How a story is made
Selection. Each morning we review candidate stories drawn from what is being discussed worldwide, alongside international wires, regional outlets, UN bodies, courts and human rights organisations. The most-discussed stories with a rights or law dimension are followed as they develop. The rest balance the day across regions, rights and communities.
Research. Eight to twelve sources per story, primary sources first: the ruling, the warrant, the treaty text, the body's own statement. At least one source from the affected region, and non-English sources where they exist. Links are opened and checked before publication.
The law. We establish which body of law applies (the law of armed conflict, the law of occupation, and human rights law, which applies in war and in peace), whether each state is actually a party to each treaty we cite, and the exact status of any court or UN finding.
Classification. Each story is placed in one of 31 categories across six tiers. See Classification.
The accuracy check. Before a story is cleared, two separate AI checks review the text as it will be published. One compares claims with their cited sources. The other looks for corroborating sources and for developments since drafting. Errors found are corrected wherever they appear, including in the graphics, and the story is checked again.
Publication. A human editor reviews and publishes every story.
How we use AI
Human Rights News uses AI systems to research, draft, build graphics and check stories, under detailed written rules on law, language and sourcing. AI also runs the accuracy checks. AI makes mistakes, which is why every story is checked by separate AI checks before it is cleared, and why a human editor decides what is published. We disclose this because readers should know how the work is made.
Language rules
Active voice and named actors. "Forces killed 30 people", never "30 died".
Precise legal terms, with the instrument, the article and the body that made any finding. No "alleged": we name who alleges.
Status stated exactly. An ICJ provisional measures order finds the rights claimed plausible; it is not a finding of genocide. An ICC warrant is a warrant, not a conviction.
Geography. UN regional names; the legal owner named first for occupied territory, with the authority for that status.
Figures. Every figure has its source and date. We never add up figures from different sources or estimate.
Our limits
We analyse reporting by others; we do not report from the field. A check confirms that a story matches its sources; it cannot make a wrong source right, which is why we go to primary sources first and look for a second, independent one. Our analysis is not legal advice.