Ethics Policy

Fact-checking Standards – Our reporters have the primary responsibility for reporting, writing, and fact-checking their stories. Stories are subject to review by one or more editors. An article passes through our multi-level structure prior to publication. Before reaching the page or screen, it goes first to an editor, then a copy editor, and lastly to our chief copy editors. Regional editors collaborate with reporters to develop their stories, providing initial reviews when a proposal is submitted and offering additional regional expertise to ensure the accuracy of any given report. It is the job of both the writer and the editor to ensure the completeness of an article. To be complete, an article must present the facts and the totality of views surrounding them without omission. Failures to do so are flagged by the editorial and the copy teams and are corrected prior to publication.

Opinion – We strive to create an open marketplace of ideas where informed debate on complex issues can flourish. To that end, we pledge to always clearly label opinion content, to keep facts and evidence at the center of our reporting, and to provide a platform from which competing views can be heard. We see the truth as our North Star, always guiding us, forcing us to consider our views like a mariner considers the night sky, judging angles and reevaluating the course he or she has charted.

Corrections and Clarifications –The Caravel strives for factual accuracy. We aim to be responsive in correcting errors in material published on our digital platforms. When we run a correction or a clarification, our goal is to tell our readers, as clearly as possible, what was wrong with our original reporting and what is correct. Anyone reading our content should be able to understand how and why a mistake has been corrected. With digital platforms, it is to be expected that we will sharpen, clarify, and improve stories over time. Stories that are developing will be clearly marked so that our readers are aware; global affairs are nebulous and dynamic—we will do our best to capture them accurately. If it is deemed necessary to publish a substantial correction—photo caption, headline, or graphic—we will publish a retraction that explains the change. When our journalism is factually correct but the language we used to explain those facts is not as clear or detailed as it should be, we will rewrite the text and issue a clarification to explain these changes.