EDITORIAL STANDARDS
How Football Talk handles breaking news, transfers and corrections
Fast football news is only useful if readers can tell what is confirmed, what is developing and what is Football Talk opinion.
Football Talk covers a sport in which information changes by the minute. Transfers develop, team news changes and decisions are clarified after matches. Speed matters, but clarity matters more.
Confirmed, developing and opinion
We aim to distinguish between information that has been officially confirmed and a developing report. Transfer speculation should not be presented as a completed deal simply because it is attracting attention. Likewise, a Football Talk verdict should be identifiable as commentary rather than disguised as a factual claim.
Using other publishers as sources
Football reporting is an ecosystem. Broadcasters, clubs, leagues, governing bodies and other publishers will often break information first. When Football Talk relies on that reporting, the useful thing we can add is selection, context, explanation or our own analysis — not a lightly rewritten copy of the source.
Where practical, source links allow readers to inspect the underlying report themselves. Attribution also makes clear which part of a story originated elsewhere.
Live feeds are leads, not finished journalism
Automated feeds can help us spot a story quickly. They should not be treated as a substitute for editorial judgement. A headline appearing in a feed does not automatically make it worthy of publication, and automatically generated debate prompts should not be mistaken for original analysis.
Corrections
If a factual statement is wrong or materially outdated, we want to correct it. Readers can contact Football Talk with the page, the disputed information and any useful supporting source. Genuine correction requests are reviewed rather than ignored because a story has already been published.
Commercial relationships
Advertising and partnerships help support Football Talk, but commercial relationships should not decide an editorial verdict. Sponsored material should be distinguishable from ordinary editorial where appropriate.