Working with information and sources
- We always check the facts;
- We always look for the original source of information;
- We do not make subjective judgements;
- We are mindful of the principle of «Do no harm»;
- In view of our extremist status in Belarus, where possible, we seek official comment or directly contact the person affected by our material.
How we fact-check
A separate area of our work is to verify information that enters the public space, after which we issue fact-checking materials in which we confirm or deny it. There are three main types of such reports that we work with:
- statements from government and public officials;
- information from the media (both pro-government and independent);
- information from readers.
The first stage of verifying information is carried out by the journalist who is preparing the story. In order to confirm or refute, he or she can:
- request information from the source (in the case of information from officials and employees of state media after 2020, this has become almost impossible, but we do not ignore this possibility and always endeavour to get first-hand information);
- contact other competent government agencies (we often ask them to confirm or deny information that has been made public);
- contact speakers who are not affiliated with the state (e.g. researchers, lawyers, eyewitnesses, ex-employees of state agencies) who are competent in the matter;
- use open sources (e.g., earlier statements made by government officials in the media, available scientific research, documents and statistics, previously published testimonies and images).
At the same time, the journalist independently assesses the credibility of each source used, giving priority to those that are considered to be of the highest quality by editorial standards. In the finished story, we make sure to indicate which sources were used for fact-checking and, if necessary, add comments on their credibility. In some cases, we keep sources anonymous in the text of the publication for their safety, but only if the editorial staff knows the identity of the person who gave us the information and we are confident in their competence and credibility. This is done because the person who give us information can be imprisoned for up to 7 years by the Belarusian authorities.
The second mandatory stage of verification is carried out by the editor who releases the material. He analyses the reliability of the sources used by the author and the conclusions drawn on their basis. If necessary, they may verify the information with the author themselves or use other sources. In addition, the editor makes sure that the final material is unbiased and does not reflect the journalist’s personal position. If the finished material does not meet the Zerkalo standards, it is sent for revision.
In some cases, a third stage of verification may be applied, which is conducted by the editor-in-chief. In this case, he additionally conducts the second stage of verification.
To recognize information as reliable or unreliable, we are guided by the principle «confirmed by at least two unrelated sources». In some cases, exceptions to this rule can be made — when the reliability of the only source is not in doubt.
Opinions cannot be the object of factchecking.
Mistakes and correction
Readers and viewers can inform us about mistakes found via any of our platforms in social networks and messengers, as well as use the feedback form and email address, which is placed on the same page.
After receiving a report on a potential mistake, the material is double-checked by the editor who published it, in some cases the editor-in-chief is involved.
If the editorial staff realizes during the checking process that we have made a serious factual error (i.e. not a typo, spelling mistake, etc., but something that affects the essence of what was said), we correct it and apologize to readers and those who may have been affected by the error.
Once the error has been corrected, an appropriate disclaimer is additionally posted in the text. The text of the publication is brought into line with the facts. We also post additional acknowledgement and apology messages on our content distribution platforms.
Zerkalo is committed to complying with IFCN's code of principles. These include, but are not limited to, a commitment to impartiality and integrity, a commitment to transparency in methodology, and an open and honest corrections policy.
If you believe we are in breach of the IFCN code, you can report it directly to IFCN here.