Satire is allowed to be sharp. Facts are not allowed to be optional. The Modern Hermit separates checkable claims from judgement, shows its receipts, corrects material mistakes and labels commercial or image context when it matters. The joke can be rude to an argument. It cannot quietly rewrite reality.
Sources first. Satire second.
A punchline does not turn a weak claim into a strong one. Current names, numbers, dates, quotations and material allegations are checked before publication. If a claim cannot be supported, it is qualified or removed.
Fact verification
- Check current claims against reliable sources before writing the roast around them.
- Use official records, primary data, regulators, court documents, research papers and direct statements where they are available.
- Cross-check heavy or disputed claims with at least 2 solid sources.
- Do not invent numbers, quotations, release dates, credits, plot points, awards or motives.
- Keep fact, interpretation and satire distinct enough for a reader to see which is which.
Source hierarchy
- Primary material. Official documents, public data, regulators, courts, company filings, research and direct records.
- Specialist reporting. Reputable outlets with subject knowledge, transparent sourcing and corrections.
- Major news reporting. Used for context, chronology and independently reported facts.
- Reference sources. Used for basic credits or background only when a better primary source is unavailable.
Sources appear in a plain Sources section at the end of a full article. Internal links are chosen because they help the reader continue the argument, not because a spreadsheet demanded another blue word.
Corrections
Material factual errors are corrected promptly and clearly. A significant change should carry a note explaining what was corrected and when. Small spelling or formatting repairs may be made without turning the page into a parliamentary inquiry.
If you believe something is wrong, send the article link, the disputed passage and the evidence that supports the correction.
Updates
Articles may be updated when facts change, a source is replaced or a developing story materially moves on. Published and updated dates should remain visible. An old article will not be silently rewritten to pretend it predicted Tuesday on Monday.
Satire boundary
- Roast the work, claim, institution, incentive or system.
- Do not publish rumours, doxxing, invented facts or private personal information.
- Do not target protected characteristics or turn cruelty into a substitute for an argument.
- Do not present satire, reconstruction or a composite image as documentary evidence.
- When a subject is serious, the humour must not erase the people carrying the cost.
Commercial disclosure
If a post includes an affiliate link, sponsorship, gifted access, paid placement or another relevant commercial relationship, that relationship will be disclosed clearly near the material it affects. Payment does not buy a conclusion. If it ever tries, it has misunderstood both satire and invoices.
Image policy
Images should be original, properly licensed or used with a lawful basis. Alt text describes the image literally. Captions add editorial context. Generated, illustrated or composited images must not be used to mislead readers about a real event.
Questions or corrections?
Use the contact page and include enough detail to check the point properly. Evidence is welcome. A screenshot of somebody being confident on social media is not yet a source.