A publication that jokes for a living has to be unusually clear about when it is not joking.
Fact, opinion, and satire
Every article carries a label at the top of the page. Satire means the piece uses parody or exaggeration and should not be read as reporting. Opinion means the argument is the writer’s. Review means we assessed something against a stated method. Unverified means we are passing on a claim we have not confirmed, and saying so.
Inside a satirical piece, any statement of fact about a real company is a real statement of fact. We do not smuggle invented claims in under cover of a joke.
Sourcing
Claims about products, pricing, advertising, and public statements are sourced to material anyone can check: the company’s own marketing, packaging, published pricing, public filings, or reporting we link to directly. Articles that make factual claims end with a Sources section. If we cannot source it, we do not assert it.
How we test
Reviews state what we bought, what we paid, how we brewed it, and how many people tasted it. Comparative tastings are blind wherever the format allows. We say when a sample was supplied free. We do not accept payment for a favourable verdict, and no advertiser sees a review before publication.
Limits
- Brands, marketing, products, and public claims are fair targets. Military service, veterans, named employees, and customers are not.
- No fabricated quotes, documents, or statistics, including in satirical pieces.
- No allegations of illegality or misconduct without evidence we can show.
- No fabricated credentials or biographies attached to our pen names.
Right of reply
Any company criticised here can respond. Send it through Contact and we will publish a fair summary of the response, or the response in full where length allows, appended to the original article.
Errors are handled under our Corrections Policy.
Grounds for Treason 