Editorial Standards

These standards describe how LiveTrue News World intends to report, write and publish. They apply to every desk. In this launch edition the stories are illustrative scenarios, so the standards describe the practice we will hold ourselves to once real reporting begins and the way the launch pieces were written to model it.

Sourcing and attribution

Important claims need a named source or a clear description of why the source is not named. We separate what we observed ourselves from what others told us, and we identify when a figure comes from the people running a project rather than an independent check. We do not invent sources, composite quotes or details, and we never present a scenario as a fact. In launch pieces, quotes are attributed to roles in fictional settings, never to real people.

Anonymous sources

Anonymity is a last resort. We use it only when a source faces a real risk and the information cannot be obtained otherwise. An editor knows the source's identity, we explain why anonymity was granted, and we corroborate the information independently wherever possible.

Use of AI tools

• AI tools may help with transcription, translation and checking drafts, but a human editor is responsible for everything published.
• We do not publish AI-generated images or text as though they were documentary evidence.
• If a published image or piece of text is substantially generated, we label it.

The photographs used in the launch edition are illustrative images. They are labelled as such and do not depict the specific events in the stories.

Conflicts of interest

Journalists disclose financial, personal or professional relationships that could affect coverage, and they step away from stories where a conflict cannot be managed. We do not accept gifts or favors from the subjects of coverage.

Images, graphics and data

Images are captioned honestly. Charts and meters show what they measure and where the figures come from. We do not crop or edit images to change their meaning.

Headlines and framing

A headline must be supported by the story under it. We avoid urgency we cannot justify, and we do not use the word "breaking" for anything that is not a significant, developing event. Where a story is an illustrative scenario, the label appears with it.

Updates and corrections

Updated stories carry a note explaining what changed. Errors are handled under the Public Corrections Ledger policy. We tell readers when something is wrong and we do not alter the record quietly.

Feedback

If you believe a story fell short of these standards, write to [email protected]. Quote the standard and the passage involved so that we can respond precisely.