Original F-117A explanatory reporting guide. It does not rate any real person's statements. Primary-source websites listed below are research starting points; no fictional claim is presented as a finding.
A published review must answer a narrowly defined factual proposition. F-117A does not maintain an overall numerical honesty score for politicians; reviews occur at different frequencies and do not form a representative sample of everything each person has said.
01 The seven permitted findings
- Supported — the relevant available evidence supports the defined factual statement.
- Accurate but incomplete — technically accurate information omits material context.
- Misleading — framing creates an impression the evidence does not justify.
- Contradicted — reliable evidence establishes that the defined factual proposition is incorrect.
- Unsupported — available evidence does not adequately substantiate the statement.
- Unresolved — evidence is insufficient, conflicting or not yet available.
- Opinion / Rhetoric — the expression is not an objectively testable factual claim.
02 Not every issue deserves a verdict
An uncertain speaker identity, disputed context or unclear definition can make a conclusion premature. We should explain why material is unresolved and what new evidence would change the analysis. Subjective jokes, political insults and value judgments cannot honestly be forced into a factual truth rating.
03 Corrections are part of publication
Significant errors deserve a conspicuous correction explaining what changed and when. Minor typographical changes may be noted according to a published policy, but substantive revisions should preserve the prior record. A public response from an investigated official belongs with the finding, clearly attributed and neither automatically endorsed nor ignored.
04 The publication is accountable, too
A sharp editorial voice is permitted; unsupported charges and invented motives are not. An argument can be critical without declaring intent as an established fact. Readers should be able to disagree with commentary while verifying the sources and calculations independently.
Sources & Further Reading
These are attributable primary-reference destinations and related F-117A methodology pages. This field guide makes no fact-check determination about an individual.
Challenge the evidence, not the person.
The standard is reproducibility. Corrections and responses will be documented under the F-117A corrections policy.