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Editorial standards

How We Decide What's Solid Enough to Publish

Six rules every piece on Reprogram follows, whether it's written by our staff, a verified creator or a partner. Each rule comes with an example of what meets it and what doesn't.

Last updated [DATE] ·
Rule 1

How We Source

Every factual claim links to a numbered source note. We go as close to the original as we can, in this order, and we say which kind of source you're looking at.

  1. 1Primary documents and dataLaws, court rulings, official statistics, company filings, original datasetsStrongest
  2. 2Peer-reviewed studiesJournal articles and working papers, with their limits stated
  3. 3BooksScholarly and general works, cited to the page
  4. 4Reputable reportingUsed for events and quotes, not as a stand-in for the underlying dataUse last
Example

Claim: "World merchandise exports were worth about $24 trillion in 2023."

Meets the standard
1Dataset · 2024World Trade Statistical ReviewWorld Trade Organization
Links the organisation that publishes the figure.
Doesn't meet it
1Reporting · [YEAR]A news article that repeats the figure[OUTLET]
The data exists. Link it instead of a story about it.
Rule 2

How We Label Opinion

Facts and views never share a sentence without a label. Our view goes in a box marked "Our take", or the whole piece carries an Opinion badge. Words like "clearly" and "obviously" don't turn a view into a fact, so our editors flag them outside those boxes.

Example · City Votes to Cap Rents at 2019 Levels
Meets the standard
Our takeCaps protect sitting tenants but shrink new supply.
The view is boxed and labelled, after the facts.
Doesn't meet it

The council voted on Tuesday. Clearly, the cap will empty the city of new housing.

A prediction written as a fact, in the news paragraph, with no label.
Rule 3

How We Steelman

When a piece argues against a view, it first states that view at its strongest, in terms its supporters would accept, and says who holds it. Readers can vote on whether we were fair, and low scores send the piece back to the editor.

Example · From our rent cap explainer
The strongest case for rent caps

A sudden rent rise can force long-time tenants out of the neighbourhood where their jobs, schools and families are. A cap buys them stability while new homes get built, and moving costs are real costs too.

Held by many tenant groups and some urban economists.
Is this fair to that view?
Not acceptable: "Supporters of rent caps simply don't understand supply and demand." That describes people, not their argument.
Rule 5

How We Correct

When we get a fact wrong, we fix it, add a dated note at the top of the piece saying what was wrong and what changed, and list it on our public Corrections page. Anyone who saved the piece gets a notification. We never quietly edit a published fact.

Example · How a correction note looks on a piece
Rule 6

How Creators Are Approved

Creators apply, pass a standards check and verify their identity before they can publish. Every piece they submit is reviewed and fact-checked. How fast depends on their record: new creators wait longest, and creators with a strong record get a faster review, never no review.

Example · A new creator's first months
  1. Applies with 2 to 5 samplesEach sample names its main claim and best source.
  2. Passes the standards check and verifies identity10 questions, 8 to pass, plus a signed pledge.
  3. Publishes as a ContributorEvery piece reviewed and fact-checked, first response within 72 hours.
  4. Earns Verified statusAfter a track record with few corrections; review within 24 hours. Three strikes in 12 months suspends publishing.
How to apply as a creator