Editorial Standards & Guidelines
This document establishes the foundational principles, operational procedures, and ethical commitments that govern all editorial output at Aevum News. It applies to all journalists, editors, producers, and contributors across all platforms and formats.
01. Preamble & Purpose
Aevum News operates under the conviction that accurate, independent journalism is essential to a functioning society. These standards exist to protect editorial integrity, ensure consistency across our global network, and maintain the public trust we have earned. They are not constraints on creativity or ambition, but guardrails that enable rigorous, fearless reporting.
All staff members are required to acknowledge these standards during onboarding and annually thereafter. Deviations require explicit editorial approval and must be documented in the editorial log.
02. Core Principles
Every story we publish must align with these non-negotiable values:
Accuracy Above All
Verified facts precede speed. Uncertainty is labeled. Speculation is clearly separated from reported information.
Editorial Independence
No commercial, political, or internal pressure will dictate coverage. Business and editorial departments remain strictly separate.
Impartiality & Fairness
We report without agenda. Multiple perspectives are sought, presented proportionally, and contextualized accurately.
Transparency
Methods, sourcing, and potential conflicts are disclosed. Readers deserve to know how conclusions were reached.
Human Dignity
Vulnerable subjects are treated with care. Trauma-informed practices guide interviews and visual coverage.
Accountability
Mistakes are corrected promptly and visibly. Feedback is welcomed, investigated, and acted upon.
03. Verification Process
Every piece of information must pass through a structured validation workflow before publication:
Primary Sourcing
Claims must be traced to original documents, direct observation, or firsthand accounts. Secondary reporting requires cross-verification with at least one independent source.
Multi-Tier Fact Check
Assigning editor reviews for narrative flow and factual consistency. Dedicated fact-checkers verify names, titles, dates, figures, and quotes. Data journalism undergoes statistical peer review.
Legal & Ethics Screening
High-risk stories (national security, criminal investigations, corporate litigation) receive pre-publication review by our legal counsel and ethics desk to mitigate defamation and safety risks.
Editorial Sign-Off
Final approval rests with the section editor or managing editor. Breaking news follows an expedited but equivalent verification protocol.
04. Sourcing & Attribution
- On-the-record: Preferred standard. All statements are attributed with full name and verifiable position.
- Background: Information provided for context but not for direct attribution. Must be corroborated by at least one additional source.
- Deep Background / Off-the-record: Permitted only when no alternative exists, the information is of significant public interest, and the source's identity can be reliably verified. Requires senior editorial approval.
- Anonymous Sources: We avoid anonymous sourcing whenever possible. When used, we explain why anonymity was granted and what steps were taken to verify credibility.
No single source, regardless of rank or reputation, constitutes sufficient evidence for publication. Triangulation across documents, data, or independent witnesses is mandatory for consequential claims.
05. Ethics & Conduct
Conflicts of Interest
Journalists must disclose any financial, political, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing coverage. Staff may not hold stock in companies they cover, accept paid travel, or engage in outside commentary that compromises neutrality.
Hospitality & Gifts
Minimal working expenses (meals under $25, transit, accommodation for embedded reporting) are permitted with prior editorial approval. Cash, gifts, subscriptions, or exclusive access in exchange for coverage are strictly prohibited.
Political & Activism Neutrality
Aevum News does not endorse candidates, parties, or policy positions. Staff may exercise personal civic rights privately but must not campaign or advocate in their official capacity or on company platforms.
Privacy & Safety
We weigh the public interest against individual privacy. Surveillance techniques, undercover reporting, or publication of sensitive personal data require exceptional justification and board-level review. Journalist safety protocols apply to all field operations.
06. Corrections & Clarifications
We distinguish between factual errors and interpretive disagreements:
- Corrections address verifiable inaccuracies (names, dates, statistics, misquotes). They are published prominently, linked from the original piece, and archived publicly.
- Clarifications provide additional context or fix misleading framing without altering factual accuracy.
- All corrections are logged in our transparent Corrections Register and reviewed quarterly by the Standards Editor.
- Retractions occur only for fundamental factual failures. The retraction notice supersedes the original article permanently.
07. Digital & Multimedia Standards
- Photography & Video: No digital alteration of content that changes meaning. Cropping, color correction, and compression are permitted. AI-generated or heavily synthetic media must be explicitly labeled.
- Social Media: Journalists representing Aevum News must identify themselves as such, avoid unverified breaking claims, and never share internal deliberations or embargoed materials.
- AI Tools: AI may assist with transcription, data cleaning, and translation, but never with original reporting, narrative construction, or editorial decision-making. Human oversight is mandatory.
- Metadata & Provenance: All published multimedia retains original metadata. C2PA or equivalent watermarking is encouraged for verification.
08. Oversight & Review
The Editorial Standards Committee, comprising senior editors, legal counsel, and an external advisory panel, meets quarterly to audit compliance, review public complaints, and update these guidelines. Annual public summaries of corrections, ethics inquiries, and policy changes are published on our transparency portal.
These standards are living documents. They evolve with technology, society, and the profession, but their core mandate remains unchanged: pursue truth with rigor, protect independence at all costs, and serve the public with unwavering integrity.
Commitment to Excellence
These standards represent our promise to readers, our colleagues, and the institutions we cover. We hold ourselves accountable to them every day.