Editorial Standards

How We Work

These are the rules we hold ourselves to. They aren't aspirational -- they're how we actually operate, and we expect readers to hold us accountable when we fall short.

Getting It Right

• We check facts before we publish. If a claim comes from a single source, we say so.
• News, analysis, and opinion are different things. We label them so readers know what they're reading.
• When we get something wrong, we fix it fast and note the correction on the article and on our corrections page. No quiet edits.
• We don't publish anything we know to be false. That sounds obvious. It's worth saying anyway.

Playing Fair

• Before we publish a critical story, the subject gets a chance to respond. Always.
• If reasonable people disagree about something, our job is to represent that disagreement honestly -- not to pick a winner.
• Writers with a personal stake in a story don't cover that story. If there's even a borderline conflict, we disclose it.

Nobody Tells Us What to Write

• We aren't part of Dartmouth College. We don't take direction from any political party, advocacy group, or donor.
• Advertising and editorial are separate. An advertiser can buy a banner. They can't buy a story.
• If something is sponsored content, it says "sponsored content" on it. You'll never have to guess.

Open Book

• Our masthead lists every writer and editor. We don't hide behind anonymity.
• If you want to know why we made a particular editorial call, ask. We'll explain our reasoning.
• Every correction we've ever made is logged publicly. Check the corrections page.

What You're Reading

We Messed Up?

Tell us. Seriously. If we got a fact wrong, a name misspelled, a date off -- email editor@dartmouthindependent.com with the article URL and what's wrong. We'll fix it and note the correction publicly.