EDITORIAL STANDARDS DESK Updated 18:42

Our standards, in writing.

COMESPORTSBUZZ publishes its editorial standards in full. The document covers sourcing, conflicts of interest, corrections, the use of AI, social media, the relationship with the commercial side and the publication of predictions.

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SOURCING

How we source our stories

Five rules the COMESPORTSBUZZ desk follows every day.

Single source on record

We do not run a transfer, line-up, injury or venue-change story until a club statement, an agency report or a verified beat reporter confirms it. Anonymous tips are a starting point, not the end.

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Wire copy is rewritten

Where the desk uses a wire feed (Reuters, AFP, PA, ANI), the wire copy is rewritten before publication and the source is credited in line.

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Stats are linked

Every number on the COMESPORTSBUZZ desk links back to a public scorecard or a verified third-party provider. We do not estimate.

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Predicted vs confirmed

Predicted line-ups and predicted brackets are clearly marked. Confirmed line-ups are tagged separately when they arrive. The two are never mixed.

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CORRECTIONS

The corrections policy

When we get something wrong, we publish a dated correction at the foot of the article. We do not make silent edits.

CORRECTIONS

How we correct ourselves.

The COMESPORTSBUZZ corrections policy has three principles. They apply to every article on the desk - from the homepage hero to the last archived news brief.

Dated corrections, always. A correction is appended to the foot of the article with the date it was issued, the original wording and the corrected wording. The original article is not silently rewritten.

Material corrections are flagged. When a correction changes the conclusion of an article (for example, a final score or a confirmed transfer fee), the article is flagged with a "corrected" notice at the top until the next refresh.

The corrections log is public. Every correction issued in the last 90 days appears on the corrections log, with the article link and the date of correction. The log is updated daily.

1
Score corrections. A score correction issued inside 60 minutes of full time is a routine correction. The score is updated in line and a brief correction note is appended.
2
Transfer corrections. A transfer correction (for example, a fee structure or a contract length) issued inside 24 hours of publication is treated as material. The article is flagged.
3
Quotation corrections. A quotation correction (for example, a misheard press conference answer) is always material. The original quotation and the corrected quotation are both preserved in line.
4
Photo corrections. A photo correction (for example, a miscaptioned player) is appended as a dated note. The photo is replaced with the corrected version and the original caption is preserved in the note.

PREDICTIONS

The predictions policy

Predictions are opinions. The COMESPORTSBUZZ desk publishes the pick, the reasoning and the alternative scenarios - never a guarantee.

One pick per sport

The desk publishes one pick per sport, every day. Cricket and football are mandatory; the third pick rotates across tennis, kabaddi and basketball.

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Honest confidence

A confidence rating is the editor's honest read of the probability range. We never publish a confidence of 90% or above because we don't believe such certainty exists.

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Past performance is public

The desk publishes a rolling 30-day record on the archive page. We do not cherry-pick. We do not hide losing picks.

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The use of AI in research

COMESPORTSBUZZ uses AI tools only for research, transcription and stat-checking. Every published article is written or edited by a named journalist.

AI is research only

The desk uses AI tools to summarise transcripts, surface older scorecards and check the consistency of stat tables. AI tools do not write published content.

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Every article has a byline

Every article on the desk carries a named byline. Wire copy is credited in line and rewritten before publication.

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AI imagery is labelled

When the desk publishes an AI-generated image, it is labelled in the image alt text and in the surrounding caption. The desk prefers editorial photography where available.

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CONFLICTS

Conflicts of interest

Every editor and correspondent on the COMESPORTSBUZZ desk files an annual conflicts-of-interest disclosure with the standards editor. The standards editor publishes a summary of the disclosures on the standards page.

STANDARDS

Read the full standards document

The COMESPORTSBUZZ editorial standards are 4,200 words long and cover everything you have read above plus the social media policy, the use of unnamed sources and the relationship with the commercial side.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

A short list of common questions. Can't find what you're looking for? Try the contact desk.

