A newsroom that shows its working

Sourcing

A story does not publish on one source. Any contested factual claim needs either two independent sources with direct knowledge, or one source plus a document that corroborates them. “Independent” means the two sources did not learn the fact from each other; where we cannot establish that, we treat them as one source and say so in the copy.

We name sources by default. A named source with a stated interest is more useful to a reader than an anonymous one with a hidden interest. Where a source is named, we tell readers what their stake in the matter is — who employs them, who funds them, and what outcome they would prefer.

Documents beat recollections. Where a document exists — a tender, a filing, a minute, a tabled reply, a published dataset — we link to it or reproduce the relevant extract. If we are quoting a document we have seen but cannot publish, we say what kind of document it is, how many pages it runs to, and how we authenticated it.

Verification

Before a story publishes, the reporter files a source note to the desk editor listing every factual assertion in the piece and where it came from. The desk editor spot-checks; for investigations and any story naming an individual or institution adversely, a second editor checks every line of the note.

User-generated material — photographs, video, screenshots, forwarded messages — is never published on the basis that it is circulating widely. We establish the earliest known upload, confirm the location and time independently, and contact the person who made the recording. If we cannot do all three, the material does not run, however compelling it looks.

Numbers get the same treatment as quotes. Every figure in a NewsDunia story is traced to a primary release, and where we have calculated something ourselves — a per-capita rate, a real-terms adjustment, a growth rate — we state the base year, the deflator and the denominator in the copy or in a note beneath it.

Anonymous sources

Anonymity is a last resort, not a convenience, and it is granted by an editor, never by a reporter alone. We grant it only when all four of these are true: the information is of clear public interest; it cannot reasonably be obtained on the record; the source faces a credible risk of retaliation, prosecution or job loss; and at least one editor knows the source’s identity and has assessed their access and motive.

When we use an anonymous source, we tell the reader as much as we safely can about who they are and why they are talking — “three officials involved in drafting the annexure, who asked not to be named because the file is not yet public” is acceptable; “sources said” is not, and is rejected at the desk.

Anonymity is never granted for personal attacks, for speculation about someone’s motives, or for a quote that merely makes an argument more colourful. A confidential source’s identity is protected absolutely once given, including from advertisers, from our own commercial staff and from our parent company.

Conflicts of interest

Every member of editorial staff files an annual declaration covering shareholdings, directorships, paid speaking engagements, consultancies, family employment and any office held in a political, industry or campaigning body. Declarations are reviewed by the Managing Editor and the Readers’ Editor, and material interests are recorded against the relevant desk.

Reporters do not cover organisations in which they, or a member of their immediate household, hold a financial interest. Business and markets staff hold no individual securities in companies within their beat. No editorial employee accepts paid travel, accommodation, hospitality above a nominal meal, gifts above ₹1,000, or any fee from an organisation they cover. Where a trip is essential and unavailable commercially, we pay our own way; if that is impossible, the funding arrangement is disclosed in the story itself.

Editorial staff do not write speeches, press material, annual reports or advertising copy for any organisation. Political activity is a private matter, but staff who take an active, public role in a campaign are moved off any beat that touches it for the duration.

Fairness and right of reply

Anyone criticised in a NewsDunia story is put in possession of the substance of the criticism and given a genuine opportunity to respond — ordinarily at least twenty-four hours, and longer for complex allegations. We publish the response, or its absence, in the story itself, at a length proportionate to the allegation. We do not send a list of questions at 9 p.m. for a 10 p.m. deadline.

We identify people by ethnicity, religion, caste, disability, gender identity or immigration status only where it is directly relevant to what the story is about. We do not name victims of sexual offences, or children in criminal proceedings. We report suicide in line with recognised guidance, without method or location detail.

Labelling and AI use

Reported news, analysis, opinion, reviews and sponsored content each carry a visible label and a distinct page furniture. Sponsored material is written by the commercial department, never by journalists, is marked at the top and bottom, and is excluded from our news feeds and newsletters.

We use automated tools for transcription, translation drafts, document search and headline testing. We do not publish machine-generated text, images or audio as reporting. Any story where an automated tool materially shaped the output carries a note saying which tool and which part, and a named editor remains accountable for every word.