Formatting

Word Count

Around 250 words, perfectly concise.

200-300 words, mostly concise.

Below 200 or over 300 words, too long or too short.

Section Length

45-60 words per section, highly condensed.

60-65 words per section, adequately condensed.

>65 words per section, too wordy.

Sub-section Length

Each sub-section is under 45 words and clearly defined.

Sub-sections are mostly under 45 words, with some exceptions.

Sub-sections consistently exceed 45 words and lack clarity.

Brevity and Clarity

Article is exceptionally concise and clear.

Article is mostly concise and clear, with minor lapses.

Article lacks conciseness and clarity.

Title and Subtitle

Headline Quality

Approximately 6 words and tied to the article's analysis and/or unique element.

Slightly longer than 6 words, but still related to the analysis.

Too long, or too vague (could be used for many different articles)

Headline Appeal

Catchy, strong, and memorable, stands out from mainstream headlines.

Adequately catchy but lacks uniqueness or memorability.

Generic, similar to mainstream headlines, not memorable.

Subtitle Clarity and Relevance

Enhances the headline, succinctly adds context related to the analysis.

Provides context but could be more closely tied to the analysis.

Fails to add value or context to the headline.

Content

Story Explanation

Story is immediately clear and engaging.

Story is somewhat clear, lacks some engagement.

Story is unclear or unengaging.

Conversational

Language is clear, engaging, and jargon-free, suitable for a wide audience.

Language mostly clear but may include some jargon or complex terms.

Language is filled with jargon or is too complex, not reader-friendly.

Context

Provides and explains relevant context, enhances understanding.

Some context provided but may be irrelevant or confusing.

No context or irrelevant information.

Relevance and Impact

Captures the significance of the story exceptionally well.

Adequately addresses the story's importance.

Fails to capture why the story matters.

Use of Data

Concrete numbers, statistics, and details used, adds depth without complexity.

Adequate use of data, but may have minor complexities.

Poor or no use of data, too complex or irrelevant.

Analysis

Underreported Insights

Offers deep, underreported insights and perspectives.

Provides some insights, but they are somewhat surface-level.

Lacks unique insights, too similar to mainstream coverage.

Objectivity

Maintains matter-of-fact analysis with no opinions.

Mostly objective but may contain subtle biases.

Contains obvious opinions or biases.

Insightfulness

Analysis is exceptionally insightful and thought-provoking.

Analysis is adequate but lacks depth.

Analysis lacks insight or is overly obvious.

Hostile Audience Test

Bulletproof even to a critical audience.

Generally solid but may have minor flaws.

Fails under scrutiny, not convincing.

Sourcing

Source Linking

All sources are accurately and relevantly linked, and reputable. Every fact that isn’t obvious is sourced.

Sources are linked but may be not reputable (like unsubstantiated social media posts).

Lacks source linking, affecting credibility