Editorial Guidelines, Fact-Checking & Corrections Policy

Governing Standards • Compliant with Google News Publisher Requirements • Updated October 2026

1. Fact-Checking & Verification Protocol

Accuracy is the foundational asset of Independence Magazine. Before any biographical profile or news investigation is scheduled for publication:

• Primary Source Verification: All dates, corporate valuations, court records, family genealogies, and career milestones must be cross-referenced with primary documentation, government registers (e.g. Companies House, SEC filings), or verified archival sources.
• Double-Sourcing Requirement: Factual assertions that are not matter of public record require corroboration by at least two independent, reliable sources.
• On-the-Record Default: Sourcing is on-the-record whenever feasible. If a source requires anonymity to prevent professional or personal retaliation, their identity must be vetted and authorized by the Editor-in-Chief.
• Quotations: We never alter quotes to change their substantive meaning. Minor grammatical elisions are bracketed transparently.

2. Standards for Biographical Reporting

Biographical pieces are central to our editorial identity. In covering living public figures:

• We distinguish strictly between verified factual milestones and public rumor.
• We afford subjects of investigative profiles a reasonable window to respond on-the-record to substantial findings prior to publication.
• We respect private family life, particularly concerning minors, focusing on actions, decisions, and structures of public consequence.

3. Corrections & Clarifications Policy

Despite our rigorous multi-tiered verification process, factual errors may occasionally occur. When they do, Independence Magazine adheres to a transparent corrections process:

• Swift Correction: Substantive factual errors are corrected promptly upon verification.
• Visible Correction Notes: We do not silently rewrite articles. A formal correction note is appended to the bottom of the article stating what was amended, the date of correction, and the correct information.
• Clarifications: If an article is factually correct but phrasing caused unintended ambiguity, a clarification note is affixed.

4. Editorial Independence & Commercial Separation

Independence Magazine enforces a strict, impenetrable boundary between editorial decisions and advertising or commercial relationships:

• No Sponsored Influence: Commercial partners, advertisers, or programmatic networks have zero advance notice of editorial stories and zero influence over story selection or tone.
• Gift and Hospitality Policy: Staff reporters are prohibited from accepting personal gifts, paid travel accommodations, or financial remuneration from subjects of our coverage.
• Conflict Disclosures: If a writer has an indirect personal connection to an entity covered, it is disclosed prominently within the article or the writer recuses themselves.

5. Plagiarism and Originality

Plagiarism in any form is strictly forbidden. We demand original reporting, synthesis, and attribution. When referencing reporting first uncovered by another news organization, we credit the originating outlet explicitly with a direct, followable hyperlink.

6. Editorial Governance Contacts

For inquiries regarding our ethics charter or to pitch an investigation under these standards: