Editorial Policy
How stories are commissioned, checked, edited and published at Verified Pakistan.
This policy sets out how a story moves from an idea to a published page, and who is accountable at each stage. It applies to staff reporters, freelance contributors and every desk equally.
Commissioning
Stories are commissioned by a desk editor against a clear question: what do we know, what would we need to establish, and who is affected by the answer. A pitch that cannot name its sourcing route is not commissioned.
Verification before publication
- Every verifiable claim in a story is checked by a second editor before publication
- Documents are read in full, not summarised from a third party's description
- Images and video are checked for origin and date before being published
- Where a claim cannot be verified, the story says so plainly instead of implying certainty
Sourcing
Named sourcing is the default. Anonymity is granted only where there is a genuine risk to the source, is approved by an editor, and is explained in the copy so readers can judge the weight to give it.
Independence
Editorial decisions are made by editors. No advertiser, sponsor, political party, government office or investor previews or approves coverage. Sponsored material is labelled at the top of the page and is never written by the editorial desk.
Use of AI tools
AI tools may be used for research assistance, transcription and copy-editing. Generated text is never published as reporting, AI output is never treated as a source, and a named journalist is accountable for every published word.
Updating a running story
Developing stories are updated on the same page rather than republished at a new address. Substantive updates carry a visible updated timestamp; a typo fix does not.