Is this reporting, opinion, advertising or a press release?

A news report, opinion column and advertisement can discuss the same policy while doing different jobs. Before evaluating the message, identify what it presents itself as and who is responsible for it.

Reporting should let you distinguish what was observed, documented or said. Opinion advances an interpretation or judgement. Advertising is a paid promotional message. These are useful reading categories, not a guarantee that real publications keep them perfectly separate.

Separate the factual claim from the argument

“This policy is unfair” is a judgement that needs its reasoning explained. “This policy excludes this defined group under this clause” is a factual or legal claim that needs the relevant text. An opinion label does not excuse inventing that supporting fact.

Conversely, a report quoting someone’s accusation establishes that the accusation was made only if the quotation is supported. It does not automatically establish the accusation itself. Follow the citation or recording to see which claim the evidence supports.

Tracing a statement to its origin is part of the SIFT verification method. Counting several articles repeating one press release is not a substitute for examining that origin. 1

Examine the money without skipping the evidence

Look for a sponsorship label, named advertiser, author affiliation and disclosed relationship relevant to the topic. Keep ownership and funding questions specific: who controls or paid for this message, and what evidence establishes that relationship?

A documented conflict may be a reason for closer scrutiny. It is not a logical proof that every sentence is false. Equally, a message does not become independent reporting merely because it appears in a familiar publication or resembles its editorial design.

Hypothetical example: A paid page praises a project and links a spending announcement. The payment label explains an incentive. The announcement establishes what was announced. Neither establishes that the project delivered the claimed benefit.

Political advertising has a distinct election context

ECI’s release of 20 March 2026, issued in the context of specified assembly elections and by-elections, describes pre-certification through Media Certification and Monitoring Committees for political advertisements in electronic media, including social media. It also describes district and state arrangements. 2

Do not stretch that release into a statement that every ordinary political opinion post requires certification. To assess a particular campaign message, check the applicable election instructions and the kind of material involved.

Nor does the existence of a certification process establish, by itself, that a claim has been independently fact-checked or that a policy worked. Those remain evidentiary questions. This is an interpretation limit, not an allegation that a particular certificate was improperly issued.

A useful reading habit

Identify the message type, producer, relevant financial relationship and central checkable claim. Then follow the original evidence and look for material context the message omitted.

Use the same test for a message you agree with. A flattering label such as “independent”, “citizen journalism” or “official” is a description to investigate, not a replacement for evidence.