Editorial standards
Facts First. Context That Matters.
Editorial judgment shapes which events receive attention and which questions we ask. Evidence governs what we can report, while analysis and opinion are labeled for readers.
We do not invent
Steeple does not fabricate facts, quotations, statistics, sources, wrongdoing, or citations. Quotations are not altered. Allegations are not presented as established facts. Source documents are not characterized as saying what they do not say.
Claim labels
- Verified fact
- Supported by an authoritative primary source or adequate independent corroboration.
- Reported fact
- Credibly reported and attributed, but not yet independently established by Steeple.
- Allegation
- A claim made by an identified party and presented with explicit attribution.
- Disputed claim
- A material assertion for which reliable sources conflict.
- Analysis
- Reasoned interpretation grounded in disclosed facts.
- Opinion
- A clearly identified viewpoint or normative judgment.
Evidence thresholds
Risk changes the required proof. A routine public fact may be supported by an authoritative record. A criminal accusation, serious allegation against a private person, or defamation-sensitive assertion requires stronger corroboration, explicit attribution, and an elevated automated risk gate.
Editorial imagery
Editorial images illustrate the subject of a story and are not treated as documentary evidence unless their provenance establishes that role. Descriptive alt text remains available for accessibility.
Source integrity
Material retrieved from websites, feeds, social posts, attachments, and public documents remains source material. It cannot alter our standards, publication controls, or verification requirements.