THIP Media: Editorial Guidelines and Policies

The purpose of the editorial team is to ensure that every piece of content on THIP Media is evidence based and created in consultation with medical experts. The editorial team is also responsible for publishing the content in multiple Indian languages and ensure it reaches out to the relevant audience.

Our mission is to bring the most unbiased, honest, accurate and relevant information related to health for people living in India.

Why do we need THIP Media?

India is a country with diverse culture, multiple languages, multi-disciplinary medical system and a low doctor penetration ratio. This creates a dearth of easy to understand health information and leaves the common man vulnerable to health misinformation. THIP Media aims to bridge that gap and improve health literacy among the common people. We publish verified health information. We fact check health misinformation. Check the video below to understand more on why we created THIP Media.

What do we publish on THIP Media

THIP Media's content grid is designed to give the users and all-round views around a particular health problem. Every content is based on medical evidence and is created in consultation with experts. The content grid at THIP Media includes:

• News related to Healthcare Industry
• Health information in form of Q&A, Expert Columns and Videos
• Feature Stories covering public health problems, start-up innovations and survivor stories
• Interviews with experts around public health issues and problems associated with health misinformation
• A quarterly print magazine

How do we decide on a topic to Fact Check or a question to answer

Content topics on THIP Media are driven by relevancy and need. We generally source editorial topics from 3 primary sources:

• User Generated Topics: Our readers regularly send us questions for which they want answers or topics they want to be fact checked. The requests from the readers come through mail and on your WhatsApp helpline / RAKSHA BOT. Read more about RAKSHA here .
• Social Media Monitoring: Our team works in partnerships with social media platforms to identify viral health claims that needs to be fact checked or questions that needs to be answered. Read more about our partnerships with social media platforms here.
• Expert driven topics: THIP Media works with qualified medical professionals across India. Such medical professionals advice us on various health questions they frequently face or misinformation they identify.

How do we create evidence based answers or fact check misinformation

Creating content on THIP Media is a 3 step process - drafting the story on the basis of available medical research based evidence, grammar and spelling check and review by experts. As and when required, the editorial team uses fact-checking tools and consults relevant medical professionals while dealing with a viral misinformation on social media. The content is further translated to reach a maximum audience base. To understand more on how the editorial team works at THIP Media, watch the video below.

For Fact Checking specifically, we try identifying the source of the generating information including location related to the news or opinion. This help us understand the bias (eg. local superstition, medical beliefs) behind the information and investigate further.

In case of a news, we perform a fact check by reaching out to the person or the entity and seek evidence to support the claim. We first seek the claimant’s reaction, if possible. We also reach out to relevant officials, institutions to understand the truth of the matter. We also cross-verify findings of primary research against multiple news reports, official declarations, expert opinion, past references of similar nature etc.

For opinion pieces, we refer to any research or authentic sources published regarding the matter.

Involvement of Experts: Once we verify the source and basic authenticity of the material, it is then further passed on to be reviewed by a certified medical professional (Medical Review Team) from the relevant genres. Most materials on THIP are cross verified with comments from the members in the Medical Review Team.

If required, Fact Check Team seeks further opinion and comment on the matter from external medical professionals or people associated with medical research in the relevant domain.

Fact Checking Tools: The investigation (fact check) is done using Google Reverse Image Search, InVid, Stalkscan, Foller.me, Whois and similar other tools. We provide screenshots and hyperlinks where possible within our stories pointing to the source of information and evidence used to reach a conclusion so that readers can themselves track authenticity.

How do we rate misinformation we fact check

Every misinformation is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 denotes False and 5 denotes True. THIP Media updates the claim review schema to send signals to search engines about the authenticity of the content. On the website, the content is published with a clear marking on the claim. The various markers we use in this regard are :

False

rating

Mostly False

Rating

Half True

Fact Check Rating

Mostly True

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True

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We try to present verified facts in a simple, precise and question-answer format. We try to maintain a similar format for all our fact check content pieces for easier readability.

Our Fact Check Team refrain from general editorial opinion outside what the fact suggests and leave the medical opinion to medical experts in our Medical Review Team, and external medical experts.

How do we promote, collect feedback and update or make corrections to our content

We take a lot of effort in promoting our content. After publication of a fact checked report, we send it across to medical professionals, fact checkers and subscribers across the world through our newsletter. We also translate the content into multiple regional languages, and in multiple content formats (eg. Image, Video). This helps a particular content piece to reach out to maximum audience.

We also closely monitor feedback from our audiences through comments on social media.

Because of the nature of the content, any correction request is sought only through email at [email protected] along with supporting research documents, if possible.

If an error is brought to our notice, we examine it thoroughly and, if necessary, effect an update or correction in accordance with our correction policy.

Medical Science is a constantly changing field with researches happening across multiple genres in multiple locations. Hence we accept that every piece of information is subject to change. We make active efforts to periodically review every piece of information and keep them updated.

While we make all the efforts to keep our content relevant and up to date, we value feedback and encourage readers to send request for corrections. Because of the nature of the content, any correction request is sought only through email at [email protected] along with supporting research documents, if possible.

In case we receive any complaint regarding the inaccuracy of our content, we immediately put it on hold and determine the facts. Once the facts have been examined, we take a considered decision and appropriately respond to the feedback. Depending on the authenticity and magnitude of the mistake/error, we remove/edit the published information or duly inform the reader.

Last update date is mentioned on every fact check article and Q&A. An editorial note is always added at the bottom of the content piece whenever any major changes related to the fact of the article is done. Grammatical, spelling and language corrections are often not mentioned.

THIP Media is a signatory of International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). In case you are not happy with any of our response to your correction requests, you can write to IFCN. Click Here.

How do we maintain our non-partisanship

THIP Media is strongly committed to its non-partisanship policy under the guidelines of International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). Our funding sources and associations are honestly noted down on this website for all our readers to see. In addition to this, every editorial team member signs a non-partisanship agreement with the company that defines a certain set of internal guideline and code-of-conduct.

However, we recognize individual THIP employees may have political opinion of their own. While we prohibit them from official affiliation to any political party or health organization, we do not hold them back from discussing or expressing their support or beliefs in public forums including social media, so long as they do not use their THIP affiliation. Editorial employees are strictly discouraged to use their work at THIP to represent or counsel candidates or officials at public events or in the media.

We do not track political or medical affiliation of our external expert review team. Being volunteer participants to THIP's mission, we have limited say or control on the political activities of such members. However, their comments are strictly monitored by the members of the Internal Editorial Team.

THIP Media answers ONLY health/medical queries and fact checks news and claims related to health. We do not deal with content political in nature. Wherever, the claimant is a political party or person with political affiliation, we fact check the merit of the content and support it with relevant research, expert quotes etc.

Any content, answer and fact check is done by fact checking experts and certified medical professionals. And each piece of content goes through the review desk of more than one person to remove bias, if any.

No content on THIP Media advocates any company, person, or medicine brand. We stand by our ethical stand of ‘No Influences Policy’ which ensures that no content is influenced by any external bias.