Editorial policy

This policy explains how Fica News chooses, checks and publishes stories. We follow the Media Council of Kenya's Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism.

Accuracy first

• Every number, name, title, date and place must be supported by a reliable source, word for word. What we can't confirm, we don't publish — we don't keep it in with “reportedly” or “may”.
• We prefer primary sources: government departments, courts, the central bank, company filings, and the organisations involved. When we rely on other media, we say so.
• The English and Chinese versions of a story must state the same facts and figures; we compare the figures in both versions line by line.
• The main sources for each story are listed at its end, so readers can check them.

Our process and AI

We use AI tools to help with research, first drafts, translation and checking. AI never publishes anything on its own. Every story goes through:

1. Fact-checking: each claim is checked against its source, anything unconfirmed is cut, and the supporting source text for every fact is recorded;
2. Copy desk review: an independent re-check of the facts and figures, the language, legal risk, and fairness of the wording;
3. The editor's approval: a human editor reviews and edits every story before it is published.

Stories bylined “Fica News Desk” are produced collectively by the newsroom under this process.

Fairness

• We keep fact and opinion apart; analysis is labelled as such, and opinions are attributed.
• When we report allegations or disputes, we name the source and, wherever possible, give those involved a chance to respond.
• We take no side in Kenyan party politics, and we report China–Africa relations factually and constructively, without avoiding facts.
• We take particular care with ethnicity, religion, elections, protests and security, and never sensationalise or incite.

Protecting sources and people

• We protect the identity of anonymous sources; reader tips are seen only by the newsroom.
• We do not identify children in sensitive stories or survivors of sexual violence.
• Until a court has ruled, we call people suspects or accused, not criminals.

Pictures

We use our own photographs, licensed images, or images whose licence allows use (such as Wikimedia Commons, Unsplash and Pexels), with credit. Posters and publicity images in the events guide come from organisers' or ticketing sites' public pages and are credited.

Independence

We don't accept payment for coverage, and advertisers or partners have no say over what we report. If we publish sponsored or partner content in future, it will be clearly labelled and kept apart from our journalism.

Reader comments

Comments appear only after an editor has approved them. Personal attacks, hate speech, advertising and off-topic posts are not published.

Mistakes

See our corrections policy.