Our Unwavering Commitment to Truth, Impartiality, and Transparency

The mission of Rumour Detector is to provide the public with accurate and unbiased information, thereby strengthening social trust and promoting a healthy digital discourse. This Ethics Policy serves as the cornerstone of our organization. It outlines the fundamental principles that guide our work, our staff, and our interactions with our audience and the subjects of our fact-checks.

Every member of the Rumour Detector team is bound by this policy to ensure our work is always conducted with the utmost integrity.

1. Commitment to Impartiality and Fairness

We believe that impartiality is the soul of credible fact-checking. We apply the same rigorous standards to every claim we investigate, regardless of its origin.

• Non-Partisanship: Rumour Detector is a non-partisan organization. We do not support or oppose any political party, candidate, or ideology. Our analysis is driven by evidence, not political affiliation or personal belief.

• Equal Standard: Every claim is judged on its own merits. We use the same methodology for every fact-check, whether the claim comes from a government official, an opposition leader, a social media influencer, or an anonymous online account.

• Fairness to Subjects: We make a sincere effort to contact the individual or organization that made the claim, providing them with an opportunity to present their evidence and comment. We are committed to representing their position fairly in our reports.

2. Commitment to Transparency

Transparency is essential for building and maintaining trust with our audience. We are open about who we are, how we work, and how we are funded.

• Transparency of Sources: We provide our readers with enough information to verify our findings themselves. We link to our sources directly so the evidence is open for all to see. In rare cases where a source’s safety may be at risk, we will describe the source as clearly as possible without endangering them.

• Transparency of Methodology: Our entire process, from claim selection to final publication, is detailed in our Fact-Checking Policy page. We want our readers to understand exactly how we reach our conclusions.

• Transparency of Funding and Ownership: Rumour Detector publicly discloses all sources of its funding. We do not accept funding that would compromise our editorial independence or require us to take a predetermined position. Our ownership structure is explained on our About Us page.

3. Commitment to Accuracy and Corrections

Our primary goal is to be accurate in our reporting. We are diligent in our research and verification.

• Striving for Accuracy: We take every necessary step to ensure our reports are correct. This includes rigorous verification, cross-referencing sources, and a multi-level editorial review process.

• Openness to Correction: Despite our best efforts, we recognize that errors can occur. We are committed to correcting any inaccuracies promptly and transparently. Our Corrections Policy page details the process for reporting errors and how we handle them.

4. Commitment to Independence

Our editorial independence is sacrosanct.

• Editorial Control: All final decisions on what to investigate and what our findings are rest exclusively with our editorial team. Funders, partners, and any other external bodies have no influence over the outcome of our fact-checks.

• Avoiding Conflicts of Interest: Our staff members are required to avoid any situations or relationships that could create a conflict of interest or be perceived as one. They must disclose any potential conflicts to the editorial leadership. Staff are prohibited from engaging in advocacy or political activities that could compromise our organization’s perceived or actual impartiality.

5. Professional Conduct and Respect

We conduct our work respectfully and professionally. We treat our audience, the subjects of our fact-checks, and our sources with courtesy. We respect the privacy of individuals and are careful not to publish private information unless it is essential to the public’s understanding of a claim.

If you believe that Rumour Detector or any of its team members have violated this Ethics Policy, we urge you to contact us immediately via our Contact Us page.