Editorial
Who writes Factlen, and how.
Factlen publishes under a standing team of named beat bylines — not a single anonymous house name. Every story carries the byline responsible for it, and every byline has a profile page of its own. Every story goes through a two-step editorial review before it is published, and is corrected in public when something is wrong. Factlen does not carry out original field or wire reporting and does not claim to.
Named bylines, one beat each, each with its own profile page — not one house name stamped on every story.
Every story goes through a two-step editorial review before it is published, and is corrected in public when something is wrong.
Errors go to the desk through Contact and are handled under the Corrections Policy.
What a Factlen byline is
A Factlen byline is a standing editorial identity attached to one beat. It is the name accountable for a given story: for its framing, for the sources it cites, and for correcting it if it is wrong. Each beat has several, and each one covers the same subject area consistently rather than being rotated across the whole site.
What a Factlen byline is not: a wire correspondent. Nothing on this site is original field reporting, no Factlen byline claims a dateline, and no Factlen byline claims to have interviewed anyone. Every profile page carries that disclosure, and the Methodology page sets out the standards in full.
How a story is produced
- Sourcing. Breaking coverage requires at least three independent outlets with established editorial standards before a story is drafted. Explainers and research pieces are anchored to encyclopedic, academic, government or primary-document sources, cited the same way news sources are.
- Synthesis. The reporting from those sources is combined into one structured story: the distinct perspectives on the event are identified, sources are attached to each, the facts every side agrees on are pulled out, and what remains disputed or unknown is marked as such. The “Synthesis by Factlen editorial team” entry in a story’s source list is where the desk takes responsibility for that framing rather than an outside outlet.
- Two-step editorial review. Every story is reviewed against the standards on this page and on Methodology and revised, then checked again for sourcing, facts and dates before it is published.
- Correction. Once published, a story stays open to correction indefinitely under the Corrections Policy.
Who is accountable
The byline on a story is accountable for that story. Factlen, as publisher, is accountable for all of them — for the standards on this page, for the process on Methodology, and for the corrections record.
Error reports, source disputes and right-of-reply requests go to the desk through the Contact page and are handled under the Corrections Policy. Correspondence reaches the desk, not an individual inbox; there is no per-byline mailbox.
What Factlen does not do
- Original field reporting. No datelines, no interviews, no first-hand accounts. Factlen reports on the reporting.
- Claim neutrality. Claiming to be unbiased is itself a stance. Factlen instead shows the range of positions on a story and the sources holding each, so a reader can inspect the sourcing and judge it.
- Take political positions. Factlen is not a political organisation, an advocacy group or an ideological publication. Where the evidence strongly favours one side — scientific consensus, legal fact, documented outcome — that is stated plainly. Where legitimate disagreement exists, the credible positions are represented.
The beats
Every byline belongs to exactly one beat and stays on it. A story is assigned to a byline from its own beat, and that assignment is fixed for that story.
- Business & Finance
- Culture & Entertainment
- Defense, Energy & Environment
- Health & Fitness
- Home & Real Estate
- Lifestyle & Travel
- Opinion & Analysis
- Politics & World
- Science & AI
- Shopping & Education
- Sports & Gaming
- Technology
Standards
How the desk works
Is the byline on a story the same as its author?
The byline is the beat identity responsible for the story — for its framing, its sourcing and its corrections. Every Factlen story goes through a two-step editorial review before it is published. A byline is not a claim of original field reporting, a dateline, or an interview.
What happens to a story before it is published?
It goes through a two-step editorial review. First the draft is measured against concrete criteria — enough figures and dates, checkable quotes or citations, a spread of sources — and revised where it falls short. Then its sources, facts and dates are checked again before it is published.
What does “synthesis” mean on Factlen?
Synthesis is the editorial work of combining multiple outlets' reporting on the same event into one structured story: identifying the distinct perspectives, attaching sources to each, extracting the key facts every side agrees on, and flagging what remains disputed or unknown. The synthesis entry in a story's source list is the desk taking responsibility for that framing.
How are breaking stories held to standard?
Breaking coverage requires at least three independent outlets before a story is drafted. Explainers and original research are anchored to encyclopedic, academic, government, or primary-document sources, cited exactly like news sources.
How do I report an error, or reach the byline on a story?
Both go to the same place: the Contact page. Error reports are handled under the Corrections Policy and reach the desk that published the story. There is no per-byline mailbox.