Read a signal

What each part of the signal panel means, where the priority number comes from, and how to check the sources behind it.

RL

RUBINLAKE Team

Updated: Sep 9, 2026

Selecting a signal opens a panel with everything known about the event.

Who, when, and where

The companies named, the people named where they could be identified, the date the event happened, and the location. A location is marked as the event site, a facility, or headquarters (inferred) when only the company address was available. An inferred location is a reasonable guess about where the company sits, not a claim about where the event happened.

How firmly it is established

Two labels answer "how sure is this":

  • Reporting status, from rumour and accusation through warning and announcement to occurring, and on to investigation, negotiation, or terminated
  • Timing, which is past, ongoing, or predicted

Both feed the priority. A rumour of a plant closure never scores as high as a confirmed one, and a status only moves forward as better sources arrive.

How close it is to the company

Named directly, company-level, or in the area. A regional flood reaches a company because it operates there, not because anyone named it, and that is what in the area means.

Why this priority

Open Why this priority to see the six parts of the score:

Part What it measures
Severity How damaging this event type is for this company, before evidence weighs in
Source trust How reliable the best publication reporting it is
Corroboration How many independent outlets reported it
Recency How recently it happened; older events decay
Entity confidence How certain we are the article means this company
Repeat penalty Deducted when similar events keep recurring at this company

Evidence and revisions

Every source is listed with a trust tier and a link to the original, so you can read what we read. A signal is revised as new sources arrive, and the revision list shows what changed and whether the change was material or a minor update.

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