Step 1 — Selection

Claims reach us through our editorial inbox, reader reports and our own monitoring of social media, broker commentary and company announcements. The desk reviews them against four tests: the potential for financial or physical harm to readers, how widely the claim is spreading, who made it, and whether it is specific enough to check at all. A vague opinion cannot be fact-checked; a stated figure, forecast or claim of fact can. We apply the same standard regardless of which company, brokerage or political party a claim originates from.

Step 2 — Verification of the claim

Before checking whether a claim is true, we establish that it was actually made, and in what context. We work from primary material: exchange filings, earnings call transcripts, official press releases, published research notes, recorded speeches and verified social media accounts. The source of the claim is hyperlinked in the story. Where we cannot confirm that a statement was made as reported, we approach the person or organisation directly before publishing.

Step 3 — Research

We check the claim against authoritative sources: BSE and NSE filings, SEBI and RBI publications, company annual reports and quarterly results, government statistics, and published brokerage research. Figures are presented in tables or charts where that makes them easier to check. For claims involving data, we look beyond the single number to the trend over time and any policy change that might explain it. Every source used is hyperlinked so a reader can repeat the work independently. Where a news report is our source, we corroborate it with at least one other independent outlet.

Step 4 — Rating

The reporter proposes a rating from the scale below, and the desk confirms it. Ratings are agreed collectively rather than assigned by one person.

Step 5 — Editorial check

Every fact-check is read by the sub editor for that sector and then by the editor in chief before publication. That means two rounds of vetting beyond the reporter's own work, checking both the factual claims and the fairness of the framing.

True

The claim is accurate and supported by the available evidence.

Partly true

Elements of the claim hold up, but it omits context or overstates what the evidence shows.

False

The claim is contradicted by the evidence.

Misleading

The underlying facts are broadly correct, but they are framed or presented in a way that leads to a false conclusion.

Unverified

The claim cannot be established either way with the sources currently available. We say so rather than guess.

Corrections

Tell us when we get it wrong

Readers are encouraged to write to the editorial desk with corrections. Every report is taken seriously, and valid corrections are made within 48 hours of the message reaching us. Corrections to a published fact-check are noted on the story itself rather than made silently.

Report an error

Independence

Conflict of interest

Where a fact-check concerns a company, brokerage or organisation that advertises with us, has a commercial relationship with TopNews, or is otherwise connected to Manas Informatics Pvt. Ltd., we disclose that in the story. Our advertising and editorial functions are kept separate, and no advertiser sees a fact-check before publication.

Markets

Research notes and price targets

When we report a brokerage recommendation or price target, we name the firm, date the note and state the rating as issued. We report what an analyst has said; we do not endorse it. Nothing on TopNews is investment advice, and readers should consult a financial advisor before acting on any recommendation we cover.

Copyright

Respect for intellectual property

We source and attribute material protected by copyright, including images, charts and extracts from research reports. Where we reproduce data from a third party, the original publisher is credited and linked.

People

Images and identity

Fact-checks involving children, crime victims and other vulnerable people are handled with accuracy and care, without sensationalism. We do not publish names, images or identifying details unless they are genuinely necessary to debunk the claim, and we avoid material that could retraumatise or endanger anyone involved. We follow applicable privacy and data protection law alongside ordinary journalistic ethics.

Reach

Languages and editions

We publish fact-checks in English and Hindi. The same methodology applies across our editions in India, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and New Zealand.