A press release is a source. It is not a finding.
Why attribution, factual review and a meaningful opportunity to respond come before publication.
Submission is not verification
A press release reflects the statements of its author. Receiving one does not establish that its assertions are true, and publishing a release must not imply that Watchline has independently substantiated every claim.
Review before publication
Before publishing a release that makes allegations about an identifiable person or organization, we review the source, supporting records, relevant context and the precise language of each claim. Material that has not passed this review remains unpublished.
Attribution and responses
We identify the release’s author and separate their claims from our own reporting. We seek a meaningful response from those facing material allegations, accurately represent any response received and never invent a response or imply that outreach occurred when it did not.