Editorial Guidelines
These are the standards every ClearBrief article is held to.
Research methodology
Each article begins with a stated reader question and is mapped to authoritative sources — federal agencies, regulators, peer-reviewed literature, manufacturer documentation, and on-the-record interviews — before drafting.
Sourcing standards
- Primary sources are preferred over secondary summaries.
- Every factual claim with consequence is linked to a source the reader can verify.
- Where credible sources disagree, we describe the disagreement.
- Anonymous sources are used only when necessary and only when corroborated.
Fact-checking
Each article is reviewed by an editor against its linked sources before publication. Health, money, and policy topics are cross-referenced with current guidance from CDC, NIH, FDA, SEC, CFPB, FTC, and IRS where relevant.
Corrections & updates
Every ClearBrief article shows a Published date and a Last updated date. When something changes after publication, we disclose it in the article itself — we do not silently rewrite the record.
Types of changes
- Typo or formatting fix. Spelling, punctuation, or layout only. No date change, no note.
- Clarification. Wording is sharpened without changing meaning. Bumps Last updated; no inline note required.
- Update. New facts, prices, dates, or guidance reflect a real-world change since publication. Bumps Last updated and is summarized in the article's update log.
- Correction. The original article was wrong on a material fact. Bumps Last updated, prepends a dated entry to the article's Corrections block, and the original wording is described — never quietly erased.
How dates work
The Published date never changes. Last updated reflects the most recent substantive review. Quarterly reviews only bump Last updated when something actually changed; an unchanged article keeps its existing date.
Versioning & transparency
Each correction lists the date it was made and a plain-language description of what was changed. For high-impact corrections — health, money, and policy — the updated article is re-surfaced on the homepage and its category page so readers who saw the original have a fair chance of seeing the fix.
Report an error
Email editorial@master-news-template.lovable.app with the subject line Correction: <article title> and a link to the source you believe contradicts us. We aim to respond within two business days.
Conflict of interest
ClearBrief does not accept paid editorial placements and does not sell financial, medical, or legal services.
AI use
Generative AI tools may assist research and editorial review; final prose is human-authored and fact-checked. Some illustrative images are AI-generated and disclosed where applicable.