What makes it onto the site?
Stories with real weight for people in Germany and for readers who follow the country: government and parliament, the economy and major companies, courts and public safety, cities and communities, money and everyday life. Editors weigh significance, verifiability and reader relevance. Traffic potential alone never decides.
Where do the facts come from?
From primary material first: official statements, legislation, court files, company disclosures, statistics and named individuals. When we build on another outlet's original reporting, we credit it by name and link to it. Unattributed claims from social media are not treated as fact.
Who checks an article before it goes live?
An editor. Every claim in every article: names, numbers, dates, quotes, places. What cannot be verified is labelled as unconfirmed or removed. Allegations against a named person or organisation get extra scrutiny, not less.
News, analysis or opinion: how can you tell?
By the label. Straight reporting, explanatory pieces and opinion are marked as what they are, and opinion never edits the facts it comments on.
What happens when a story develops?
We update it. Material additions carry a timestamp and a note on what changed. When we got something wrong, the Corrections Policy applies.
Who tells the newsroom what to write?
No one outside it. Editors decide independently of advertisers, sponsors and partners. The separation rules are described under Advertising.
Questions about this policy: [email protected].