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R0050/2026-03-31-02/Q001/H2
Research R0050 — Journalism Disciplines
Run 2026-03-31-02
Query Q001
Hypothesis H2

Statement

Some journalistic fact-checking frameworks include individual elements resembling one or more of the four features, but no framework integrates all four into a unified methodology.

Status

Current: Supported

Supporting Evidence

Evidence Summary
SRC02-E01 PolitiFact's six-point Truth-O-Meter is a structured claim-rating scale (resembles evidence quality scale, but rates claims not evidence)
SRC03-E01 NewsGuard's nine-criteria, 100-point scoring system with five rating tiers constitutes formal source reliability tiering
SRC03-E02 NewsGuard separates credibility criteria (62.5 pts) from transparency criteria (37.5 pts) — a structured domain approach
SRC05-E01 Bellingcat requires cross-referencing with at least 3 sources — a procedural reliability check
SRC04-E01 BBC guidelines require weighing evidence and distinguishing fact from claim, but without structured scales

Contradicting Evidence

Evidence Summary
None directly contradicts H2 H2 is the nuanced middle-ground hypothesis

Reasoning

The evidence consistently shows that journalistic frameworks contain individual structural elements that partially map to the four features:

  • Source reliability tiering: NewsGuard's 100-point system with five tiers is the closest analog to formal source reliability classification
  • Claim rating scales: PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter provides structured truthfulness ratings, though these assess claim accuracy rather than evidence quality
  • Procedural verification: Bellingcat, IFCN, and the Verification Handbook require multiple-source corroboration, which is a procedural (not structural) approach to reliability
  • Missing entirely: No framework uses calibrated uncertainty language with defined probability ranges; no framework applies structured multi-domain bias checklists

Relationship to Other Hypotheses

H2 is supported over H1 because no framework has all four features, and over H3 because meaningful structural elements do exist in several frameworks.