This policy explains how NewsPlainly chooses, writes, checks and corrects its articles. We publish it so readers can judge our work for themselves.
Our standards
- Accuracy first. Every fact, figure, name and date in an article must come from a reliable source. If sources disagree, we say so.
- Fairness. We use neutral language and present the positions of the people and organisations involved. We do not take political sides.
- Clarity. We explain technical terms and give the background readers need to understand a story.
- Independence. Our coverage decisions are made by our editor alone. Advertisers do not influence what we write. Any sponsored content will always be clearly labelled as sponsored.
How we choose stories
We publish a limited number of stories each day. We choose them by how much they affect people in India, how much readers want to understand them, and whether we can add useful context. We avoid rumours, unverified viral claims and gossip.
Sources
We rely on official sources such as government ministries, the Press Information Bureau, regulators, courts and company filings, and on reporting by established news organisations. We use at least two independent reputable sources, or one primary official source, for every story. We name our sources within the article, for example “according to RBI data” or “Reuters reported”. We never copy other publishers’ text, and we never invent quotes.
How we use AI
We use AI tools to help draft articles. The AI works only from public sources that we select. It does not decide what we publish.
Every article is reviewed by our editor before publication. The editor checks facts against the sources, removes anything that cannot be confirmed, and makes sure the article is fair and clear. Each article carries a note saying it was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by our editor.
Sensitive subjects
- We never identify victims of sexual offences, or children who are victims or are in conflict with the law.
- People accused of crimes are described as accused until a court decides otherwise.
- We report on suicide carefully, without details of method, and include helpline information.
- We report communal and caste violence using verified official information and avoid language that could inflame tensions.
- We do not give medical, legal or investment advice. We report what experts and officials have said.
Images
We use freely licensed photographs, mainly from Wikimedia Commons, and credit the photographer and licence under each image. Most images are representative: they show the subject of the story, not the event itself, and are labelled as such. We do not use photos from other news organisations without permission.
Corrections and updates
When we get something wrong, we correct it quickly and openly. When a story changes, we update the article and show the time of the update. See our corrections policy for details.
Contact the editor
Questions about this policy can be sent to the editor through our contact page.