EraWeekly Editorial Policy

At EraWeekly, our mission is to provide insightful, ethical, and impactful articles covering US lifestyle, auto, tech, and other news. Our reporting and analysis must uphold the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, and independence. This editorial policy outlines the key principles and practices that guide our work.

Independence and Integrity

• EraWeekly maintains full editorial independence from political, corporate, and other special interests. Our coverage is not influenced by outside pressures or agendas.
• We do not accept payments, gifts, free travel, or other benefits from governments, political groups, companies, or organizations that we may cover.
• EraWeekly stands firmly on the principles of journalistic integrity and objectivity. We steadfastly refrain from purchasing stories or accepting tips in exchange for payment, as such practices could tarnish our journalistic standards.
• Similarly, we reject any financial incentives offered for product endorsements or coverage. Our editorial team, comprising writers and editors, is bound by a strict code that forbids preferential treatment towards any external entities, be they companies, publications, videos, affiliates, or websites, regardless of any personal connections to the creators or proprietors of these resources. We hold every member of our staff and our contributors to the highest ethical standards, demanding complete honesty and openness in all our dealings.
• At EraWeekly, our mission is to deliver content that is not only original but also free from bias and trustworthy. We expect every contributor to our network to comply with all relevant laws, standards, and journalistic practices that are recognized and respected industry-wide, including:
  • Dotdash Meredith Content Integrity Promise
  • Copyright Law of the United States
  • FTC Guidelines on Disclosures
  • Fair Use

Fairness and Truth

• Our reporting presents a complete, honest, and undistorted record of facts, events, and contexts. We do not consciously deceive or mislead our audience.
• We diligently seek out and include relevant perspectives and comments from all affected parties. No one is accused without being given a reasonable chance to respond.
• Our analysis is based on factual evidence and data, not partisan spin or speculation presented as fact.

Accountability and Transparency

• EraWeekly's journalists are accountable to our audience. We correct substantive errors promptly and forthrightly.
• We explain our journalistic processes and reasoning when appropriate to foster transparency and trust.
• Unnamed sources are used only as a last resort when the information is critical and their identities must be protected.

Ethical Boundaries

• We do not engage in illegal activities or unethical practices to obtain information or further our reporting.
• Graphic content like violence or profanity is avoided unless essential for understanding and clearly warned about.
• We do not exploit subjects or inflate stories merely for sensationalism. Our coverage is sober and ethical.

Opinion and Analysis

• EraWeekly's reporting is clearly distinguished from opinion/analysis which is prominently labeled.
• Opinion writers have freedom to express views forcefully but are still bound by standards of accuracy, civility, and ethical conduct.

Social Media

• EraWeekly journalists maintain professionalism on social media in line with our editorial standards.
• They avoid partisan cheerleading, personal attacks, and other behavior that could undermine our credibility.
• Internal newsroom discussions and decision-making processes are kept confidential.

Verification Standards and Editorial Process

At EraWeekly, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of accuracy, integrity and accountability in our journalism. Our reporters have the primary responsibility for meticulously reporting, writing and fact-checking their stories to ensure they meet our rigorous verification standards. However, our process involves multiple layers of review by editors before any story is published.

The Assignment Desk

Stories first go through assignment editors - the department heads, deputy editors and assistant editors who collaborate closely with reporters from the outset. They guide story ideation, planning and reporting, and provide initial review and feedback when a draft is submitted. The assignment desk is a crucial first editorial gatekeeper.

Multiplatform Editing

From there, stories undergo review by our multiplatform editors, formerly called copy editors. For breaking news on tight deadlines, these editors may do the first full editorial review before publication. For longer-lead stories, they provide a valuable second set of eyes, rigorously checking for accuracy, clarity, balance, newsworthiness and adherence to our ethics policies.

Tailored for Each Story

The number of editors reading each story depends on factors like complexity, sensitivity and time pressure. A major exclusive or investigation may go through half a dozen reviewers before publication. A routine news brief may only get a single editor's review. But every story is scrutinized by multiple experienced journalistic professionals committed to EraWeekly's tradition of excellence. Our process is designed to maximize accuracy while being "nimble" enough to deliver readers the news they need, exactly when they need it.

Our Corrections Process

When we do make a mistake, we are fully committed to correcting the record promptly, clearly and transparently. We endeavor to be responsive and accountable, whether correcting factual errors, clarifying ambiguous or imprecise wording, or adding important context or responses we initially missed.

Corrections

For substantive corrections to articles, photo captions, graphics, headlines or other material, we publish a correction notice explaining the change. Our goal is to tell readers succinctly and plainly what was wrong and what is correct, so anyone can easily understand how and why we made the fix.

Clarifications

If our reporting is factually accurate but the language lacks needed clarity or nuance, we will rewrite the wording and append a clarification note. Clarifications can also acknowledge when we initially failed to include a relevant perspective or detail that has since been incorporated through further reporting.

Evolving Digital Reports

In the digital age, our stories are constantly evolving as we update them with the latest facts and context. Unless there is a particular reason, like a substantive wording change or major addition of new information, we generally do not need to note these routine updates, as timestamps signal stories in progress. But we always use clear corrections, clarifications or editor's notes to alert readers whenever we have corrected a significant error or shortcoming.

Our Commitment to Truth

Our journalism strives to be accurate, complete and current, reflecting the best obtainable version of the truth. But we are human and can make mistakes. When that happens, we take full responsibility to correct, clarify and improve our report as swiftly as possible. Maintaining our credibility requires honesty and humility.

At the same time, we will not allow bad-faith actors to weaponize routine corrections against us. Journalism fundamentally aims to shed light and promote public understanding, not score partisan points. We make no apologies for correcting ourselves when legitimate errors occur. In fact, we consider it a core professional obligation and badge of credibility.

Sponsored Content Policy

EraWeekly is committed to maintaining the trust of our readers and upholding the integrity of our publication. This policy outlines our approach to sponsored content to ensure transparency and adherence to ethical standards.

Definition

Sponsored content refers to material that has been funded or influenced by a third party, such as advertisers or partners. It can take various forms, including articles, videos, podcasts, and social media posts.

Transparency

All sponsored content will be clearly labeled as such. The label should be prominent and unambiguous, ensuring that readers can easily distinguish sponsored content from editorial content.

Editorial Independence

While sponsored content is subject to commercial agreements, our editorial team retains full independence over the content creation process. Sponsors may suggest topics or themes, but the final content will be produced by our editorial staff or approved contributors. Sponsored content will not be used to promote the sponsor’s products or services directly unless explicitly stated as part of the sponsorship agreement.

Content Standards

Sponsored content must meet the same quality and ethical standards as our non-sponsored editorial content. It should be informative, well-researched, and provide value to our readers. Content that is misleading, deceptive, or conflicts with our core values will not be accepted.

Review Process

All sponsored content must go through the same rigorous review process as our editorial content, including fact-checking and editorial oversight. Final approval of sponsored content rests with the Editor-in-Chief or designated editorial staff.

Updates and Corrections

If any sponsored content is found to contain errors or inaccuracies, corrections will be made promptly and transparently, following the same procedures as for our editorial content.

By adhering to this policy, EraWeekly ensures that sponsored content is presented in a responsible and reader-friendly manner, maintaining the integrity of our publication and the trust of our audience.