Overview
Prism Writing uses a traditional journalism approach to verification. Every factual claim is backed by primary or secondary sources, with source credibility evaluated using a 5-tier rating system.
Source Credibility Ratings
All sources in our Resource Catalog are assigned a credibility rating from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) based on the following criteria:
Tier 5: Authoritative Primary Sources
- Government documents: Congressional records, official agency reports, statutes, regulations
- Official statistics: Census Bureau, BLS, BEA, Federal Reserve data
- Peer-reviewed research: Published in established academic journals with rigorous peer review
- Legal documents: Court rulings, official transcripts, public records
Examples: USA.gov, Senate.gov, House.gov, Federal Reserve publications, Supreme Court opinions
Tier 4: Highly Credible Secondary Sources
- Established news organizations: AP, Reuters, major newspapers with strong editorial standards
- Academic institutions: Research centers, university publications, educational platforms
- Reputable think tanks: Nonpartisan research organizations with transparent methodologies
- Specialized reference: Medical databases (NIH, CDC), legal encyclopedias
Examples: CORE Econ, Khan Academy, established investigative journalism outlets
Tier 3: Credible Mainstream Media
- Major news outlets: National newspapers, broadcast networks, established digital media
- Industry publications: Trade journals, professional association reports
- Advocacy groups: Transparent about mission and funding, fact-based reporting
- Expert commentary: Opinion pieces from qualified experts with disclosed affiliations
Examples: Common Cause, National Archives educational content, major city newspapers
Tier 2: Secondary Sources with Limitations
- Newer outlets: Less established but showing editorial rigor
- Partisan sources: Clear political bias but factually accurate
- Individual experts: Qualified professionals writing outside formal peer review
- Trade publications: Industry-specific with commercial interests but useful data
Used for context or corroboration, not as sole evidence for major claims
Tier 1: Use with Caution
- Social media posts: Unverified claims requiring independent confirmation
- Anonymous sources: Used only when verified by Tier 4-5 sources or essential to public interest
- Blogs/opinion sites: Personal perspectives, not authoritative evidence
- Crowdsourced content: Wikipedia, forums (used for leads, not final authority)
These sources can flag stories for investigation but are never cited alone for factual claims
Fact-Checking Process
- Primary Source Priority: Government documents, official statistics, and peer-reviewed research are preferred over secondary reporting when available.
- Multiple Source Verification: Quantitative claims are cross-checked against at least two independent Tier 4-5 sources when possible.
- Legal/Policy Claims: Verified directly against official government sources (legislation text, regulatory documents, court rulings).
- Breaking News: Flagged as "developing" until independently corroborated by Tier 4-5 sources.
- Expert Review: Complex technical or legal topics are reviewed by subject matter experts when feasible.
What We Don't Do
- Automated claim verification: No AI fact-checking; all verification is manual.
- Claim-level scoring: We don't assign numerical confidence scores to individual claims.
- Community moderation: No Wikipedia-style crowdsourced verification.
We use traditional journalism standards: human editorial review, source triangulation, and primary source prioritization.
Limitations & Transparency
What this methodology achieves: High confidence in factual accuracy through rigorous sourcing and multi-source verification.
What it doesn't guarantee: Perfect objectivity (all journalism involves editorial judgment), real-time verification (breaking news evolves), or exhaustive coverage (some stories lack accessible primary sources).
Corrections
When errors occur, we correct them promptly and transparently. Significant corrections are logged on our Corrections page with timestamps and explanations.
Contact
Questions about our verification process? Contact us via the contact page.