We keep our standards and ethics policy simple, and adhere to best practices of traditional print journalism.

For hard news stories we adhere to the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, available to the public on the SPJ website.

For that reason, we follow the four principles outline in the SPJ code:

• Seek truth and report it
• Minimize harm
• Act independently
• Be accountable and transparent

Our ethics code requires that we fact check to the best of our abilities and resources (seek truth and report it), that we do not unnecessarily report embarrassing details not central to the story (minimize harm), that we report on disputes, whether partisan or financial in an even-handed and fair manner (act independently) and that we are able to either defend what we write, or are willing to print a correction when our reporting is in error (be accountable and transparent).

The text of the SPJ code is detailed enough to provide general guidance for most ethical questions, but there are several areas where our policy is more specific:

1. We do not provide any information in articles about crimes against children that might lead to the identification of the child victims.
2. We do not print the names of victims of crime except in special circumstances (murder, cases in which the victim testifies in court, cases in which the victim asks to be publicly identified).
3. When a story is run which might be considered critical of an individual, we reach out to them for their side of the story.
4. We do not run several classes of story known as click-bait, including “Creepy Clown” stories, “You won’t believe what they look like now” stories, etc.
5. We do not run stories which have the effect of fostering racism, misogyny, homophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or transphobia.

For opinion pieces and blogs we expect the same standards of accuracy as we do for hard news when verifiable claims (as opposed to opinions) are put forward.  And while strong political or philosophical opinions are allowed, hit pieces and demagogy are not.

Our stylebook for word usage and grammar is a work in progress, and in the meantime we follow the recommendations of Associated Press Stylebook.

We have a strict policy on corrections of factual error.  When a possible error is brought to our attention we will investigate it, and if we find it is an error, we’ll print a correction in a prominent position within the article.  Mistakes happen, but corrections and retractions are sacred.