Editorial standards

Editorial Standards

These rules define how the Holos Pravdy editorial process distinguishes fact from interpretation, translation from original, and how every reader can verify each claim.

1. Citations and quotations

Every factual statement in an article carries a reference to its source — marked by a number in square brackets, such as [1]. Clicking the number jumps to the References block at the foot of the article, where three types of quotation are distinguished.

  • verbatim A word-for-word quotation from the source (video, document, book). The original language and punctuation are preserved.
  • paraphrase A close restatement of a passage in our own words. It preserves the meaning and logic but is not word-for-word.
  • summary A condensed conclusion drawn from a longer passage. Used when a single sentence must convey an idea developed over several minutes of discussion.

Beside each quotation we give the exact timecode (for video sources — a deep link to the precise second on YouTube) and a link to the page of the source itself with the full context.

2. Sources

A separate Sources block lists the materials an article rests on: books, academic articles, archival documents, statutory acts, web publications. Each entry carries a type, an author, a year and (where possible) a direct link.

3. Translations

The original language is dictated by the language of the source (often Russian — because the author conducts his disputes with Russian-speaking opponents). When an article is a translation, a badge appears in the header: “🌐 Translated from the RU original”. Translated quotations in the References block are kept in their original language — so that the reader can check them against the video.

Tier-1 (UK, EN, RU): the translation SLA is up to 7 days from publication of the original.

Tier-2 (other languages): translations are updated ad hoc; articles more than 30 days older than the updated original are flagged with a staleTranslation badge.

4. Terminology guide

A separate internal document fixes the terms we do NOT calque from propaganda newspeak: instead of “SMO” — “the Russian invasion”, instead of “DPR/LPR” — “temporarily occupied territories”, instead of “civil war in the East” — “the Russo-Ukrainian war”. The guide is applied automatically at the translation stage.

5. Corrections and corrigenda

If you have found a factual error, write to the editor. Corrections are versioned: the date and substance of the change are recorded in the git history of the article, and for significant edits — in a note at the foot of the page.