A US allegation that China conducted a secret nuclear test was widely reported despite clear evidence to the contrary, highlighting how security claims are too often treated as facts before they are proven.
There used to be a simple rule in newsrooms: allegation is not evidence.
It’s not that difficult to understand. You just don’t treat a claim as a fact until someone, somewhere, had actually proven it.
How a nuclear test that never happened became news
Lately, though, this rule seems to have acquired a quiet footnote: for example, allegation from our sheriff is probably close enough.