MalikTimes

Last Updated: May 13, 2026 Effective From: January 1, 2024 Publisher: MalikTimes | maliktimes.in Editor-in-Chief: Parvez Ali

In a world where a funding announcement can be exaggerated by a zeroes, where a startup’s “100x growth” can mean almost anything, and where press releases are often dressed up as news — fact-checking is not a department. It is a discipline. It is the difference between journalism and noise.

At MalikTimes, we check facts because we believe our readers deserve accurate information — not because a policy document tells us to. This page explains exactly how we do it.

1. Our Commitment

Every piece of content published on maliktimes.in — whether a breaking news story, a funding report, a founder interview, or an opinion piece — passes through a defined verification process before it reaches our readers.

We do not publish first and correct later as a standard practice. We verify first, publish when we are satisfied, and correct openly and promptly when we are wrong.

We align our fact-checking standards with internationally recognised frameworks including the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) Code of Principles, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics, and the Press Council of India guidelines.

2. What We Fact-Check

All Published Content Is Subject to Verification

We apply our fact-checking standards to:

• News reports — funding announcements, startup launches, regulatory developments, corporate news
• Data and statistics — growth figures, market size claims, valuation numbers, revenue data
• Quotes and statements — attributed to founders, investors, government officials, or any named individual
• Company claims — product capabilities, user metrics, operational claims made in press releases or interviews
• Analysis and explainers — background facts, historical context, industry benchmarks
• Opinion pieces — the factual assertions within opinion content are verified, even where the overall argument reflects the author’s personal view

What We Do Not Fact-Check on Behalf of Others

We are a news publication, not a third-party fact-checking service. We do not fact-check content published by other outlets, social media posts, political advertisements, or claims circulating on messaging platforms unless they are directly relevant to a story we are reporting.

3. Our Fact-Checking Process — Step by Step

Step 1: Primary Source Verification

Every factual claim in a story must be traced to its original source before publication. We do not accept secondary or aggregated sources as the sole basis for a claim.

Primary sources we use include:

• Official regulatory filings — Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) records, SEBI disclosures, RBI notifications, stock exchange filings
• Government data — official releases from DPIIT, MeitY, PIB, and other relevant bodies
• Court records — for any story involving litigation or legal proceedings
• Company-issued statements — press releases, investor letters, official blog posts
• Direct on-record quotes — from interviews conducted by our reporters
• Verified financial documents — balance sheets, term sheets, cap tables, where lawfully obtained
• Peer-reviewed research — for technology claims or scientific assertions
• Publicly available databases — Crunchbase, Tracxn, PitchBook, and similar, used as leads to verify — not as final sources

Step 2: Two-Source Rule

For any significant factual claim — particularly those involving funding amounts, valuations, revenue figures, legal matters, or allegations — we require verification from a minimum of two independent sources before publication.

“Independent” means the sources cannot be drawing from the same original document or briefing. Two journalists who attended the same press conference are not two independent sources for the claims made at that conference.

Where a second independent source cannot be obtained, the claim is either held until it can be verified, published with explicit qualification (e.g. “according to a single source familiar with the matter”), or not published.

Step 3: Right of Reply

For any story that contains a negative claim, allegation, or critical characterisation of a named individual, company, or organisation — we contact them before publication and offer a fair opportunity to respond.

Our standard right-of-reply window is 24 hours for standard stories and 2–4 hours for time-sensitive breaking news, clearly communicated to the subject at the time of contact.

If the subject declines to comment, does not respond within the window, or cannot be reached despite reasonable effort — this is noted in the published story. Silence is not assumed to be confirmation.

Step 4: Senior Editorial Review

Before any story is published, it is reviewed by a senior editor who:

• Checks that all factual claims are sourced and verifiable
• Flags any claims that require additional verification or carry legal risk
• Ensures that the distinction between verified fact, attributed claim, and editorial analysis is clear throughout the piece
• Reviews the framing of the story for accuracy and fairness

Stories involving allegations, legal matters, or sensitive personal information are additionally reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief, Parvez Ali, before publication.

Step 5: Legal Sensitivity Check

For stories that carry potential legal risk — defamation exposure, sub judice matters, allegations of criminal conduct, or coverage of ongoing regulatory proceedings — we conduct a legal sensitivity review before publication.

We follow the sub judice rule: we report on court proceedings factually and do not publish commentary that could prejudice a case in progress. We do not publish unverified allegations of criminal conduct as statements of fact.

4. Sourcing Standards

Named Sources

We prefer named, on-record sources. A journalist’s credibility — and ours — rests on being able to show our work. Where a source is named, readers can assess the source’s standing and potential bias for themselves.

Anonymous Sources

We use anonymous sources only when:

• The information is of genuine public interest and cannot be obtained any other way
• The source faces a credible risk — professional, personal, or legal — if identified
• The source’s identity is known to the Editor-in-Chief or a senior editor
• The information can be corroborated through at least one additional independent source or piece of documentation

When anonymous sources are used, we tell readers:

• That the source has requested anonymity
• The general nature of the source’s connection to the story (e.g. “a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations”, “a former senior executive at the company”)
• Why anonymity was granted, where that can be explained without compromising the source

We do not grant anonymity simply because a source finds the topic uncomfortable or wants to avoid accountability.

