Every story here is about something that really happened, and every story shows you where we learned it.
Where our stories come from
We follow trusted newsrooms and official sources every day: public radio and TV, nonprofit newsrooms, established news outlets, election offices and U.S. government agencies. When a story fits what we cover (the wave, the promises the winners made, plain-language explainers and what comes next), we write our own article about it.
How we grade the assignment
The Assignment Tracker follows the big promises the winners made on the campaign trail. Each promise gets one of three grades, and every grade links to the record behind it:
- Done: the bill passed, the order was signed or the program is running.
- In progress: real action has started, such as a bill filed, a hearing held or a vote scheduled.
- Stalled: nothing has moved, or the plan was blocked or dropped.
We change a grade only when the record changes, and we say when and why.
How we write
- In our own words. We don't copy other outlets' articles. We write a new story, add context and explain why it matters to you.
- Every fact has a source. We name the outlet or the office that reported it and link to the original, so you can read more.
- Quotes are exact. When we quote someone, the words match the original, and we say who said them and where.
- Proud, not nasty. We celebrate wins and call out stalls, without name-calling.
How we check
Before a story runs, every fact is checked against the sources it came from, every quote is checked word for word, and an editor reviews the story.
Our pictures
Our illustrations are original artwork made for Understanding The Assignment. We don't use other outlets' photos, and we never make fake photos of real people. Charts and fact cards are made from the facts in the story, with their sources listed.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it. See our Corrections Policy, or tell us through the Contact page.