What these standards are for
Sox News argues for a freer, richer West and says so openly. A declared position raises the evidential bar rather than lowering it. These standards are the commitments that let a reader test the journalism against something firmer than our good intentions.
Accuracy
- Every factual claim is traceable to a document, a dataset, a named person or our own observation.
- Numbers are quoted with their unit, their period and their source. Where a figure is contested, the range is given.
- Quotations are verbatim. Where a quotation is trimmed, the meaning is preserved and the trim is marked.
- Where a fact could not be established, the piece says so rather than implying certainty.
- An error found by anyone, including us, is corrected under the corrections policy.
Fairness and right of reply
- Anyone facing a significant criticism of fact or conduct is given a fair opportunity to respond before publication, with enough detail and enough time to answer.
- If no response arrives, the piece records that a response was sought.
- Criticism is aimed at arguments, records and decisions. It is not aimed at people's characteristics.
- We give the strongest version of a position we disagree with, then argue against that version.
Independence
- No sponsor, advertiser, party, government or outside interest reviews editorial copy before publication.
- Coverage is never traded for access, advertising, hospitality or data.
- Where an interest exists that a reader could reasonably think relevant, it is declared in the piece under the conflicts of interest policy.
Transparency
- Every item carries a visible content type label: News, Analysis, Opinion, Interview or Sponsored.
- Analysis and Opinion separate the argued view into its own marked block so the reporting can be read on its own.
- Images carry a caption, a credit and, where relevant, a rights statement. AI assisted artwork is labelled as such.
- Where artificial intelligence assisted the work, it is disclosed under the AI use policy.
Harm and privacy
- Private individuals are afforded more protection than office holders and public figures.
- Personal information is published only where there is a clear public interest that outweighs the intrusion.
- We do not publish material that identifies children in a way that exposes them to harm.
- Graphic material is used only where the story cannot be told without it, and is flagged before the reader reaches it.
- Coverage of suicide, self harm and violence follows recognised safe reporting practice, including the omission of method detail.
Sources and their protection
- A source promised confidentiality is protected. Sox News does not surrender the identity of a confidential source.
- Anonymity is granted for a reason that is explained to the reader in general terms, and never granted as a convenience.
- Documents are described accurately, including their provenance and their limits.
Plagiarism and attribution
- Original reporting by another outlet is credited by name and linked on first use.
- Text, data, images and audio produced by others are used only with a licence or a legal basis, and are attributed.
- Passing off another organisation's work as ours is a dismissal level breach.
Enforcement
A breach of these standards leads to a correction where the record is wrong, a public note where the process failed, and an internal review of how the piece reached publication. Serious or repeated breaches end a contributor's relationship with Sox News.
Sox News is published by Sox Media LLC, a privately held Nevada limited liability company funded by private capital. Statutory company information is filed with the Nevada Secretary of State. No government, political party, foreign state, advertiser, sponsor, donor network, union, advocacy organisation or think tank controls editorial decisions at Sox News.