Fact Checking Policy
Mistakes happen
And how we deal with errors in our reporting is important to maintaining our integrity and the trust of readers and sources. When Pedals publishes an error, we will acknowledge it and take appropriate steps to correct it as quickly as possible, online, in print, on social media, and in other platform applications. Readers who wish to alert editors to a needed correction can email support@pedalsapp.com.
Factual errors must be corrected — even if the subject of the error does not formally request a correction.
Occasionally, an error may not be a misstated fact but a matter of nuance, context, or tone. Such mistakes may require clarifications, editor’s notes, or a statement from the editor-in-chief. The information in a correction should be verified by the editor who made the error. Source editors must fact-check the correction as well.
All corrections must be brought to the attention of and approved by a section or editor-in-chief before being published. Suppose a request for a retraction or correction comes from an outside attorney or person threatening a legal response. In that case, the editor-in-chief and our legal counsel must be consulted before any response or decision is made about handling the complaint. Generally, Awesome Coffee does not repeat the original error and does not editorialize about the cause or implication of the error in publishing a correction.
Online articles are expected to be polished and expanded after their initial posting, and it is not necessary to flag every change for readers. But adding a correction or clarification may be appropriate if new reporting has revealed a significant error in an earlier account.
Occasionally, errors due to incorrect information by sources (e.g. law enforcement misstating a death toll) may be handled within the story (e.g. “Police revised a previously reported death count, saying only five people have been confirmed dead.”) If there is any question about whether the error rises to that level, consult with the appropriate section or editor in chief. If an online error was a significant one that could give the reader a false impression, factors such as the nature of the error and how long it has been posted should be considered before a correction is written. When a significant error is discovered, the article should be corrected and reposted as soon as possible. The person making the change to the online story should first consult with and obtain the approval of a section editor or editor-in-chief. Once the change is approved, the article should be changed and a note appended to the revised story that briefly states the nature of the change. If a significant error appears in the URL, editors and producers should change the URL to reflect the truth.
Placement: In general, the note about what has been corrected/clarified in an article should be appended to the end of the article. If an error is deemed egregious enough — for example, misleading, fabricated, unethical — then the correction may be placed at the top of the story. Egregious errors that indict the entire premise of an article may require deleting the entire article. In such cases, the content should be replaced with an editor’s note explaining why the article was removed. This decision must be approved by the Editor in Chief.
Workflow: It is vital to make corrections to online stories as soon as possible. Following appropriate approval, the copy desk — if available — will be the initial group responsible for quickly making corrections to online stories.
Social media: If incorrect information is shared on a news alert or on social networks, we should notify readers using the same platform and provide the accurate information. In many cases, it may be appropriate to delete the incorrect post. In such cases, a screenshot should be taken of the original post, which should be shared with clarifying information and explain that the post was deleted.