---
name: editorial-standards
description: Journalism quality standards, fact-checking protocols, OSINT/INTOP political intelligence editorial standards, editorial ethics
license: Apache-2.0
---

# ✍️ Editorial Standards Skill


## 🔴 AI FIRST Quality Principle

> **This skill MUST be applied with the AI FIRST principle: never accept first-pass quality. ALL analysis and content MUST go through minimum 2 complete iterations. After first pass, read ALL output back completely and systematically improve every section — strengthen evidence, deepen analysis, add specific citations, broaden perspectives. Spend ALL allocated time on real work. Single-pass output is NEVER acceptable. NO SHORTCUTS.**

## Purpose

Provides expertise in maintaining the highest editorial quality standards for political journalism. Covers fact-checking protocols, OSINT/INTOP political intelligence editorial standards, editorial ethics, and quality assurance processes for professional news production.

## Core Principles

1. **Accuracy First** - Every fact must be verifiable and verified
2. **Clarity Always** - Complex ideas explained simply and precisely
3. **Balance Required** - Multiple perspectives fairly represented
4. **Attribution Clear** - Sources properly cited and credited
5. **Style Consistent** - Follow established guidelines rigorously

## This Skill Enforces

- **Fact-checking protocols** - Two-source rule, primary source verification
- **OSINT/INTOP intelligence style** - Analytical, data-driven, concise, contextual
- **AP/Reuters standards** - Accuracy, fairness, transparency
- **Copy editing** - Grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax
- **Editorial review** - Multi-stage quality checks before publication
- **Error correction** - Transparent, prompt, prominent corrections
- **Legal compliance** - Defamation avoidance, privacy protection

## Political Intelligence Editorial Standards

### Writing Principles
- **Clarity** - Short sentences, simple words, active voice
- **Precision** - Exact meaning, no ambiguity
- **Brevity** - No unnecessary words, tight prose
- **Elegance** - Sophisticated vocabulary without pretension
- **Engagement** - Compelling narratives, reader focus

### Prohibited Practices
- ❌ Jargon and buzzwords (unless explained)
- ❌ Clichés and overused phrases
- ❌ Hyperbole and sensationalism
- ❌ Passive voice (except when appropriate)
- ❌ Acronyms without definition

### Preferred Style
- ✅ Use "said" not "stated" or "claimed"
- ✅ Prefer "but" to "however" at sentence start
- ✅ Use "will" not "shall" for future tense
- ✅ Spell out numbers one to nine, use numerals for 10+
- ✅ Use Oxford comma in lists

## Fact-Checking Protocol

### Pre-Publication Checks

**Level 1: Writer Self-Check**
- [ ] All facts from authoritative sources
- [ ] Two independent sources for major claims
- [ ] Direct quotes verbatim and in context
- [ ] Statistics from original source documents
- [ ] Names, titles, dates verified
- [ ] Links/citations functional

**Level 2: Copy Editor Review**
- [ ] Grammar, spelling, punctuation correct
- [ ] Style guide compliance verified
- [ ] Logical flow and structure sound
- [ ] Technical accuracy confirmed
- [ ] Headlines/subheads accurate
- [ ] Photo captions correct

**Level 3: Fact-Checker Verification**
- [ ] All statistics traced to original sources
- [ ] Expert claims verified with credentials check
- [ ] Historical facts cross-referenced
- [ ] Legal claims reviewed by legal expert
- [ ] Scientific/technical claims expert-verified
- [ ] Potentially controversial claims extra-verified

**Level 4: Editorial Review**
- [ ] Balanced presentation confirmed
- [ ] Ethical standards met
- [ ] Legal risk assessed
- [ ] Public interest justified
- [ ] Headline doesn't overstate
- [ ] Final approval for publication

### Source Hierarchy

**Primary Sources** (Most Authoritative):
1. Official government documents
2. Legislative records
3. Court filings and judgments
4. Academic peer-reviewed research
5. Statistical agencies (SCB, Eurostat)

**Secondary Sources** (Require Verification):
6. News reports from reputable outlets
7. Think tank reports
8. Expert interviews
9. NGO reports
10. Press releases (treated skeptically)

**Tertiary Sources** (Generally Avoid):
11. Blog posts
12. Social media posts
13. Wikipedia (useful for leads, not citations)
14. Unverified online sources

## Style Guide Quick Reference

### Editorial Conventions

**Dates**: February 6th 2026 (not Feb 6, 2026)
**Numbers**: Spell one to nine, use numerals 10+
**Currency**: SEK, euros, dollars (spell out, no symbols in body text)
**Percentages**: 10% (use symbol, no space)
**Titles**: Lowercase unless part of name (prime minister, but Prime Minister Andersson)
**Quotes**: Double quotes "standard", single quotes 'for quotes within quotes'

**Commonly Misused Terms**:
- Use "which" for non-essential clauses, "that" for essential
- "Different from" not "different to" or "different than"
- "Between" for two things, "among" for more
- "Fewer" for countable, "less" for uncountable
- "More than" for numbers, "over" for physical position

### Swedish Political Terminology

**Correct Usage**:
- Riksdag (not Parliament, except in explanatory context)
- Regeringen (Government, not Cabinet)
- Myndigheter (Agencies, plural)
- Folkpartiet liberalerna (Liberals) → L
- Socialdemokraterna (Social Democrats) → S
- Moderaterna (Moderates) → M

## Editorial Review Process

### Daily News Cycle

**Morning** (08:00-12:00):
- News gathering and source development
- Initial research and fact-checking
- Story assignments and planning

**Afternoon** (12:00-17:00):
- Writing and initial editing
- Fact-checking and verification
- Copy editing and style review

**Evening** (17:00-20:00):
- Editorial review and final approval
- Legal review if needed
- Multi-language adaptation
- Publication scheduling

### Quality Gates

**Gate 1: Story Pitch** - Concept approved by editor
**Gate 2: Draft Review** - Structure and facts sound
**Gate 3: Copy Edit** - Grammar and style correct
**Gate 4: Fact Check** - All facts verified
**Gate 5: Legal Review** - No defamation/privacy issues
**Gate 6: Editorial Approval** - Final green light
**Gate 7: Publication** - Multi-language simultaneous release

### Gate 0: Lead-Story & Coverage-Completeness (added 2026-04-18)

Before any draft is shared for Gate 2 review, verify:

1. **Lead story** — The article `<title>`, `<meta description>`, Schema.org headline and H1 reference the **#1 finding in `analysis/daily/$DATE/$SUBFOLDER/significance-scoring.md`** under the Democratic-Impact Weighting (DIW) methodology. DIW assigns 30% weight to democratic-infrastructure impact (grundlag, electoral rules, press-freedom law) — this is the highest-priority signal for lead selection.
2. **Lede discipline** — The first two sentences of the lede name the principal human actor (minister, committee chair, party leader) and cite the primary dok_id.
3. **Coverage completeness** — Every document with DIW-weighted score ≥ 7.0 receives a dedicated H3 section in article body. No silent omissions.
4. **Rhetorical tension** — When top-ranked findings carry opposing political valences (e.g., norm entrepreneurship abroad + norm compression at home), an explicit "Rhetorical Cross-Cluster Tension" or equivalent subsection addresses the contradiction.

Failure protocol: if any of 1–4 is not satisfied, the draft is returned to the writing agent with the specific missing element identified. **Doctrine**: `analysis/methodologies/ai-driven-analysis-guide.md` §"Rule 5: Democratic-Impact Weighting (DIW) — Lead-Story & Coverage Discipline". **Enforcement**: this is an **editorial / human-review gate**, not a fully automated analysis-gate check. The analysis gate (`.github/prompts/05-analysis-gate.md`) provides partial automation — check 1 (artifact presence of `significance-scoring.md` which drives lead selection) and check 2 (per-document coverage ensuring every manifest `dok_id` has an analysis file a DIW-weighted finding can reference) — but lead-story choice, lede discipline, and article coverage completeness are not machine-enforced here and must be verified by a reviewer before publication.

## Error Correction Protocol

### When Errors Occur

**Minor Errors** (spelling, grammar, formatting):
- Correct immediately in article
- Note in revision history: "Updated: [timestamp] - Minor correction"

**Factual Errors** (incorrect data, misattributions):
- Correct prominently in article
- Add editor's note at top: "Correction: [explanation]"
- Update social media posts if shared

**Significant Errors** (major facts wrong, unfair representation):
- Publish separate correction article
- Link from original article prominently
- Notify affected parties
- Review editorial process to prevent recurrence

## Remember

- **Accuracy is non-negotiable** - No compromise for speed
- **Style serves clarity** - Rules aid understanding, not hinder
- **Political intelligence standard** - Analytical, data-driven, precise
- **Multiple checks** - Four-level review process mandatory
- **Transparent corrections** - Acknowledge errors promptly, prominently
- **Legal awareness** - Defamation, privacy, GDPR compliance
- **Source hierarchy** - Primary sources preferred, secondary verified
- **Attribution clear** - Readers must know source of every claim
- **Balance required** - Multiple perspectives fairly represented
- **Copy editing matters** - Grammar errors undermine credibility

## References

- [OSINT Framework](https://osintframework.com/) - Open Source Intelligence Tools
- [AP Stylebook Online](https://www.apstylebook.com/)
- [Reuters Handbook of Journalism](https://www.trust.org/contentAsset/raw-data/652966ab-c90b-4252-b4a5-db8ed1d438ce/file)
- [Poynter Institute - Fact-Checking Standards](https://www.poynter.org/)
- [International Fact-Checking Network Code of Principles](https://www.poynter.org/ifcn/)
- [Swedish Press Ombudsman Editorial Guidelines](https://po.se/)
- [European Journalism Centre](https://ejc.net/)

---

**Use this skill when**: Writing political news articles, editing submissions for quality and style, fact-checking claims before publication, training journalists on editorial standards, or establishing quality assurance processes for news operations.


---

## 🔗 Integration with agentic workflows & analysis artifacts

This skill is consumed by the 11 agentic news workflows in `.github/workflows/news-*.md`. The authoritative contract lives in [`.github/prompts/README.md`](../../prompts/README.md); this skill supplies domain expertise on top of that contract.

- **Analysis product** → [`ai-driven-analysis-guide.md`](../../../analysis/methodologies/ai-driven-analysis-guide.md) + every template in [`analysis/templates/`](../../../analysis/templates/).
- **Required before any article**: 9 core artifacts (14 for Tier-C) in `analysis/daily/$ARTICLE_DATE/$SUBFOLDER/`; [`05-analysis-gate.md`](../../prompts/05-analysis-gate.md) is the single blocking gate.
- **gh-aw v0.69.3** docs: [abridged](https://github.github.com/gh-aw/llms-small.txt) · [complete](https://github.github.com/gh-aw/llms-full.txt) · [blog series](https://github.github.com/gh-aw/_llms-txt/agentic-workflows.txt).

## 📏 Measurable Editorial Quality Bar (CI-enforced)

The following metrics are enforced by `scripts/validate-article.ts` (Checks 7–9) as blocking CI checks:

| Metric | Threshold | Code | Source |
|--------|-----------|------|--------|
| **Banned phrases** | 0 hits | `banned-phrase-detected` | [`political-style-guide.json`](../../../analysis/methodologies/political-style-guide.json) |
| **Citation density** | ≤ 200 words/anchor (default) | `low-citation-density` | [`reference-quality-thresholds.json`](../../../analysis/methodologies/reference-quality-thresholds.json) → `aiFirst.citationDensity.perArticle` |
| **economicProvenance vintage** | ≤ 6 months or annotated | `stale-economic-provenance` | [ECONOMIC_DATA_CONTRACT.md](../../aw/ECONOMIC_DATA_CONTRACT.md) |
| **Pass-2 attestation** | mtime > birth + 180s | Check 6 in gate | `05-analysis-gate.md` |

### Pass-2 improvement metrics (tracked in `methodology-reflection.md`)

- Net word-count change: ≥ 5% between Pass-1 and Pass-2 artifacts
- Citation count delta: must increase
- Banned-phrase count: must reach 0 by Pass-2 end