Ratings
What is the rating?
The rating measures a journalist’s reliability based on the accuracy of their claims. It considers true, false, unverifiable, and pending claims, but
with additional weight applied to unverifiable claims.
How is the rating calculated?
The rating is calculated using the following formula:
((T - F - (Wu × U)) / (T + F + U)) * (1 - e^(-α * (T + F + U))) * 100
Where:
- T = Number of true claims
- F = Number of false claims
- U = Number of unverifiable claims
- Wu = Weight factor applied to unverifiable claims (0.1)
- α = Confidence scaling factor (0.1)
- e = Euler's number (~2.718)
What do the scores mean?
Positive numbers mean higher reliability (mostly true claims). Numbers closer to zero means mixed reliability (true and false claims). Negative numbers
mean lower reliability (more false claims than true).
Why is there a weight factor on unverifiable claims?
The term (Wu × U) adjusts the impact of unverifiable claims on the rating. Unverifiable claims are included because they introduce uncertainty about a
source's reliability. If a source frequently makes claims that cannot be proven true or false, it raises questions about the accuracy of their
reporting. By applying a weight factor (Wu), these claims decrease the score slightly to account for this uncertainty, ensuring that journalists who
consistently provide verifiable information are rated more favorably than those who do not.
This emphasizes the importance of unverifiable claims in assessing overall reliability, while still acknowledging their more neutral nature compared to
outright false claims.
How are Pending claims treated?
Pending claims are neutral and don’t affect the score until resolved.
Why use a confidence factor?
The confidence factor prevents inflated ratings for journalists with few claims. It increases with the number of claims, making the rating more reliable
as more claims are made.