Methodology
How we rate this
Every "How Could This Affect You" story breaks a news event into specific ways it could reach you. Here's exactly what the tags mean.
We rate the mechanism, not the news
The color next to each impact line tells you how solid the reasoning is — not how certain the underlying event is.
The impact tags
DirectThis is simply how it works. The mechanism isn't in dispute — e.g., import tariffs are paid by the importer, not the exporting country.
LikelyFollows from precedent or stated policy, but depends on something not yet confirmed — a bill passing, a pricing decision, a competitor's move.
PossibleA reasonable read further down the chain. More speculative, but worth knowing. We include it because it's relevant — not because we're confident it will happen.
Why "could," never "will"
We're not forecasters. Every impact section is written as a scenario — a plausible chain of cause and effect — not a prediction. If we're not confident something will happen, we don't say it will.
Not every story earns this treatment
We only add impact tags when a story has a genuine, traceable chain to a reader's life. If we can't make a real case for relevance, we don't force one — the story runs as a plain brief instead.
One story, any source
A story might come from wire reporting, or from one of our own video briefs. Either way, it goes through the same rating system.
Chanakya Lens