For more than a century, the great newsrooms of American and British journalism — this newspaper’s models and, in many ways, its teachers — have understood that a publication’s only real asset is the trust of its readers. The Crosswire Daily was founded on that same premise.
These standards govern every story, gallery, multimedia piece, and headline we publish across US Politics and Governance, World, Money, Technology, Health, and Opinion. They apply equally to every staff member, freelancer, and contributor, without exception.
The Crosswire Daily’s primary obligation is to the truth and to our readers. We report the news honestly, accurately, and independently of any political party, advertiser, owner, or outside interest.
Editorial decisions are made by our editorial staff alone. No one outside the newsroom — including our corporate owners, advertising partners, commercial affiliates, or third-party distribution partners (such as the MSN Partner Hub) — has any influence over what we cover or how we cover it.
Accuracy is not a department; it is the responsibility of every writer and editor who touches a story before it reaches a reader.
Primary Verification: Every factual claim is verified before publication. Concrete facts — names, titles, dates, figures, and direct quotations — are verified using primary sources (official records, original data, direct interviews, legal documents) whenever possible, rather than relying solely on secondary reporting.
Digital Attribution & Hyperlinking: When referencing information, reports, data, or original reporting from other news organizations or official entities, we attribute clearly and provide direct hyperlinks to the original source material within the body of the article.
Layered Editorial Review: Stories move through structured editorial oversight. A writer bears primary responsibility for initial reporting and fact-checking; an editor reviews, fact-checks, and approves every piece before publication. Breaking or time-sensitive stories must still pass through at least one editor prior to publication.
Integrity of Quotations: Quotations are sacred. We do not “clean up” a speaker’s words, alter their context, or manufacture a quotation. What appears inside quotation marks accurately reflects what was said.
Developing Stories: When facts are still unfolding, we state what we know and what we do not yet know plainly. We do not speculate or imply certainty we do not have.
The Crosswire Daily is committed to human-led, original journalism. While technology can assist our workflows, generative artificial intelligence (AI) is strictly regulated to preserve accuracy and trust.
Human Authorship: Generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Claude, or automated content generators) may never be used to write articles, conduct original reporting, or bypass human editorial oversight. Every story published by The Crosswire Daily is researched, written, and edited by human journalists.
Research & Assistance: Journalists may use AI tools for administrative tasks, data sorting, or copy-editing assistance, but all AI-assisted research must be independently fact-checked against primary sources by the reporter.
Visual Integrity & Synthetic Media: We do not use AI-generated images or synthetic media to depict real-world news events, public figures, or non-fiction subjects. Any illustration or graphic generated with digital assistance is clearly labeled as a “Digital Illustration” or “AI-Generated Graphic” to ensure readers are never misled.
Fairness is a discipline, not a feeling. It relies on rigorous and objective standards:
A story that omits facts of major significance is not fair.
A story that includes irrelevant material at the expense of core facts is not fair.
A story that misleads a reader — deliberately or through omission — is not fair.
Right of Reply: Individuals, businesses, or organizations that are the subject of critical claims or allegations are given a genuine, timely, and reasonable opportunity to respond before publication. We do not seek comment at the last moment to simply check a box; we make good-faith efforts to include their perspective.
To preserve the objectivity of our news gathering, The Crosswire Daily maintains a strict division between news reporting and opinion commentary:
Clear Labeling: All opinion columns, commentary, analysis pieces, and staff editorials carry distinct, prominent visual badges (e.g., “Opinion,” “Commentary,” or “Editorial”) to ensure readers can immediately distinguish subjective viewpoints from objective news reporting.
Editorial Independence: Writers publishing exclusively as opinion columnists are permitted to express personal perspectives. However, beat reporters covering hard news must maintain strict neutrality in their reporting.
Original reporting is credited to its author. Information drawn from news wires, public records, press releases, or other news outlets is attributed clearly at the point of use.
We strongly prefer named, on-the-record sources. Reporters must press sources to go on the record before considering anonymity.
When confidentiality is necessary to share vital information that the public could not otherwise learn, we grant it — but never casually:
An editor must know the identity of every unnamed source used in a story.
Wherever possible, anonymously sourced information must be corroborated by a second independent source or supporting documentation.
We explain to readers why a source was granted anonymity and use descriptive, precise framing (e.g., “a official involved in the regulatory negotiations”) rather than vague attributions like “sources say.”
We adhere strictly to standardized ground rules with sources, established before information is shared:
On the record: Information can be published and attributed directly to the source by name and title.
On background: Information can be published and used, but attributed only to an agreed-upon description of the source’s role or expertise.
Deep background: Information may inform our reporting and understanding, but cannot be attributed to any source (named or described) in the text. Used sparingly and never as a substitute for verification.
Off the record: Information cannot be published, quoted, or passed along in further reporting. We do not accept “off the record” material casually or retroactively.
We do not wait for a reader to point out an error. When we make a mistake, we correct it promptly, transparently, and unreservedly.
Substantive Corrections: If a factual error is identified in a published story, we correct the text and append a Correction Note at the top or bottom of the article. The note explicitly states what was corrected, what the error was, and when the change was made (with a timestamp).
Minor Corrections: Minor typographical or spelling errors that do not alter the facts of a story are corrected directly without a formal correction note.
Updates: As breaking stories develop, new facts may be added. Significant developments are marked with an “Updated” timestamp at the top of the article.
Retractions & Unpublishing: We rarely remove published articles entirely. Content is only unpublished or retracted in extreme cases involving legal mandates, severe ethical violations, or proven fabrication. If a story is retracted, the original text is removed and replaced with an explanation from the Editor-in-Chief detailing why the piece was retracted.
The Crosswire Daily journalists gather and report the news; they do not participate in it.
Misrepresentation: In gathering news, our journalists do not misrepresent their identity or occupation, and never portray themselves as anything other than journalists.
Partisan Involvement: Staff news reporters and editors are prohibited from active involvement in partisan political causes — including political campaigns, advocacy groups, and public demonstrations — that could compromise, or appear to compromise, their editorial neutrality.
Gifts and Travel: Staff members may not accept gifts, free travel, accommodation, or favors from individuals, political entities, or corporations that they cover. Meals or nominal promotional items under $25 may be accepted only when necessary for professional gathering settings.
Financial Investments: Reporters are prohibited from writing about or covering companies, stocks, or financial assets in which they or their immediate family hold a direct financial interest, unless fully disclosed to editors and readers.
Plagiarism and Fabrication: Plagiarism and fabrication are unforgivable breaches of public trust. Any confirmed instance results in the immediate removal of the content, an explicit public correction, and immediate termination of employment or contract.
A newsroom that routinely relies on the same narrow circle of official sources produces an incomplete picture of the world. Our journalists are actively expected to seek out a diverse range of voices — across gender, geography, background, ideology, and lived experience — ensuring our coverage reflects the full complexity of the communities we serve.
The Crosswire Daily is an independent digital news publication dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of journalistic integrity.
If you suspect an error in our reporting, wish to request a correction, or have questions regarding our editorial ethics, please contact our editorial team directly: