METHODOLOGY
How we verify
FACT is built on a single rule: every story has to check out against an authoritative source before it goes anywhere.
The verification pipeline
Each candidate fact runs through a multi-step check before it lands on the page:
- Source identification. Every claim must trace to a primary source — peer-reviewed research, official records, established reporting from a named outlet, or a credible institutional publication.
- Independent corroboration. Where possible, a second independent source confirms the claim. Single-source stories are flagged.
- Confidence scoring. Each fact gets a verification confidence rating. Anything that scores low gets cut, no matter how good the hook is.
- Editorial review. Even verified facts get a pass for clarity, framing, and tone before they’re published.
What we cut
- Anything that can’t be traced to a primary source
- Debunked myths, even ones that’re still circulating
- Stories that sound true but are misattributed quotes or composite legends
- Clickbait framings that overstate a real underlying fact
- Anything mocking individuals, identities, religions, or groups
When we’re wrong
We correct visibly. If a fact you read here turns out to be wrong, email hello@thefact5.com with a source. Corrections get an update note on the fact page and a mention in the next newsletter.
Images
Images are sourced from Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay, or generated as illustrations. Photographer credit is preserved where the source supplies one. AI-illustrated images are labeled.
Why this matters
“Did you know” content is dominated by recycled false claims. We started FACT to do the opposite — verified, sourced, and a little weirder than fiction usually gets.