These standards guide every story on Mysteries. They exist so readers can trust what a story proves, what it suggests, and what it does not prove at all.
The three-level evidence scale
- Verified: supported by primary records, credible witnesses or independent checks that readers can trace.
- Has leads: partly supported, but important details are missing, unconfirmed or open to another explanation.
- Rumor only: repeated without a traceable source, and presented only as a claim, never as evidence.
What we will not do
- We do not present a hypothesis as a fact.
- We do not build conspiracy theories around real tragedies.
- We do not treat speculation, entertainment or online rumor as proof.
Respect and images
We respect the people involved in every story, including their families and communities, and we avoid language that blames victims or invades private grief. Illustrations are thematic: night skies, landscapes, archives and objects. We do not use crime-scene photographs or shocking images.
When new evidence appears, we correct the story and note the change. Uncertainty is not a failure here — it is the honest starting point.