Fact-checking Policy

We, at EssentiallySports (owned by Full Spectrum Services LLP), strictly adhere to the Editorial Standards expected of us and that are accepted universally through what we stipulate in our “Editorial Guidelines”.

EssentiallySports furnishes news and content from a diverse range of verified sources. We undertake stringent efforts to confirm the veracity of the information that is available in the world of the internet and digital media, only then do we proceed to create content for the general public.

Our internal policies set the standards for creating relevant ever-lasting topical content through stringent fact-checking and allied editorial policies. EssentiallySports always strives to provide content that is authentic, timely, unbiased, reliable, and resourceful. Our editorial team plays an important role in pursuing our goal of creating a trustworthy and thought-provoking experience for consumers.

As much as selecting the right source providers is important, verification and fact-checking internal standards signify high-quality journalism. We have a thorough process of authenticating, citing, and crediting such sources when we deal with or without primary sources that we obtain directly. Throughout this process, our ‘Editorial Leadership’ works closely with our content creators to produce quality and equitable content.

EssentiallySports’ Approach to Editing and Fact-Checking

At EssentiallySports, editors are the highest authority in content. Our editors ensure that the quality of every article is of the highest editorial standard, in addition to ensuring that there is ample technical knowledge for avid sports fans. 

Our internal policies set the standards for creating content through genuine sources. EssentiallySports always strives to provide content that adds to the knowledge of the readers and also provides value for their time.

Process before publishing an article

A proposed article is evaluated by an Editor, who can choose to either publish, correct, or reject the proposed article. When reviewing an article, Editors shall ensure that:

• The sources cited in the articles are correct, and the information is accurate.
• The content does not violate any internal legal framework, or our content moderation policies.
• The information or content created is original and unplagiarized. 
• The furnished content or articles are well-written to necessitate attention.
• The content’s headline and subheadings are relevant, resourceful, and not click-bait or misleading.

Citations and Attributions

Citations include stipulated information or links to the original source on which the article is based. 

Sources we cite:

• Any verifiable claims that are based on reported events.
• Any third-party published material to which the piece refers substantially.
• Anything that is used to justify or elaborate on the core narrative or statement in the story.
• Sources that are required to distinguish between the opinions of the writers and the specialist knowledge of others. 
• Secondary sources, such as other news stories, are used case-by-case basis; as they appropriately add value and give due credit to work derived from local or other sources.
• We also resort to statistical data to enhance our internal checks by cross-checking with the relevant source. 

How does EssentiallySports verify the trust and authority of sources?

• The websites should have verified Social Media Pages (distinguished as a media authority, as relevant to the platform feature).
• The Content Heads, Writers and Editors at EssentiallySports have their own list of websites that are reputed and trustworthy sources. These lists have been compiled after extensive research based on the history of their errors, intellectual property infringements, and their propensity for bias/misinformation. 

* All secondary and tertiary sources we resort to shall meet the above two requirements.

Under our policies and guidelines, material from trusted sources may be used only if:

1. It is purely informational, and not opinion or speculation (for sports rumours, we clearly signify the speculation), and is vital to the news report.
2. The source is reliable and in a position to have accurate information.
3. Videos are obtained from trusted accounts, the ones that have a substantial and verifiable following. The relevant internal authority shall approve any piece of information that comes from a trusted account only. 

Interviews/Podcasts

Interviews and podcasts generally consist of first-hand quotes and are a major part of EssentiallySports’ articles. However, there is a set of rules that we comply with while covering any piece of content from the mentioned sources:

• We only use the original source of the interview as a reference. 
• We do not change, modify, or tamper with the original form of the quote. 
• When adding quotes to our article titles, we make sure not to take them out of context.

Standards we uphold around fact-checking

EssentiallySports may not be a direct affiliate or a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). However, we at EssentiallySports understand and acknowledge the importance of such an initiative. We streamline our internal standards in a way that shall meet the standards set by the IFCN. Listed below are the principles/standards we strongly intend to internalize and commit to:

• EssentiallySports intends to fact-check using the same high standards of evidence and judgment for equivalent claims regardless of who made that claim.
• EssentiallySports is neither affiliated with nor declares or shows support for any party, politician, or political entity anywhere in the world. 
• EssentiallySports identifies the source of all significant evidence used in their fact checks, providing relevant links where the source is available online in such a way that users can replicate their work if they wish. In cases where identifying the source would compromise the source’s personal security, the authority shall be in sync with the source’s safety.
• EssentiallySports shall mandatorily stipulate if there is the funding of information on our platform and shall clearly mark it as ‘Sponsored’ or other relevant terminology. 
• EssentiallySports shall be compliant at all times with the methodology stipulated in this policy document and shall update to the relevant standards expected in the fact-checking domain standards. 
• More importantly, EssentiallySports shall adhere to honest and ethical standards stipulated in our ‘Corrections Policy’ page, with respect to the corrections required on a mistake of fact and other errors encompassing in the Media hemisphere.

Contact Information:

If you have a comment or question about our Fact-checking practices or other editorial policies, please email us at: editorial@essentiallysports.com 

Fact-Checking Policy Update: 02/02/2024