Editorial Guidelines

These are the standards every explainer on The Periscope Post is held to, ours and our contributors' alike. They exist so a reader can trust that what they find here was checked, sourced, and written to be understood.

Sourcing

We start with primary sources and build outward. For a film, that means the work itself and what the filmmakers have said about it; for a product, the company's own documentation; for a rule or program, the agency or body that defines it. We link to those sources so you can check the claim yourself. When a fact can move (a price, a limit, a set of terms), we date it and note that it should be re-checked.

The Short Answer

Every explainer opens with a box called The Short Answer: two or three sentences that answer the question directly, before any build-up. If all you need is the answer, you should be able to get it and leave. The rest of the piece is for readers who want the working shown.

Spoilers

Our Screen & Story explainers discuss endings openly. That is their purpose, and every one is labelled so no one is caught out. If a headline promises an ending explained, expect the ending, explained.

Health, money, and safety

Some subjects carry real stakes. When an explainer touches your health, your finances, or your safety, we are clear that we are explaining how something works, not advising you on what to do, and we point to the qualified people and official sources who can. A guide to how two health programs differ is not medical or financial advice, and we say so where it matters.

Corrections

We get things wrong sometimes, and when we do we fix them and say what changed. If you have spotted an error, tell us at editor@periscopepost.com and we will look into it promptly.

Independence

We review and explain third-party films, products, and services, and we are not affiliated with any of them, nor with the earlier news website that once used this domain. Where a contributed piece includes a link, it is edited to the same standard as everything else and published only if it serves the reader.