Accuracy and verification
- Go to the primary record.
- Copy numbers word for word with date and unit.
- Two sources for hard numbers or say so.
- Check meaning, not only the number.
- Check again after design.
- Allegations labeled as allegations, estimates as estimates.
When we publish
- Second and right.
- Breaking news says confirmed vs still checking, timed updates.
- Explainers wait for the documents.
- Recaps carry the event date.
- Every story approved by an editor before design.
- No rumors or untraceable screenshots.
Fairness
- Other side stated the way its strongest supporters would.
- Public figures on public record.
- Private people protected: no minors, mental health crises or crime victims without consent.
- No pile-ons, blur private people's names in screenshots.
- Chance to respond before reporting anything damaging.
News or opinion
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| News | Verified reporting on what happened. |
| Explainer | The documents, background and context. |
| Analysis | Interpretation grounded in reported facts. |
| Opinion | An explicitly labeled point of view. |
| Fact check | A claim checked against the record. |
- Opinion never changes a fact.
Conflicts of interest
| Role | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Executive Director, NC Housing Table | Disclosure line on every housing story + credit the people who led each fight. |
| Founder, DB3 Group | On any story touching a DB3 company, competitor or deal we're part of. |
| Minister | In faith commentary. |
| Former organizer and campaign manager | When writing about campaigns or people we worked with or against. |
- No covering a deal, client or campaign that pays us as news.
- No gifts, free passes disclosed.
Sources and attribution
- Every claim has a name.
- Credit other outlets.
- Quotes exact.
- Anonymous sources rare with reason given.
- No paid sources.
- CC credit + link on republished stories.
Images, video and data
- Real photos first, credited.
- Generated/unconfirmed labeled ‘Photo illustration’.
- No reposting others' videos.
- Chart axes start at zero unless noted, every chart names source and date.
- Big numbers with context.
Money and independence
- Sponsors buy space, not coverage.
- Sponsored content labeled.
- Sponsors never review stories.
- Own products labeled.
- Markets content is news and analysis, not financial advice, positions disclosed.
- Affiliate links disclosed.
- No ads on republished stories.
Technology and AI
| AI helps with | A person always decides |
|---|---|
| Finding stories/documents | Which stories run |
| First drafts of slides and captions | Final wording and facts |
| Style checks | Accuracy and fairness |
| Layout | Images and labels |
- Nothing publishes automatically.
- AI never invents a quote, source, number or photo.
Personalization
- We show your state's news first, based on the state you pick or, if you have not picked one, your approximate location (state and city only, from our web host).
- We never use your exact location, and we never sort news by your politics.
- The biggest stories run for every reader, wherever they are.
- Change your state or turn this off any time with the Your state menu at the top of every page.
- My officials: when you enter an address, we send it to the US Census Bureau's free lookup to find your districts. We keep only the districts, in your browser, and never store the address. Use Forget my districts to clear them.
- For you on the News page: still newest first, but a story from your state counts as if it were 24 hours newer, and a story naming one of your own lawmakers counts as 36 hours newer. Each lifted story says why. Latest is always one tap away.
Corrections and feedback
- Fixes in the piece with a dated correction note.
- Instagram: pinned correction comment, caption edit, or delete-and-republish if the main claim was wrong.
- Podcast: show notes.
- Clarifications labeled the same.
Requests reviewed within 2 business days.
Inclusion and accessibility
- People described as they describe themselves.
- Plain English, jargon explained.
- Contrast, alt text and captions.
- Range of voices beyond officials.
Contact and review
- Reviewed every 6 months.
[standards email to confirm]
Next review: .