GovFacts does not take a side. We explain how government works, and where people disagree about what government should do, we lay out the disagreement. We aim to inform, not to enrage.
What We Hold Every Article To
Each side at its strongest. When a topic is contested, we present each position the way its own best advocates make the case, in their terms, with attribution. Never a caricature.
Each side with its own evidence. We source each position from its own advocates, not from a neutral summary of them, and we back it with the data, documents, cases or findings those advocates rely on.
Facts, not verdicts. After laying out the positions, we say what the evidence establishes on questions of fact and what the choice turns on. We never say which policy is right.
Comparable seriousness, not equal word count. We do not ration space to make sides look even. We give each one a full hearing.
Debates only where there is one. We present sides only when identifiable advocates really disagree. An article on how to apply for a program may have no sides at all.
Neutral words. Our test for a sentence: would a thoughtful reader on the other side object to it? If only one side would nod, we cut it.
How We Check for It
Before an article is published, an independent review checks whether every position is put the way its best advocate would put it, with a named advocate who makes that case today and the evidence that advocate relies on. Problems are fixed in order of importance: facts first, then logic, then fairness, then readability, then style. An article that fails the fairness check is not published.
Where Our Sources Come From
Articles draw on government and agency documents, intergovernmental bodies, research and academic work, organizations and advocacy groups, industry and standards bodies, and news and analysis. Each article lists the sources it used.
What We Do Not Publish
We do not publish opinion columns, editorials or endorsements.
If You Think We Got It Wrong
If an article seems one-sided, leaves out a major position or uses loaded language, tell us at help@govfacts.org and include a link. We re-check the article against its sources.