Corrections policy

Last updated 28 September 2026

How to report an error

Email privacy@stateoftherealm.org with the subject line "Correction". Please include:

• the title of the article and, if you can, a link to it;
• the passage or figure you believe is wrong;
• what you believe the correct position is, and any source supporting it.

You do not need to be a member to report an error, and you may ask to remain anonymous in any published correction.

How quickly we respond

• We acknowledge every report within five working days.
• Clear factual errors are corrected as soon as they are verified, usually within two working days.
• Disputed or complex claims are investigated against the primary sources, and we aim to reach a decision within twenty eight days. We tell you if it will take longer, and why.

What we publish

• Correction. A factual error is fixed in the article, with a dated note at the foot of the page describing what was wrong and what changed. We do not silently edit published text.
• Clarification. Where wording was accurate but open to misreading, we sharpen it and record the change in the same dated note.
• Update. Where events move on or official figures are revised, we update the article and date the update, keeping the original position visible where its history matters.
• Retraction. If the central claim of an article proves unsound, the article is clearly labelled as retracted, our reasons are stated, and the retraction stays on the site rather than being quietly deleted.

Corrections carry the same prominence as the error. If a mistake appeared in a headline, summary or the weekly briefing email, the correction appears there too.

Credit and record

Where a reader identifies a mistake we publish, we credit them unless they ask us not to. Every correction remains attached to its article so the record of what changed is permanent and public.

If you are not satisfied

If you believe we have not dealt with your report properly, write again to privacy@stateoftherealm.org marking your message "Escalation". The Editor in Chief reviews escalated complaints personally and replies in writing. Our wider obligations are set out in the Editorial Code of Practice.