What does Weltanalyse.de verify before publication?
Weltanalyse.de verifies all factual claims that appear in our articles, including statistics, quotations, dates, names, legal references, economic data, and historical assertions. Every piece of information that can be independently confirmed is checked against primary sources before we publish.
Our verification process applies to every story, whether it covers Swedish politics, economic developments, cultural reporting, or international affairs. We do not publish claims that rely solely on anonymous assertions, second-hand reports, or unverifiable social-media posts. When a fact cannot be confirmed with the available evidence, we either omit it or clearly attribute it to a named source and explain the level of certainty. Our editorial policy sets out the broader standards that govern this work.
What is our source hierarchy?
Weltanalyse.de ranks sources by reliability and proximity to the original information. We give greatest weight to primary sources such as official government documents, court rulings, peer-reviewed research, original interviews conducted by our staff, and direct observations by our reporters.
Secondary sources — including reputable news agencies, established media outlets, and recognised experts — are used when primary sources are not available, and we always attribute them clearly. Anonymous or confidential sources are used only in exceptional circumstances, and only with the approval of the Chefredaktör. We maintain a detailed guide to our source hierarchy on our Sources and Standards page, which is updated as our methodology evolves.
What you can expect from us
You can expect that every article published on Weltanalyse.de has been reviewed by at least one editor and checked for factual accuracy before it goes live. Our fact-checking lead, Stefanie Lang, oversees a dedicated team that verifies claims across all sections of the site.
We apply the same rigour to sponsored content, affiliate-linked articles, and opinion pieces as we do to straight news. Any material that has not gone through our standard verification process is clearly labelled as such. We do not use AI to generate factual claims, and all AI-assisted research is subject to human review before publication, as explained in our AI and automation policy. If we cannot verify a claim, we do not publish it.
How do we handle rumours and unverified claims?
Rumours, speculation, and unverified claims are clearly labelled as such whenever we report on them. We do not treat viral social-media posts, anonymous online chatter, or unsubstantiated allegations as facts unless they have been independently confirmed by our team.
When we cover a rumour that is circulating in public discourse — for example, a claim about a political figure or a policy change — we explicitly state that the information is unverified, explain its origin, and indicate whether we have attempted to confirm it. Our goal is to inform readers without amplifying falsehoods. If a rumour turns out to be false, we publish a correction and update the original article with the verified information.
How do we handle mistakes and corrections?
Weltanalyse.de corrects errors promptly and transparently. When a mistake is identified — whether by our team or by a reader — we issue a correction notice on the article itself, explaining what was wrong and what has been changed.
Corrections are logged on our dedicated corrections policy page, which includes a searchable list of all corrections made in the past twelve months. Significant errors that affect the meaning of an article are accompanied by an editor’s note at the top of the piece. Minor typographical or formatting errors are fixed without a public note, but any change that could mislead a reader is documented. Readers who believe they have spotted an error can email our fact-checking team directly at factcheck@weltanalyse.de.
Who oversees fact-checking at Weltanalyse.de?
Stefanie Lang is the Ansvarig för faktagranskning (Head of Fact-Checking) at Weltanalyse.de. She is responsible for source verification, reviewing disputed claims, and maintaining our fact-checking methodology. All corrections and fact-checking enquiries are routed through her team.
For sensitive or high-impact stories — those involving allegations of misconduct, criminal activity, national security, or significant public interest — the Chefredaktör, David Schuster, conducts an additional review before publication. This two-tier system ensures that our most consequential reporting receives the highest level of scrutiny. Our full editorial structure is detailed on the Our Team page.
How can readers report a fact-check concern?
Readers can report a potential factual error, request a correction, or submit a document or tip for verification by emailing factcheck@weltanalyse.de. We aim to acknowledge all fact-checking enquiries within two business days and to investigate them thoroughly before responding.
If you have a broader complaint about our editorial standards or a specific article, you can also use our complaints procedure. We take every report seriously and will update the relevant article and our corrections log if an error is confirmed. Anonymous tips are accepted, but we may be limited in how thoroughly we can investigate claims without verifiable contact information.
Questions or concerns?
If you have a question about this policy or about a specific fact-checking decision, please contact Stefanie Lang at factcheck@weltanalyse.de. For editorial complaints or concerns about the accuracy of an article, you can also reach the Chefredaktör, David Schuster, at anders.lindqvist@weltanalyse.de. We are committed to being accountable to our readers and to correcting the record whenever we fall short.