Editorial Standards

We do not publish a factual claim we cannot support. Before publication, every material assertion is checked against a primary source or on-the-record confirmation.

• Primary sources first. We rely on original documents, court records, recorded instruments, and official data rather than secondhand summaries. Where we cite a document, we identify it by name, date, and record number so any reader can retrieve it.
• Two-source rule for contested facts. A significant claim that is not self-proving from a document requires at least two independent sources or one authoritative record.
• Inference is labeled as inference. When the record supports a reasonable conclusion but does not prove it, we say so plainly and identify the document that would confirm it. We do not present a question as a finding.
• Right to respond. Before publishing adverse factual claims about a person or organization, we make a reasonable effort to seek their response and we report it fairly.

Muckrakers.Today is an editorial publication. It is not a political committee, it is not an advocacy organization, and its reporting is not directed, reviewed, or approved by any candidate, party, campaign, political action committee, advocacy group, or special interest.

• No political, advocacy, or special-interest organization has editorial control over what we publish, when we publish it, or how it is framed.
• We accept no payment, consideration, or coordination in exchange for coverage, favorable framing, or the suppression of a story.
• Where a writer or the publication has any relationship that a reader could reasonably regard as bearing on a story, we disclose it in that story.
• Our editorial judgment is not for sale and is not subject to the interests of advertisers, donors, or sources.

We will make mistakes. When we do, we correct them promptly, visibly, and without minimizing them.

• Prompt correction. A confirmed error of fact is corrected as soon as we verify it, not quietly and not on delay.
• Transparent record. Corrections are noted on the piece itself, stating what was wrong and what is now accurate. We do not silently edit a published claim out of existence.
• Proportionate response. A significant error gets a prominent correction. A material misstatement that changed the meaning of a story is acknowledged as such.
• Anyone may report a suspected error using the contact below. We take every good-faith report seriously.

How we gather the news is part of the news. We hold ourselves to lawful, honest, and fair methods.

• We identify ourselves as journalists when reporting, and we do not misrepresent who we are to obtain information.
• We obtain records through lawful public-records channels, court access, and open sources. We do not traffic in unlawfully obtained material.
• We honor commitments made to sources, including agreements on attribution and confidentiality, and we protect the identity of confidential sources.
• We do not plagiarize and we do not fabricate. Quotes are accurate, context is preserved, and images and documents are represented truthfully.

Accountability reporting is aimed at public power, not private people caught near it.

• We scrutinize public officials, public figures, and those who seek or wield public power. We apply a far higher bar before reporting on private individuals.
• We do not publish the home addresses of individuals, and we weigh safety and privacy against public interest before publishing personal information about any person.
• We distinguish between what a person did in a public or official capacity and matters that carry no public interest.
• We treat everyone, including the subjects of hard reporting, as entitled to the presumption of innocence where charges are unproven, and we say when a matter is an allegation.

Our reporting should be checkable. Wherever possible, we show our work.

• We prefer on-the-record sourcing and name our sources unless a legitimate need for confidentiality requires otherwise.
• We link or cite the underlying records so readers can verify our reporting for themselves.
• We label opinion and analysis as distinct from straight news reporting.
• We do not use artificial intelligence to fabricate quotes, sources, images, or events. Any tool used in research is subject to the same verification standard as any other, and a human editor is accountable for every published word.