The News Lineup Code of Ethics governs everyone who reports, edits, produces or publishes for this outlet, a 24World Media publication (1411 N Sterling Ave, Palatine, IL 60067). Effective date: 10 October 2026. It is a public commitment: readers can hold every story in the lineup against it and challenge us through the Corrections and Contact processes when we fall short.
Truth, verification and attribution
We publish what we can establish and attribute what we cannot. Every material fact is checked against the strongest available source — primary documents, records, data, direct statements and reputable reporting — before publication. Single-source and company claims are labelled as such. We never invent quotations, scenes, data or sources, never plagiarise and never present speculation as confirmed news. Developing stories state what is known, what is claimed and what remains unknown, and are updated with dated notes rather than silent rewriting.
Independence and conflicts
Editorial decisions are made independently of advertisers, sponsors, owners’ commercial interests and personal relationships. Staff must disclose actual or apparent conflicts — financial holdings, prior employment, family or advocacy ties — to a senior editor, who may reassign the story or add disclosure to it. We do not accept gifts, travel, hospitality or favours that could reasonably be seen to purchase coverage, and we never sell news placement, scores, conclusions or suppression of accurate reporting. Advertising and any future sponsored material are labelled and handled outside the news desks.
Fairness and respect
People and organisations facing significant criticism in a story are given a fair opportunity to respond on the central point, with a reasonable deadline for the news cycle. We report criminal, medical and personal matters with restraint, avoid unnecessary identification of private individuals and victims, and take particular care with minors, bereaved people and vulnerable sources. Language is precise and free of gratuitous insult; headlines must fairly reflect the story they sit above.
Sources, confidentiality and safety
We identify sources wherever possible so readers can judge credibility. Confidential sources are used only when the information is important, cannot reasonably be obtained on the record and the source’s identity and motive have been assessed by a senior editor. Promises of confidentiality are honoured and recorded; source material is stored with limited access. No ethical rule obliges a source to take risks for us: we never ask anyone to break the law, breach a duty of care or endanger themselves to obtain material.
Images, video and new technology
Documentary images and video must be authentic, credited and lawfully used, with file imagery captioned so its context is not misleading. We do not stage news, alter documentary material beyond standard technical preparation or download and re-upload another publisher’s video; embeds credit the official channel. Artificial-intelligence tools, where used for transcription, research assistance or production, do not replace human verification, do not generate invented facts, quotations or documentary imagery presented as real, and their material use in a story is disclosed where a reasonable reader would want to know. Accountability for every published item rests with the named desk and its editors, never with a tool.
Accountability and enforcement
Errors are corrected openly under our Corrections policy. Breaches of this Code — fabrication, plagiarism, undisclosed conflicts, misuse of confidential material or deceptive methods — are investigated by senior editors and may result in correction, editor’s notes, reassignment, suspension of publishing privileges or termination of the working relationship, proportionate to the breach. The Code is reviewed at least annually by 24World Media, updated with a new effective date when it materially changes and read alongside our Corrections policy, Privacy Policy, Terms of Service and Website Disclaimer.
Methods, deception and corrections of method
We gather news openly wherever possible. Deceptive methods — misrepresenting identity, recording where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy without justification, or accessing systems and documents without authorisation — are prohibited except, in truly exceptional public-interest circumstances, with prior approval of the publisher, legal review and a published explanation after the event of why no reasonable alternative existed. If reporting methods materially affect how a story should be judged, that method is disclosed in the story or an accompanying editor’s note. Where we later learn that a method fell short of this Code even though the facts proved accurate, we disclose and correct the method as openly as we correct a factual error, because trust depends on how news is gathered as well as what it reports.
Every desk editor re-reads this Code when it is revised, and new contributors are shown it before their first assignment rather than after a problem arises. Readers who believe a story breached the Code should identify the story and the section engaged through the Contact page; standards challenges receive senior-editor review alongside any factual correction the story requires.
