Methodology
Breaking-news score policy
The score is an internal editorial urgency tool. It is never an investment rating and never automatically publishes a story.
Evidence gates
- A website brief needs one primary source or two independent reputable reports.
- A video needs a direct primary source for its central fact; materially ambiguous or interested-party claims need independent corroboration.
- Every story separates confirmed facts, Modem & Mint analysis, and remaining unknowns.
100-point score
| Dimension | Points |
|---|---|
| Evidence confidence | 20 |
| Consumer impact | 20 |
| Decision usefulness | 15 |
| Materiality / permanence | 10 |
| Timeliness | 10 |
| Independent-analysis potential | 10 |
| Audience fit | 10 |
| Novelty / signal-to-noise | 5 |
Apply a 0–10 hype penalty for unsupported claims, undefined AI benefits, cherry-picked benchmarks, embargo language, or incomparable price claims.
Publication decisions
- 0–34, or failed evidence: no post.
- 35–64: website brief.
- 65–79: website brief; consider the next Monday, Wednesday, or Friday long-form slot.
- 80–89: high-priority brief; a Short only if its gate passes.
- 90–100: immediate brief; a Short if its gate passes; off-cycle long-form only when waiting would materially harm consumer decisions.
Short and off-cycle video gates
A Short requires score 80+, evidence 18+, consumer impact 15+, decision usefulness 10+, a concise accurate 60-second update with caveat, a timely consumer action, and a website brief published first or at the same time. Off-cycle long-form requires score 90+, evidence 18+, impact 17+, usefulness 12+, and a documented reason waiting for the next planned release would harm the audience.