Corrections & Amendments Policy
Editorial standards governing factual accuracy and post-publication changes.
Purpose
The Democracy Clock is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and verifiable public record of governance actions affecting democratic institutions in the United States.
This Corrections & Amendments Policy defines how factual errors are addressed, how clarifications are issued, and how the historical record is preserved when updates are necessary. The goal of this policy is not to eliminate disagreement, but to ensure that the factual record remains stable, accountable, and usable over time.
What Qualifies for Correction
Corrections are issued when a published entry contains a demonstrable factual error. Qualifying corrections may include, but are not limited to:
- Incorrect dates, locations, or institutional attributions
- Misidentification of official actions, documents, or authorities
- Verifiable transcription or citation errors
- Material inaccuracies that affect the understanding of an event as recorded
Corrections must be supported by credible primary sources or reputable contemporaneous reporting.
What Does Not Qualify for Correction
The Democracy Clock does not issue corrections for differences of interpretation, opinion, or emphasis. The following do not qualify as correction requests:
- Disagreement with the inclusion of an event
- Objections to framing or categorization where facts are accurately stated
- Requests to revise language for rhetorical or political balance
- Attempts to relitigate documented actions based on later developments
Editorial judgment regarding relevance, categorization, and contextual framing is not subject to post-publication negotiation.
Amendments and Clarifications
In limited circumstances, an amendment or clarification may be issued when new, verifiable information materially changes the understanding of a previously recorded event.
Amendments do not erase the original record. Where issued, they are clearly marked, dated, and appended to the original entry to preserve historical continuity. The original content remains accessible to ensure transparency and auditability.
Review Process
All proposed corrections or amendments are reviewed using the same source standards applied at original publication. Submissions must include:
- A clear identification of the entry in question
- A specific description of the alleged error
- Supporting documentation or citations
Submissions that lack sourcing, rely on conjecture, or seek to influence editorial interpretation will not be reviewed.
Preserving the Historical Record
The Democracy Clock is an archival project. Its credibility depends on maintaining a stable and traceable record of what was known and recorded at the time of publication.
Corrections improve accuracy. Amendments add context. Neither is used to retroactively sanitize, obscure, or reframe the historical record. Once published, entries remain part of the archive, even when clarified or supplemented.
Submitting a Correction
Proposed corrections or amendments may be submitted via email. Please include sufficient context and supporting documentation.
Email: contact@thedemocracyclock.com
Due to volume and review requirements, responses are not guaranteed. Submissions intended to influence narrative framing or editorial judgment will not receive a response.
The Democracy Clock exists to preserve a factual public record. Accuracy strengthens that record; transparency sustains its credibility. This policy ensures that corrections serve those purposes—without erasing history or substituting hindsight for evidence.