Dark Roast Core Editorial Policy
Editorial Independence
The Dark Roast Report is committed to producing fair, balanced and well-informed reporting free from political, commercial or personal influence. Any editorial decision is made without input from advertisers, sponsors or donors. The Dark Roast will not accept any financial contributions with editorial strings.
All stories are published for the public’s interest with the highest level of journalistic integrity.
Accuracy and Verification
The Dark Roast staff have implemented a rigorous internal fact-checking system for all major investigative pieces. Our goal is to inform, not persuade the public. Any errors made will be corrected as soon as possible and publicly addressed to demonstrate our commitment to transparency.
Our staff works to provide the most accurate and full-rounded story possible, sharing all relevant sides to a story. All subjects of content will be treated with the same respect and fairness.
Accountability and Transparency
We understand in order to hold others accountable we have to hold ourselves to the same standard.
In addition to corrections, the Dark Roast will disclose any potential conflict of interest. At the same time, no entity or person who financially contributes to the Dark Roast will be given immunity from potential coverage should a situation arise.
Our staff should avoid pursuing leads or stories where their own personal conflicts of interest could apply.
Investigation Integrity
Keeping investigative journalism at our core, we want to uphold the best possible journalistic standards. All subjects are given fair time to respond to questions or provide comments.
We hold great value in the relationship between a journalist and an anonymous source. Also detailed in our source protection policy, Dark Roast staff will take any means necessary to maintain the privacy and security of our sources who have placed their trust in us.
We will pursue leads with patience. There is value in receiving news instantaneously as soon as it happens. However, the Dark Roast is committed to bringing fully informed articles. We will not skip steps to avoid getting scooped.
Fairness and Harm Reduction
While we value our source‘s privacy, there is also a balance between the public’s right to know with consideration to personal privacy and dignity. Dark Roast staff will actively avoid contributing to unjust narratives within our reporting.
Inclusivity
Our team is committed to covering communities often underrepresented and underserved. Editorial decisions are made with systematic inequalities and media bias’ in mind. We want to actively be a resource and help build an understanding of how local government operates.
We welcome any and all feedback from our readers.
Editorial Review Process
All content undergoes an editorial review process. No story will be published without being reviewed by at least another set of eyes. This process ensures the quality and accuracy of our reporting. Any piece that is meant for commentary or based on opinion will be clearly labeled.
Plagiarism and Attribution
Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Any information given to us and publicized will be sourced by attribution.