Methodology & Standards
How TFCNN decides what is true
Every TFCNN verdict can be checked by you. We show the claim, the evidence, the sources, and what the major outlets left out.
1. What we check
TFCNN publishes three items each day:
- Two Top Story checks. Claims at the center of the day's biggest news, from politicians, agencies, companies, or the media itself.
- One Overlooked story. An important development (a bill, court filing, agency rule, report, or dataset) that got little or no mainstream coverage.
We choose claims by their reach, their consequence for ordinary people, and whether the public record can settle them.
2. Source hierarchy
We work from the strongest evidence down, and say which level each source sits at.
- Primary documents: bill text, court filings, agency rules, official datasets, transcripts, financial filings, the original study.
- Direct records of statements: full video, audio, or transcripts, not clips or paraphrases.
- Expert and institutional analysis: nonpartisan scorekeepers, academic work, auditors, inspector generals.
- Reporting by news organizations: used to establish what was said and reported, never as the sole basis for a verdict when a primary source exists.
A verdict that has no primary or direct source behind it is labeled Unproven. We do not guess.
3. The verdict scale
The claim is accurate and nothing material is left out.
Accurate on the core facts, but needs clarification or leaves out minor context.
Contains accurate elements, but the framing, omission, or comparison leads people to a wrong conclusion.
The record contradicts the claim. We cite the document that does.
The available evidence neither supports nor refutes the claim. We say what evidence is missing.
Some claims can be read in more than one way. When that happens we say so, state each reading plainly, and give each its own verdict. The card for such an article shows Two Readings.
We use Unproven freely. One wrong "False" does more harm than ten honest "we can't tell yet" verdicts.
4. What the outlets left out
Every article ends with a section called What They Didn't Tell You. It lists, plainly and with sources, what major outlets or spokespeople got wrong, framed selectively, or omitted. We name the outlet, the date, and the wording. We hold every side to the same test, whichever party, network, or institution is speaking.
5. Facts, not hearts
- We examine statements, documents, policies, and institutions. We do not claim to know anyone's motives or character.
- Opinion is labeled as opinion. If something can't be checked, we say so.
- We don't state an unproven theory as fact, and we don't dismiss a claim just because it is unpopular. The evidence decides.
6. How the work is produced
TFCNN uses AI-assisted research to gather and cross-check documents quickly. Every article is reviewed and approved by the editor, James MacNeil, before it is published. Articles show the date they were published and, if they change, the date they were updated.
7. Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it at the top of the article, in plain words, and list it on the Corrections page. We do not quietly edit. See the full policy there.
8. Independence
TFCNN is built to be funded by its audience, not by advertisers or governments. Funding sources will be disclosed on this page as the network grows.