3AM Files publishes accounts of paranormal and unexplained phenomena. That subject demands more editorial discipline, not less. This policy explains how we handle it.
Fact, testimony, folklore and interpretation
Every article distinguishes between four kinds of material:
- Documented fact — dates, places, people and events that can be verified in records, news archives or official documents.
- Reported testimony — what witnesses say happened. We present testimony as testimony, never as established fact.
- Folklore and legend — stories that circulate around a case. Valuable context, clearly labelled as such.
- Interpretation — analysis and theory, including our own. Always framed as interpretation.
Evidence ratings
Every case carries a classification — Documented, Reported, Disputed or Unverified — under our Evidence Classifications system. The rating reflects the strength of the sourcing, not how compelling the story is.
What we don’t do
- We don’t present unverified claims as fact.
- We don’t invent details to improve a story.
- We don’t identify living private individuals without consent.
- We don’t remove ambiguity that genuinely exists in the record.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. See our Corrections Policy.