Sources Policy

Journalism is only as trustworthy as the sources beneath it. This Sources Policy explains how PQR News chooses, uses, and cites the sources behind our reporting, so readers can see where our facts come from and check them for themselves. It works hand in hand with our fact-checking policy.

We publish explainers and analysis on real subjects, which means nearly everything we assert rests on a source we can point to. We take that seriously: we would rather build a story on solid ground than pad it with claims we cannot support.

We prefer primary sources

Wherever we can, we go to the primary source — the original document, dataset, or authority — rather than a summary of it. To explain how a law works, we look to the text of the law and the body that administers it. For scientific claims, we turn to published research or the relevant institution. For official statistics, we go to the agency that produced them.

Primary sources reduce the risk of errors creeping in through second-hand retelling. When we do rely on reporting by another outlet, we treat it as a lead to verify rather than a fact to repeat, and we point readers to the original where we can.

The sources we trust

We rely on sources with a track record of accuracy and accountability. These include official bodies such as the US Federal Reserve, the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and the United Nations, as well as established news organisations such as Reuters, the Associated Press, and the BBC.

These are examples of the kind of source we lean on, not a fixed or exclusive list. What matters is that a source is credible, relevant to the claim, and something a reader could reasonably check.

How we cite sources

We attribute claims openly. Within a piece, we make clear where an important fact comes from, and we link to authoritative sources so readers can follow the trail. At the end of our articles we list the real, verifiable sources that informed the reporting, pointing to genuine institutions and outlets.

We link to canonical homepages and official pages rather than fabricating deep article links, and we do not manufacture citations to make a piece look better sourced than it is. If we name a source, it is real; if we cite a figure, its origin is genuine. This honesty about attribution reflects the standards in our ethics policy.

Weighing and corroborating sources

Not every source deserves equal weight, and we do not treat them as if it did. We consider who produced a piece of information, how close they are to it, and whether they have a stake in how it is portrayed. Independent expertise and official records carry more weight than interested parties.

For claims that matter, we try to corroborate across more than one reliable source. When sources genuinely conflict, we tell readers about the disagreement instead of quietly choosing a side. Where a claim cannot be verified to our standard, we either leave it out or flag it clearly as unconfirmed.

Why sourcing matters to you

Transparent sourcing is what lets a reader trust — and test — what we publish. By showing our work and pointing to sources you can examine yourself, we invite scrutiny rather than asking for blind faith. That is the difference between reporting you can rely on and assertion you simply have to accept.

If you have a question about the sourcing behind a story, or think a source has been misused, contact editorial@pqrnews.com. You can read more about our standards in our editorial policy or learn who we are on our about page.