What Integrity Labels Are
An integrity label is a permanent, on-chain marker applied to a Capsule that tells the public the authoritative status of that journalism. Labels are public, immutable, and permanent. Once applied, they can only be supplemented - never removed. Think of them as the public record of what happened to a piece of journalism over its lifetime.The Labels
✓ Verified
Court reviewed your specific claims and evidence, and confirmed accuracy. This is the strongest endorsement the protocol can give. A Verified label commands premium pricing in the Rights Marketplace.
◎ Clean
No disputes, no court intervention. Most canonical Capsules stay at Clean. It’s the default state of accepted, unchallenged journalism.
⟳ Contested
A court case is currently active. This label appears during the deliberation period and is replaced by the final verdict label when the case concludes.
? Unresolved
Court concluded without a clear verdict - either insufficient juror participation or genuinely ambiguous evidence. Not a finding of inaccuracy, but not a clean bill either.
⚠ Misleading
Court found material inaccuracy, missing context, or selective presentation that creates a false impression. Significant finding - reputation and distribution are affected.
✗ Fraudulent
Court found deliberate deception or fabricated sources. The most serious finding. Automatic bond slashing. Severe reputation impact.
↩ Corrected
You published an accepted correction. The original stays with this label, and the correction becomes the authoritative version. Shows accountability.
⊘ Retracted
Author-initiated retraction. Article remains visible (no deletion) with this permanent label. The retraction reason is on record.
Where Labels Appear
| Surface | How It Shows |
|---|---|
| Explorer | Prominent label below article title |
| Your article page | Integrity badge in the article footer |
| Press Network feed | Label shown in feed metadata |
| Portal dashboard | Your Capsule list and individual views |
| Rights Marketplace | Shown on license listing - affects buyer confidence |
Real Impact of Each Label
Verified - What It Means to Have It
Elena Santos’s campaign finance investigation survived a formal legal challenge. Jurors reviewed all evidence and confirmed her reporting. Her Capsule is now labeled Verified. At the Rights Marketplace, The National Times pays 1,500 PRESS to license it - three times what an identical Clean article would command. The Verified label signals that this journalism held up under structured scrutiny. Buyers pay a premium for that.Misleading - What Happens
A court finds that David’s article about a local business used accurate facts but in a context that implied something false. His Capsule is labeled Misleading. His outlet’s distribution tier drops slightly. His acceptance rate for future articles remains strong because this was one article - but repeated Misleading findings would push the tier lower. He publishes a correction Capsule addressing the court’s finding.Fraudulent - The Most Serious Outcome
Court finds that a Capsule contained fabricated quotes from a source that didn’t exist. The label Fraudulent is applied. The journalist’s Reporter bond is slashed automatically. Their reputation score drops significantly. Their outlet faces distribution consequences. The article remains on PressChain permanently - with the Fraudulent label permanently attached. No deletion. The record is the accountability.Appealing a Label
If you believe a verdict was wrong and you have new evidence that wasn’t available during the original case:- Go to proposals.presschain.io
- Submit an appeal proposal with the case ID and new evidence
- Lock an appeal bond (prevents frivolous appeals)
- Governance votes on whether to re-open the case