Who is responsible for fact-checking at Kelowna Daily?
Fact-checking at Kelowna Daily is led by Andrew Leblanc, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, who reports directly to Editor-in-Chief Catherine Roy. Pacific Ridge Digital Media Inc., the British Columbia corporation that owns and operates the site, ensures that every article published meets our verification standards.
Andrew Leblanc oversees the fact-checking workflow, trains staff on source evaluation, and personally reviews all sensitive or high-impact pieces before publication. Catherine Roy retains final authority over editorial decisions, including any contested fact-checking outcomes. The full editorial team — including Marc Tremblay (Managing Editor), Hannah Walsh (Municipal Affairs Editor), Kevin Sullivan (Community & Events Correspondent), and Jessica Morin (Provincial Affairs Editor) — is trained to flag questionable claims for the Standards Lead. No article reaches publication without a documented fact-check step.
What does the fact-checking process cover?
Our fact-checking process covers every verifiable claim, data point, quote, statistic, and named source that appears in any article on Kelowna Daily. We do not limit fact-checking to news stories; it applies equally to analysis, columns, sponsored content clearly labelled as such, and affiliate-linked pieces.
Specifically, we verify: direct quotations from individuals, numerical data (budget figures, census counts, polling results), references to court rulings or legislation, historical assertions, descriptions of municipal services or policies, and any attribution of motive or intent. Fact-checking also includes confirming the identity and credentials of sources cited anonymously, where permitted under our editorial policy. The Standards Lead maintains a log of each verification step for every article, including the date and method of confirmation.
How do we rank sources?
We apply a clear source hierarchy based on reliability and proximity to the information. Our Sources & Standards page details the full ranking, but the general principle is: primary sources (official documents, direct eyewitness accounts, original data) are preferred; secondary sources (trusted news reports, academic summaries) are used with attribution; tertiary or non-attributable sources are avoided unless independently corroborated.
For municipal and provincial reporting, we prioritize public records, government press releases, council minutes, and on-the-record interviews with named officials. When we must use anonymous sources, approval from the Managing Editor is required, and the reason for anonymity is disclosed. We do not rely on user-generated content, social media posts, or third-party claims without independent verification. Any source that cannot be traced to a named individual or a verifiable document is flagged and, if used, clearly labelled as an unconfirmed lead.
How are unverified or rumoured claims handled?
We never present unverified or rumoured claims as established fact. When a story contains information that cannot be fully confirmed by the time of publication — for example, early reports of an incident or unconfirmed allegations — we label it explicitly as “unverified,” “rumour,” or “developing” in the body of the article and in the headline if appropriate.
Our policy requires that any such content include a clear explanation of what has not been verified and a commitment to update the article once confirmation is obtained. The Standards Lead reviews all stories containing unverified material before they go live. If new information changes the understanding of a story, the article is corrected or updated according to our corrections policy.
What role does the Standards Lead play in sensitive articles?
Andrew Leblanc personally reviews every article classified as sensitive — including those involving allegations of wrongdoing, criminal investigations, public health risks, vulnerable individuals, or matters of significant public controversy. This review occurs before publication and may involve consultation with legal counsel retained by Pacific Ridge Digital Media Inc.
In sensitive cases, the Standards Lead verifies each factual claim against at least two independent sources where possible, examines the context of any quoted material, and confirms that the article does not rely on anonymous sources without a documented justification. Catherine Roy is informed of all sensitive articles and may override the publication decision. This process ensures that our reporting meets the highest standard of accuracy and fairness, especially when the stakes for individuals or institutions are high.
How can readers report a potential error?
Readers who identify a potential error in any Kelowna Daily article are encouraged to report it immediately by emailing factcheck@kelownadaily.com. We investigate every report, and the Standards Lead or a designated editor will respond within two business days with an update on next steps.
When an error is confirmed, we publish a correction and update the article in line with our corrections policy. The correction notice explains what was wrong, how it was fixed, and when the change was made. Reports that do not result in a correction are logged, and the reader receives an explanation of the finding. We also welcome tips about source reliability or potential factual gaps in our coverage; these can be sent to the same address. Our full editorial team, with bios available on the Our Team page, is committed to acting on reader feedback swiftly and transparently.
Our commitments
- We verify every factual claim in every article before publication, using the highest-quality sources available.
- We clearly label unverified or rumoured information and commit to updating it once confirmed.
- We assign the Standards Lead to review all sensitive articles, with a documented two-source minimum for key claims.
- We respond to every reader error report and publish a visible correction when an error is confirmed.
- We maintain an open, publicly accessible record of our fact-checking methodology and source-ranking criteria.