Follow the Money

Every claim. Every source. Every time.

Sources & Standards

This is the editorial constitution of Follow the Money. It's public so critics and supporters alike can hold us to it.

1. Every claim needs a primary source

A primary source is the document itself — the filing, the contract, the disclosure, the transcript — not an article about the document. News reporting is cited as secondary and labeled as such.

2. Archive everything

Link rot and deletions are expected on this beat. Every linked source gets an archived copy (Wayback Machine or equivalent) at publication time.

3. Unconfirmed reports are not entries

A viral claim with no primary source goes into the intake queue, not onto the site. If it's newsworthy that officials are not confirming something, that meta-story can be an entry with status Alleged — sourced to the official non-denial.

4. Opinion vs. assertion of fact

Commentary ("this is corrupt") is opinion and belongs in clearly marked analysis sections, never in the factual claim field. The claim field states verifiable facts only.

5. Corrections policy

Errors are corrected visibly: the entry is amended, the change is logged on the corrections page with date and reason, and the original error is struck through where feasible. Corrections are issued within 48 hours of verification.

6. No paywalled sources as sole evidence

If the only source is behind a paywall, we find the underlying document or a second accessible source. Readers must be able to check the work.

7. Right of reply

Subjects of entries may submit a response with supporting documents; substantive responses are appended to the entry.

8. Retraction threshold

If a primary source is withdrawn or debunked, the entry is retracted — marked RETRACTED with an explanation, not silently deleted.

What we don't publish