Last reviewed: October 2026
Accuracy is the foundation of everything Canada News Media publishes. Our readers trust us to tell them what is true, and we take that responsibility seriously. This page describes how we verify the information in our reporting before it reaches the public.
Our standard
Every article we publish is expected to be accurate, fair, and supported by evidence. A story is not ready for publication until the claims within it have been checked against reliable sources. When we are not certain of something, we either confirm it or we make the uncertainty clear to readers. We would rather be right than first.
How we verify information
Our reporters and editors confirm the facts in a story through several methods, including:
- Consulting primary sources such as official documents, public records, court filings, and government data rather than relying on secondhand accounts.
- In stories by our named reporters, speaking directly with people who have firsthand knowledge of the events being reported.
- Cross checking claims against more than one independent source before presenting them as fact.
- Citing named, authoritative Canadian data sources, including Statistics Canada, the Bank of Canada, and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, when reporting figures.
- Reviewing the original context of any quote or statistic to ensure it is represented accurately.
Handling claims we cannot confirm
When a claim is relevant to a story but cannot be independently verified, we do not present it as established fact. We attribute it clearly to its source, explain what we were able to confirm and what we were not, and let readers weigh the information accordingly.
Sources we trust and sources we treat with caution
We give weight to official records, peer reviewed research, recognized experts, and established institutions. We treat anonymous online claims, unverified social media posts, and partisan material with caution, and we do not repeat them as fact without independent confirmation. When we reference reporting from another news organization, we attribute it plainly and, where possible, confirm the underlying facts ourselves.
Images and visual content
We take care that the images accompanying our stories accurately represent the events described. We do not use images in a way that misleads readers about what happened, when, or where.
Review before publication
Articles by our named reporters are reviewed before publication. Articles produced with AI assistance and published under the Canada News Media Staff byline are checked against our written standards as part of the production process: every central claim must be supported by a cited source, every source attributed, and the headline must reflect the substance of the article. Stories involving allegations, legal matters, minors or vulnerable people are held for a human editor before they are published. Our editors also review published work and correct any errors we find.
When we get it wrong
No process catches every error. When a mistake reaches publication, we correct it openly and quickly, following the steps set out in our Corrections Policy. If you believe something we have published is inaccurate, please tell us so we can review it.
Tell us about an error
Readers are an important part of how we maintain accuracy. If you spot something you believe is wrong, contact our newsroom through the details on our website or at our Edmonton office, 8515 106a Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta. We review every report we receive.