Methodology

Impact Score methodology

Impact Score is STA's editorial shorthand for how disruptive, near-term, and household-relevant a story appears right now. It is not a prediction market, not a probability claim, and not a moral ranking.

What it is for

Reader triage

The score helps readers sort the library faster by signaling which pieces describe larger, faster, or harder-to-ignore pressure.

What it is not

Not a certainty score

A higher score does not mean the article is "more true." Truth is handled through sourcing, Claims & Verification, and corrections.

Why publish it

Transparent editorial framing

The goal is to make the score legible enough that readers can understand the editorial logic behind the number instead of treating it as decoration.

How STA scores

Four editorial inputs

Editors assign the score by combining four practical lenses. The model is intentionally simple: it exists to guide reading priority, not to simulate scientific precision.

1. Household impact

How strongly the issue could affect a reader's work, family, attention, money, safety, or relationships if it materializes.

2. Time horizon

Whether the pressure looks immediate, already active, or likely to matter soon enough that waiting carries real cost.

3. Adaptation difficulty

How hard it is for ordinary people or institutions to respond once the pressure shows up. Higher difficulty pushes the score upward.

4. Spillover breadth

Whether the issue stays narrow or cascades across multiple parts of life, sectors, or trust systems at once.

How to read the number

Interpretation bands

40-59: meaningful, but narrower

Important issue, but either the scope is narrower, the timeline is slower, or the adaptation path is more manageable.

60-74: high attention

Readers should treat this as a real pressure point with practical consequences, not background noise.

75+: urgent and broadly consequential

These stories combine high household stakes, difficult adaptation, and enough breadth or speed that delay becomes expensive.

Guardrails

How STA keeps the score honest

  • The score is editorial judgment, not a hidden algorithm.
  • It does not replace sourcing, claims review, or uncertainty labeling.
  • Scores can change when facts, timelines, or adaptation assumptions change.
  • Lower scores are still important; they usually reflect narrower scope or slower timing, not dismissal.

Bottom line

Impact Score tells you where to look first

Use the score as one reading aid: start with the highest-pressure items, then use the article itself, Claims & Verification, and your own context to decide what matters most for you.