Fact-Checking Policy
Accuracy is the foundation of everything we publish. This Fact-Checking Policy explains how The Black Examiner verifies information before it reaches you.
1. Verification Before Publication Every news story is checked against at least two independent sources where possible, or one authoritative primary source (an official document, government record, court filing, verified statement, or on-the-record interview) where a second source is not reasonably available. Claims that cannot be verified are either left out or clearly flagged as unverified, disputed, or alleged.
2. Primary Sources First We prioritise primary sources β official statements, government data, court records, press briefings, company filings, and direct interviews β over secondary reporting. Where we rely on reporting from other outlets, we attribute it clearly and independently verify key facts before republishing claims.
3. Statistics, Data, and Figures Numbers cited in our reporting β economic figures, election results, casualty counts, financial data β are cross-checked against the original source (e.g. UBOS, Bank of Uganda, Electoral Commission, WHO, official company disclosures) rather than taken at face value from press releases or social media.
4. Images, Video, and Social Media Content Photos, videos, and social media posts used in our reporting are checked for authenticity and context before publication. We verify that visual content is genuinely from the event or time period it claims to depict, and we do not use manipulated, out-of-context, or AI-generated imagery to illustrate factual news without clear labelling.
5. Right of Reply Before publishing a story that makes a critical claim about an individual, company, or organisation, we make a genuine effort to contact them for comment. If they decline to respond or cannot be reached by publication time, we state this in the article and update it if a response is later received.
6. Opinion and Analysis Opinion pieces, analysis, and columns are clearly labelled as such and reflect the views of the author, not the newsroom. Even so, factual claims made within opinion content are subject to the same verification standard as news reporting.
7. Breaking News In fast-moving situations, we prioritise accuracy over speed. Where facts are still emerging, we report what is confirmed, attribute claims to their source, and update the story as verified information becomes available β rather than publishing unverified claims to be first.
8. Reader-Flagged Errors Readers who believe we have published inaccurate information are encouraged to contact us at [factcheck@examiner.co.ug] with supporting evidence. Every submission is reviewed by an editor, and confirmed errors are corrected under our Corrections Policy.
Last updated:Β 2026.