Methodology

How MAP processes, analyzes, and presents media content across its five core intelligence signals.

MAP Context™

MAP Context™ is our primary contextual enrichment framework. When a URL is submitted for analysis, MAP Context retrieves and surfaces relevant background information from MAP’s knowledge base and indexed reference materials — including prior coverage on the same subject, publicly available source documents, and historical context that situates the current piece within a broader timeline.

MAP Context does not generate editorial commentary or conclusions. It identifies and surfaces factual background materials. Context enrichment is available to API subscribers at the depth level corresponding to their plan.

Source Presentation Review

MAP’s source presentation review examines how sources are used, attributed, and positioned within a piece of content — including whether named sources are identified or anonymous, whether primary sources are linked or described, the ratio of on-record to off-record sourcing, and whether sources represent a range of perspectives relevant to the subject. Source presentation review is descriptive, not evaluative.

References Analysis

References analysis assesses the quality and accessibility of citations and external links within a piece. MAP evaluates total external links, whether links resolve to the claimed source, whether cited sources are primary or secondary, and whether key factual claims are accompanied by verifiable references. References analysis surfaces reference structure and accessibility — not source content validity.

Visibility Signals

Visibility signals surface the transparency of editorial production: byline completeness, publication and update date accuracy, whether the publishing organization is identifiable, whether AI assistance is disclosed, and whether sponsored content is clearly labeled. Visibility signals are factual assessments of what is and is not disclosed.

Comparison Tools

MAP’s comparison engine surfaces how the same subject, event, or claim is covered across multiple sources — including related coverage, areas of agreement and divergence, coverage gaps, and timeline comparison. Comparison is not ranking. MAP does not rank sources by quality or credibility.