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Where do I send an editorial complaint?

[email protected]. The standards editor responds inside 48 hours during the working week.

Can I see the conflicts-of-interest disclosures?

A summary is published on the standards page. Full disclosures are available on request to [email protected].

How do I send a confidential tip?

[email protected] is the encrypted email address. The standards page also publishes a SecureDrop instance for documents you cannot attach to email.

HOW THIS DESK WORKS

How the COMESPORTSBUZZ desk operates

The editorial routine that runs every section of COMESPORTSBUZZ, from the morning brief to the corrections log.

The morning brief

Published at 06:00 IST, the morning brief summarises overnight football results, the day's cricket fixtures, the editor pick of the day and one correction from the previous day. The brief is written by the desk editor on shift, with input from the cricket, football and tennis correspondents.

The live desk

The live desk refreshes inside 30 seconds of every wicket, goal and set point. Score ticks, possession and run rate update on the same cadence as the official scorecard. The desk runs 24 hours, with overnight cover from the London and New York offices.

The corrections log

Every correction issued in the last 90 days appears on the corrections log, with the article link, the date of correction and the corrected text. The log is updated daily. We do not make silent edits.

The standards editor

The standards editor reviews conflicts-of-interest disclosures, signs off on the use of unnamed sources, and reviews every correction before it is published. The standards editor reports directly to the desk editor and has a separate escalation path to the publisher.

The data desk

The data desk maintains the live scoreboard, the standings tables and the verified stats referenced in every story. The data desk is staffed by two full-time editors and is supported by a network of stringers who cover regional cricket, lower-division football and the international kabaddi circuit.

The night brief

The night brief is published at 22:30 IST and summarises the day's results, the editor verdict on the day's three biggest matches, and a look ahead to the next day's fixtures. The night brief is written by the on-shift editor and edited by the standards editor before publication.

DEEPER COVERAGE

More from this desk

A closer look at the topics we cover most often.

The use of unnamed sources

The COMESPORTSBUZZ desk uses unnamed sources sparingly. A story may quote an unnamed source only when the information cannot be sourced on the record, when the source has a direct connection to the story (and is not a third-hand rumour) and when the desk believes the source is acting in good faith.

Every use of an unnamed source is reviewed by the standards editor before publication. The standards editor signs off on the use of the source, the wording of the attribution and the level of detail that can be published about the source's role.

The social media policy

COMESPORTSBUZZ journalists are allowed to have personal social media accounts. They are not allowed to share unverified tips or rumours on social media. They are not allowed to attack colleagues at other publications on social media. They are not allowed to share their political views on social media.

The desk maintains a separate COMESPORTSBUZZ social media account on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. The desk does not use social media as a publishing platform - all editorial content is published on comesportsbuzz.com first, and shared to social media second.

THE STANDARDS IN PRACTICE

What else to know

A day in the newsroom

A typical day in the COMESPORTSBUZZ newsroom starts at 06:00 IST, when the morning brief is published. The desk editor on shift arrives at 05:30 to write the brief and to review the overnight news. The on-shift journalist for each sport arrives at 08:00 and starts filing copy for the day's coverage.

The live desk runs from 09:00 to midnight, with the on-shift editor covering the live windows. The night brief is published at 22:30 IST. The London desk takes over at 18:00 BST for the European football coverage. The New York desk takes over at 18:00 EST for the NBA coverage.

The use of social media in reporting

COMESPORTSBUZZ journalists use social media as a sourcing tool. A tweet from a verified club account, a press conference clip posted by a verified player, or a transfer rumour shared by a credible beat reporter can all be the starting point for a story. The desk does not use anonymous social media accounts as sources.

The desk does not publish stories based solely on social media activity. A tweet, a post or a story is the start of the reporting, not the end. The desk verifies the information with a second source before publishing, and tags the story accordingly.