Editorial Standards · NYC Pulse News

Editorial Standards

Rules contributors agree to follow. This page defines our responsibility to readers and our transparency with contributors.

1. Source verification

• Every fact (number, quote, name) must be verified by at least two independent sources or be primary record (official statement, press release, direct interview).
• Anonymous sources require editor consultation on rationale before use.
• Social media claims (X/Twitter, Instagram) alone are not a source — verification required.
• Statistics must include a link to the original report.

2. AI policy

• AI can assist: research, drafting, headline suggestions, copy editing. This use does not need to be disclosed to readers.
• AI cannot author alone: raw AI output cannot be published without human editing.
• AI fabrication banned: nothing AI might “make up” (quotes, statistics, dates, names) enters the article without verification.
• Allowed tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, etc., as part of the writing process.

3. Conflict of interest

• If you have a financial or personal relationship with anyone or any organization mentioned in the article, disclose it to the editor upfront.
• Content written for monetary or in-kind compensation must be labeled “sponsored”; it’s not editorial content.
• If you accept comped service/product to review a venue, this must be explicitly disclosed.

4. Plagiarism and attribution

• Using someone else’s work without attribution immediately terminates the agreement.
• Structural similarity (paragraph copying, distinctive information from another piece) requires attribution.
• Story tips from other outlets must be credited (“first reported by Eater”, “according to Bloomberg”, etc.).

5. Correction policy

• Claims proven incorrect are corrected within 24 hours.
• Corrections appear at the bottom marked “Correction: [date]” — transparent.
• Earlier versions remain visible in revision history.

6. Anonymity and source protection

• Statements from anonymous sources are protected. We do not reveal names.
• For sensitive topics (whistleblowing, layoffs, legal cases), contributors may use encrypted communication with the editor.
• Anonymity is maintained even under legal inquiry (within legal limits).

7. Sensitivity

• Discriminatory language based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability is prohibited.
• Victim names are not published in trauma-potential stories (sexual assault, suicide, child abuse).
• Health coverage follows suicide-prevention guidelines.

Last updated: 2026-05-09.