How FACTUM confirms events

FACTUM is an independent Russian-language news publication. We cover events in Russia and matters connected to it. What sets us apart is the monitoring of independent newsrooms and a methodology of confirmation: we develop an event into an article once several independent sources corroborate it.

The rule of three

Every event in the feed carries a scale of three squares — a counter of independent confirmations.

When one newsroom reports an event, it's a claim. When two do, a coincidence. When three independent newsrooms cover the event with their own reporting, we consider it confirmed: the algorithm writes a full article with a timeline, the sources' positions, and links to the originals.

Until there are three confirmations, the event remains a light card marked “Developing” or “Information” — with an honest counter and a link to the primary source. We don't hide the unconfirmed; we label it.

What counts as confirmation

Confirmation is a newsroom's own work: its own verification, its own documents, its own sources, its own details. It doesn't matter who published first, or how large the outlet is. What matters is that the newsroom found something out itself.

A retelling — “outlet X reported that…” — is not confirmation, even with a link. It's the same single source in someone else's words. Three retellings of one report are one confirmation, not three.

An official primary source — the text of a law, a court ruling, a state body's act — counts as one independent unit, on par with a newsroom's reporting.

We rely on the publications of independent Russian-language newsrooms, selected for their reputation and quality. The list of sources is not closed and is revised as the media landscape evolves.

Why the counter matters more than speed

The speed of publication says nothing about accuracy. The number of independent confirmations does. That's why an event that stays with a single source remains marked as unconfirmed, however much noise it generates.

When sources disagree

When newsrooms report different facts about one event, we don't pick the “correct” version. We show the discrepancy, noting who reported what. The decision stays with the reader.

The editorial team is responsible for what we publish

Every FACTUM article links to the publications that covered the event. If you find an error, click “Report an error” on the article page. Errors are corrected; substantive corrections are not concealed.

What we don't do

We don't relay official statements as facts. We don't publish original articles on single-source events, however loud the headline. We don't run advertising. We don't editorialize — words like “outrageous” and “at last” are left to the reader; our work is the facts, their sources, and the degree to which they are confirmed.