is therefore not merely an editorial preference. It is a continuing obligation.
