Editorial Policy

Last updated: September 10, 2026

1. Our Commitment

Marlin’s Journal exists to deliver accurate, independent, and deeply reported journalism at the intersection of technology, science, and culture. This Editorial Policy describes the standards and processes that guide every piece of content we publish. We publish this policy publicly because we believe transparency about how we work is essential to earning and keeping your trust.

This policy applies to all editorial staff, freelance contributors, and anyone producing content under the Marlin’s Journal byline.

2. Core Principles

Five principles govern everything we do:

Accuracy: We verify facts before publication and correct errors promptly when they occur. Accuracy is non-negotiable and takes precedence over speed, traffic, and deadlines.
Independence: Our editorial decisions are made solely by our journalists. Advertisers, sponsors, partners, and sources have no influence over what we cover or how we cover it.
Fairness: We give the subjects of our reporting a meaningful opportunity to respond to criticism. We seek out multiple perspectives and represent them honestly.
Transparency: We tell readers how we know what we know — attributing sources, linking to primary material, and disclosing methods and conflicts of interest.
Accountability: We stand behind our work, correct our mistakes, and engage with reader feedback in good faith.

3. Fact-Checking Protocol

Every article published on Marlin’s Journal undergoes a multi-stage verification process:

Stage 1: Reporter Verification

Writers are responsible for verifying every factual claim before submission. This includes:

Confirming statistics, figures, and data against original studies or reports (never against secondary summaries where the primary source is available)
Verifying quotes against recordings or written correspondence
Checking the spelling of names, titles, and organizations
Confirming dates, locations, and numerical figures

Stage 2: Editorial Review

The section editor reviews the article for accuracy, completeness, and fairness. Editors ask: Is every claim supported? Are the sources credible and appropriate? Have we been fair to the subjects? Are there relevant perspectives we’ve missed?

Stage 3: Dedicated Fact-Check

For reported features and investigative pieces, a dedicated fact-checker (separate from the writer) independently verifies a sample of factual claims — typically 15-25% of claims, with emphasis on the most consequential or surprising assertions. The fact-checker cross-references against primary sources and flags any discrepancies for resolution.

Stage 4: Final Approval

The Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor reviews the article and the fact-checking record before approving publication.

4. Source Standards

We hold ourselves and our sources to high standards:

Primary sources preferred: We rely on original research papers, official documents, direct interviews, and primary data wherever possible.
Credible secondary sources: When primary sources are unavailable, we use established, reputable secondary sources and attribute them clearly.
Anonymous sources: We use anonymous sources only when (a) the information is essential to the story, (b) the source faces genuine risk of harm from being identified, and (c) no other way to obtain the information exists. At least one editor must know the source’s identity.
Confidentiality: We honor off-the-record agreements and protect our sources. We never pay sources for information.
No fabrication: We never invent sources, quotes, or events. AI tools are never used to generate quotes or to fabricate material.

5. Corrections Policy

We take errors seriously. Our corrections policy:

When an error is identified — by us or by a reader — we investigate promptly.
Verified corrections are published within 24 hours, appended to the bottom of the article.
Corrections note what was wrong and what the accurate information is. We do not silently edit mistakes away.
For significant errors, we may add an editor’s note at the top of the article or publish a separate correction notice.
Readers can report errors to [email protected].

6. Labeling News vs. Opinion

We clearly distinguish between different types of content:

News: Factual reporting of events, grounded in verified information and clearly attributed sources.
Analysis: Interpretation of facts, placed in context. Analysis builds on verified reporting and is clearly labeled.
Opinion: The author’s personal views. Opinion pieces and essays carry a clear “Opinion” or “Essay” label and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marlin’s Journal.
Sponsored content: Paid content is clearly labeled as “Sponsored” or “Partner Content” and is produced separately from our editorial operation.

7. Independence and Conflicts of Interest

Our independence is foundational:

Editorial/business separation: Our editorial team operates independently of our business, advertising, and sponsorship operations. Advertisers and sponsors have no input into editorial decisions.
No payment for coverage: We never accept payment, gifts, or favors in exchange for coverage. Our journalists do not accept gifts valued over $50 CAD from sources or subjects.
Disclosure: We disclose any potential conflicts of interest — personal, financial, or institutional — within the relevant article.
Personal investments: Staff and contributors must disclose investments or financial interests relevant to their reporting. Journalists do not cover companies in which they hold significant financial stakes.
Press trips and review units: We disclose when products reviewed were provided by manufacturers, and we return loaned hardware after review.

8. Ethics Code

Our journalists adhere to the following ethical standards:

Honesty: We identify ourselves as journalists when reporting. We do not misrepresent our identity or affiliations to obtain information.
No plagiarism: We attribute all borrowed material and never present others’ work as our own.
Respect for subjects: We treat sources and subjects with dignity. We are especially careful when covering vulnerable individuals and those unfamiliar with the press.
Privacy: We respect individuals’ reasonable expectations of privacy and weigh the public interest before publishing private information.
Minimizing harm: We consider the potential consequences of our reporting and seek to minimize unnecessary harm while serving the public interest.

9. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Our policy on AI is straightforward:

AI tools are never used to write, generate, or substantially alter editorial content. Our articles are written by humans.
AI may be used as a research aid — for example, to help transcribe interviews or organize notes — but always under human review and verification.
Any use of AI in image generation is clearly disclosed, and we do not use AI-generated images to represent real events or people.
We do not publish AI-generated text as if it were human-written journalism.

10. Reader Engagement

We value reader feedback and engage with it in good faith. We read our email, we respond to thoughtful criticism, and we correct the record when we’re wrong. We do not moderate reader comments on our site — we believe the healthiest conversations happen in the open web, on platforms readers already use.