Press Releases & Company Submissions

Press releases are treated as the starting point for a story — not the story itself. Claims made in press releases are verified independently where possible. We identify within our reporting when information originates from a company-issued release.

Startup submissions to MalikTimes are processed under the same standard. A company’s own account of its growth, metrics, or achievements is a claim to be verified — not a fact to be published verbatim.

5. Numbers, Data & Financial Claims

Startup journalism is particularly vulnerable to the misuse of numbers. Vanity metrics. Inflated valuations. “ARR” that includes projections. “Users” that includes inactive accounts.

We apply the following standards to numerical claims:

• Funding figures are verified against official announcements, regulatory filings, or direct confirmation from the company and at least one investor
• Valuation claims are attributed as claims — not stated as objective facts — unless independently verified through filings or credible third-party sources
• Revenue and growth figures are attributed to their source (e.g. “the company says”, “according to filings”) and flagged where they cannot be independently verified
• Market size and industry statistics are traced to their original research source, which is linked or cited in the story
• Comparative or superlative claims (“India’s fastest growing”, “the first startup to”) are verified before use or removed

If a number cannot be verified — it does not go in as a fact. It goes in as a claim, attributed to whoever made it.

6. Corrections Policy

We are human. We make mistakes. When we do, we fix them — visibly, honestly, and without delay.

Our corrections process:

• Minor factual errors (incorrect name spelling, wrong designation, misattributed quote) are corrected within 24 hours of being identified, with a correction note at the top of the article stating what was wrong and what the correct information is
• Significant factual errors (incorrect figures, material misrepresentation of events, wrong attribution of a claim) are corrected immediately upon verification, with a prominent correction notice and, where appropriate, an editorial note explaining how the error occurred
• Articles are never silently edited. Every correction is documented. If you return to an article you read previously and the content has changed, there will be a correction notice telling you what changed and why
• Articles are not deleted to erase errors. Removal of published content is reserved for exceptional circumstances — such as legal necessity or the safety of an individual — and even then, a note explaining the removal is published at the original URL

How to submit a correction:

If you believe something we have published is factually incorrect, we want to know. Write to us at:

corrections@maliktimes.in

Please include the URL of the article, the specific claim you believe is incorrect, and — if you have it — the evidence or source that supports the correction. We acknowledge all correction requests within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 5 working days.

We do not require corrections to come from the subjects of our stories. Readers, industry professionals, researchers, and anyone else who spots an error is welcome — and encouraged — to tell us.

7. Updates & Developing Stories

News changes. Situations develop. What we report at 10am may need to be updated by 3pm.

When a story is updated with new information:

• A clearly visible “Updated” timestamp is added to the article
• A brief note at the top or bottom of the piece explains what information has been added or changed
• The original published version is not erased — context for what was known at the time of original publication is preserved where relevant

For major developing stories, we may publish multiple updates within a single article rather than creating multiple separate pieces — so that the record of how a story developed is clear and accessible in one place.

8. Opinion, Analysis & Sponsored Content

Opinion pieces reflect the views of the named author. We verify the factual assertions within opinion content — dates, figures, named events — but the argument itself is the author’s own. Opinion content is always clearly labelled.

Analysis and explainer content is held to the same factual standard as news reporting. Background facts, historical claims, and cited data are verified before publication.

Sponsored and branded content is clearly labelled as such. We review sponsored content for factual accuracy — we do not publish false or misleading claims in commercial content any more than we would in editorial content. However, sponsored content represents the views of the commissioning partner, and readers should be aware of that context.

9. AI & Automated Content

MalikTimes does not publish AI-generated articles. All content on our platform is written by human journalists and contributors.

AI-assisted tools may be used by our team for research support and preliminary information gathering — but every claim derived from any source, including AI tools, is independently verified before it is treated as a publishable fact. AI-generated output is treated with the same scepticism as any unverified secondary source.

We do not use automated content-generation tools to produce news stories, financial reports, or any other published editorial content.

10. Transparency & Accountability

We believe fact-checking only works when it is visible. That means:

• We show our sources — we link to original documents, filings, and external reports wherever possible, so readers can verify our reporting for themselves
• We distinguish clearly between what we know, what we are told, and what we believe to be the most likely interpretation of available evidence
• We report our own errors — we do not wait for external pressure to correct mistakes
• We are reachable — our editorial team can be contacted at editorial@maliktimes.in. We do not hide behind anonymous editorial decisions

11. Contact Our Editorial & Corrections Team

Corrections: corrections@maliktimes.in Editorial enquiries: editorial@maliktimes.in Story tips: tips@maliktimes.in General: hello@maliktimes.in

MalikTimes Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India maliktimes.in

Getting it right matters more than getting it first. That is not just a policy — it is how we think about our work every day.