Editorial standards

Every number, name and date in our stories goes back to a source we can name. We say a figure within its sentence, with enough context to understand it, never alone on the screen.

We never publish something we have not verified just to be first. When we cannot verify something, we leave it out, or say clearly that it is unconfirmed.

People and events appear in our stories in their real photographs or official footage. We never fabricate pictures of real people or real events, and when we use an illustration, we say so. The source of every picture is named.

We write nothing on a picture but a few words that explain it, and we never alter a picture in a way that changes its meaning. When we crop or resize a picture, we say so with its source.

In politics and in every dispute, we present positions as they are, and keep the news apart from its explanation. A person appearing in a picture does not mean we endorse them.

We never add manufactured sound effects under real news footage. Music in our stories serves the telling, and never changes the meaning of what happened.

We give no medical advice, and show no shocking images without good reason. We tell stories of suffering and disaster with respect for those who lived them.

We never chase rumours or people's private lives. We report public actions, and respect the people whose stories we tell.

We editorially review content we produce. External headlines update automatically with a source name, publication date and original link; their appearance does not mean our team reviewed them in advance.

If we make a mistake, we correct it, and say that we have. You will find how to report an error on the corrections page.