Editorial Standards

Accuracy comes first

We verify information before publication through direct reporting, official records, interviews, statistics, public documents and credible on-the-record sources. When information is still developing, the story should say what is confirmed and what remains uncertain.

Reporting and attribution

Original reporting is presented as original reporting. Information first reported elsewhere is attributed when it materially advances the story. Public records, court filings, NCAA or conference documents and other primary material should be linked when practical.

Sourcing and corroboration

A source is evaluated by what the person knows, how the information was obtained and whether the source has a reason to mislead. Information with meaningful consequences should be corroborated when the circumstances call for it. Anonymous sourcing is reserved for important information that cannot reasonably be obtained on the record.

Quotes and interviews

Quotes are not rewritten to make a source sound cleaner, harsher or more certain than the person was. Context that materially changes how a quote should be understood belongs in the story.

Statistics and data

Statistics and data are used to establish or challenge a point, not to create the appearance of analysis. Numbers should come from official records or another clearly identified source when possible. Estimates are labeled as estimates, and missing data is not filled with an invented value.

Analysis and opinion

Analysis can reach conclusions, but those conclusions should come from reporting, film, statistics or clearly described observations. Opinion and commentary should be recognizable as such. A prediction, interpretation or evaluation is not presented as a reported fact.

Recruiting and roster movement

Recruiting information is verified before publication. Message-board speculation, anonymous social posts and unconfirmed rumors are not treated as fact. Commitments, offers, visits, eligibility decisions and transfer movement should be attributed to the player, school, representative or another credible source.

Sponsored content

Advertising and sponsorship relationships are separate from editorial judgment. Paid placements are identified as advertising, sponsorship or a commercial partnership when the relationship could otherwise be unclear. A sponsor does not receive approval over independent reporting.

Corrections

Material factual errors are corrected promptly. Corrections that change a name, score, statistic, quotation, date, attribution, legal status or the meaning of a passage should be disclosed on the story when appropriate.

Photography and media

Editorial images should be original, licensed, supplied for media use or otherwise used with permission. Credit is attached when required. Images are not manipulated in a way that changes the journalistic meaning of a scene.