Last updated: September 2026

Accuracy is central to the work of The Western Diplomat.

We cover subjects that are often complex, rapidly developing and contested. Governments may provide competing accounts of the same event, economic data may be revised, early reports may change, and information considered reliable at the time of publication may later require clarification.

Our responsibility is to make reasonable efforts to verify information before publication and to correct substantive factual errors when they are identified.

Fact-Checking Before Publication

Articles published by The Western Diplomat should undergo editorial review appropriate to the nature of the story.

Before publication, we aim to verify significant factual claims using credible and, wherever reasonably possible, independent sources.

Depending on the subject, these may include:

• official government documents and statements;
• legislation, regulatory documents and court records;
• international organisations and public institutions;
• company filings and official corporate announcements;
• academic and peer-reviewed research;
• recognised datasets and statistical agencies;
• direct interviews and original reporting;
• reputable news organisations with established reporting standards.

The level of verification required may vary according to the nature and significance of a claim. Information that is controversial, potentially damaging or central to an article’s conclusions should receive greater scrutiny than routine background information.

Preference for Primary Sources

Where reliable primary information is reasonably available, The Western Diplomat generally prefers to consult it directly.

For example, when reporting a statistic published by an international organisation, we aim where practical to consult the organisation’s original data or report rather than relying exclusively on another publication’s description of it.

Similarly, official agreements, regulatory filings, legislation, company announcements and public statements may be consulted directly when they are central to an article.

Primary sources are not automatically treated as impartial or infallible. Governments, companies, institutions and individuals may have their own interests and perspectives. Their claims may therefore require additional verification or context.

Using Other News Organisations

Reputable news organisations are an important part of the reporting process and may be used to establish or verify developments, particularly when they have conducted original reporting or when primary documentation is unavailable.

When The Western Diplomat relies substantially upon another news organisation’s original reporting for information that we have not independently obtained, we aim to provide appropriate attribution.

Facts obtained through research are written independently in The Western Diplomat’s own language unless material is being directly quoted.

Direct quotations from another source are clearly identified and attributed.

We do not knowingly present another publication’s exclusive reporting, distinctive analysis or original language as our own.

Distinguishing Fact From Analysis

The Western Diplomat publishes both factual reporting and analysis.

Analysis necessarily involves interpretation. Writers may examine the significance of an event, identify patterns, compare competing explanations or consider possible consequences.

Analytical conclusions should nevertheless be grounded in verifiable information.

Where an outcome remains uncertain, predictions and possibilities should be presented as such rather than stated as established fact.

Readers should be able to distinguish between what is known, what has been reported and what The Western Diplomat concludes or interprets from that information.

Developing and Contested Stories

Extra caution is required when reporting on rapidly developing events, including armed conflicts, elections, political crises, disasters and diplomatic disputes.

Early information may be incomplete or incorrect.

Where significant facts cannot yet be independently verified, we may attribute the information to the person, government, organisation or publication making the claim rather than presenting it as established fact.

When credible sources provide materially different accounts, those differences should be acknowledged where relevant.

An article may be updated as additional reliable information becomes available.

Artificial Intelligence and Fact-Checking

Artificial intelligence may assist with elements of research, organisation, editing and editorial production, but AI-generated information is not considered a source of record by The Western Diplomat.

Human editorial responsibility remains central to our publication process. The use of technology does not transfer responsibility for an error away from The Western Diplomat.

When We Make a Mistake

Despite reasonable editorial care, mistakes can occur.

When we determine that published material contains a substantive factual error, we aim to correct it promptly.

A correction may involve changing an inaccurate name, date, figure, description, quotation or factual statement.

Where the error is significant enough to affect a reader’s understanding of the article, we may add a correction notice explaining what was changed.

For example:

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that [incorrect information]. The article has been updated to reflect that [correct information].

The purpose of a correction is not merely to remove an error. It is to ensure that the published record is accurate.

Minor Changes

Not every alteration requires a formal correction notice.

Spelling, punctuation, formatting, broken links and other minor changes that do not alter the factual meaning of an article may be corrected without an accompanying notice.

Articles may also receive minor edits for clarity after publication provided those changes do not materially alter the substance of the reporting.

Clarifications

Sometimes an article may be factually accurate but insufficiently clear or missing context that materially affects how the information could reasonably be understood.

In such cases, The Western Diplomat may add a clarification.

Where appropriate, a note may explain what additional context has been added.

A clarification does not necessarily mean the original information was false. It means we determined that greater precision or context would improve the accuracy of the reader’s understanding.

Updates

An update is different from a correction.

Developing stories may change after publication. Governments may issue new statements, negotiations may progress, economic figures may be revised or new information may become available.

Adding such information does not necessarily mean the original article contained an error.

Where a substantial update materially changes or expands an article, an update note may be added where appropriate.

Removal of Published Material

The Western Diplomat does not ordinarily remove accurate published material simply because an individual, company, government or organisation later considers it unfavourable or inconvenient.

Requests for deletion or substantial alteration will be considered according to the circumstances, including accuracy, fairness, privacy, safety, legal considerations and the public interest.

Where information is demonstrably incorrect, our preference will generally be to correct the record rather than silently erase it.

How to Request a Correction

Readers, sources and organisations are encouraged to contact us when they believe we have published a factual error.

Correction requests should include, where possible:

• the title or link to the relevant article;
• the specific statement believed to be incorrect;
• an explanation of the concern; and
• credible documentation or sources supporting the requested correction.

Requests may be sent to:

Email: diplomatcorrections@gmail.com

We will review good-faith correction requests. Submission of a request does not automatically mean that a correction, alteration or removal will be made.

Where appropriate, we may contact the person submitting the request for additional information.

Our Responsibility

Accuracy is not simply a step completed before an article is published.

It is an ongoing responsibility.

When the available evidence changes, we may update our reporting. When additional context is necessary, we may clarify it. When we make a substantive factual mistake, we will correct it.

Our aim is straightforward: to leave the record more accurate than we found it and to be transparent when our own journalism requires correction.

The Western Diplomat

Accuracy. Independence. Context. Accountability.