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Separate facts from positioning
Reuters' public journalistic standards place accuracy ahead of speed, call for honest sourcing and require attribution for material gathered by others. Those are Reuters' standards, not evidence of an affiliation with this publication. They illustrate why an editor needs more than a polished company description.
A business preparing a media fact sheet can make the checking easier. Separate factual fields from its own positioning. A company may describe itself as ambitious or customer-focused, but claims about revenue, market position, awards and executive roles need dates, definitions and supporting records.
Give each number a label
For every number, include the period, unit, scope and source. State whether it describes one entity or a group, an annual result or a cumulative total, and a completed outcome or a target. A large number without those labels may be accurate in one context and misleading in another.
Keep a link or retrievable document behind each claim. If the figure is private, clearly state that it is supplied by the company and explain who may confirm it. Do not present an internal estimate as independent research. An editor can decide how to use a limitation only if it is visible.
Make quotations and images traceable
Identify the person responsible for a quotation, their current role and the circumstances in which it was given. A line written for a proposed quote should remain a proposal until approved by that speaker. Avoid turning a company's suggested wording into an attributed interview that did not take place.
For images, provide the photographer or creator, the permitted uses, required credit and any relevant restrictions. A file arriving from a company is not by itself a complete rights record. The editorial team still needs to assess whether the intended use is covered.
Maintain one dated version
Put a preparation date and a responsible contact on the fact sheet. When a role, figure or claim changes, replace the current version and identify material corrections rather than leaving several contradictory documents in circulation.
The result should be plain enough to check quickly. It is not a guarantee of coverage or a request to surrender editorial judgment. A useful fact sheet gives an editor a route to verify the story, and gives the business a better chance of being described accurately without relying on exaggeration.
Sources and scope
This is an editorial working method, not legal or tax advice. The linked sources supply the context; the suggested checklists are our analysis. International research is not presented as a Middle East survey. Confirm obligations for the specific entity and activity where relevant.
