R0002/2026-03-13/C011/H1¶
Statement¶
Journalism and fact-checking are purely principles-based and lack all three specified features (formal evidence hierarchies, calibrated uncertainty scales, structured bias assessment domains).
Status¶
Current: Weakened
Supporting Evidence¶
| Evidence | Summary |
|---|---|
| SRC01-E01 | SPJ code is explicitly "not a set of rules, rather a guide" — voluntary, no enforcement |
| SRC01-E02 | No evidence hierarchy, uncertainty scale, or bias domains in SPJ code |
| SRC02-E02 | No evidence hierarchy, uncertainty scale, or bias assessment domains in IFCN code |
Contradicting Evidence¶
| Evidence | Summary |
|---|---|
| SRC02-E01 | IFCN requires signatories to publish their methodology — not purely principles-based |
| SRC04-E01 | Fact-checking has verification procedures, structured rating scales (e.g., Truth-O-Meter) |
Reasoning¶
H1 is supported for the specific absences (no evidence hierarchies, no calibrated uncertainty scales, no structured bias assessment domains). However, the "purely principles-based" characterization is contradicted by the IFCN's methodology requirement and fact-checking organizations' use of verification procedures and structured rating scales. The binary framing oversimplifies. H1 is weakened because the principles-vs-methodology distinction is not as clean as the claim implies.
Relationship to Other Hypotheses¶
Mutually exclusive with H3. Overlaps significantly with H2, which captures the nuance that specific absences hold even if the overall framing is oversimplified.