The internet tends to flatten every claim into the same shape. A firsthand statement, anonymous post, edited clip, and official record can appear side by side with identical confidence. Our labels are designed to restore the missing differences.
Confirmed means the central fact is supported by a direct source or multiple reliable reports. Developing means important facts are still changing. Disputed means credible parties or evidence conflict. Rumor means the claim is circulating without enough support to present as fact.
Labels can change as evidence changes. A rumor may become confirmed, a developing report may be corrected, and an early interpretation may become disputed. The update should be visible rather than quietly rewritten.
A label is not decoration. It is a promise about how carefully the story is being presented.