Methodology

Common Sense Global identifies significant news stories and locates coverage from a minimum of two sources representing different editorial perspectives, ownership structures, or media types (mainstream and independent). For each source, we document: the outlet name, a summary of their coverage, the editorial tone, media type classification, editorial leaning, corporate ownership, and the date of last update. We then analyze where sources agree, where they diverge, and what may be missing from the collective coverage. This analysis is performed by human editors, with optional AI-assisted supplementary analysis clearly labeled as such.

We do not make truth claims about any story. We do not rate sources as "true" or "false." We do not align with any political party, ideology, or movement. We do not accept editorial direction from advertisers, political organizations, or any external entity. We do not use color-coded political bias indicators that could imply value judgments about editorial positions. We do not claim to be objective. We claim to be transparent. Our editorial decisions are visible, and our methodology is public.

The CSG Integrity Award evaluates journalism across five dimensions: 1. Source Diversity — Does the reporting incorporate multiple, independent sources? 2. Factual Rigor — Are claims supported by verifiable evidence? 3. Methodological Transparency — Is the reporting process visible to readers? 4. Independence — Does the work demonstrate freedom from institutional or commercial pressure? 5. Public Impact — Does the reporting serve the public interest? Each dimension is scored on a 1-5 scale. The final score is a weighted average, with Factual Rigor and Independence receiving the highest weights.

Every comparison on CSG includes full source attribution, ownership disclosure, and editorial leaning classification. We publish our methodology publicly and invite scrutiny. When we make editorial decisions about which stories to compare or how to classify sources, we aim to be consistent and document our reasoning. If we make errors, we publish corrections prominently. Our financial model, once established, will be disclosed publicly. We believe transparency about funding is as important for platforms like CSG as it is for the media outlets we analyze.

CSG uses AI as an analytical tool, never as a replacement for human editorial judgment. All AI-generated or AI-assisted content is clearly labeled with the notice: "AI-assisted analysis — not a factual determination." AI is used to: identify patterns across source coverage, suggest areas of agreement and disagreement, and provide supplementary analysis. AI is never used to: make truth claims, generate source summaries without human review, or make editorial decisions about which stories to cover. For full details on our AI practices, see our AI Disclosure policy.