Editorial standards

These standards guide Bay Area Chronicle and our shared news network. If an article falls short, please tell the newsroom.

Accuracy and attribution

Reporting should distinguish established facts, attributed claims, analysis and opinion. Quotations must come from identifiable source material. Reporting based on records, announcements, press releases or other publications should identify those sources. A newsroom byline does not imply that a named reporter attended an event or conducted an interview.

Authors and reporting sources

Articles identify their author or publication desk. Original reporting, source-based reporting and network-shared stories must receive accurate credit. Shared infrastructure does not establish who originated a story. We do not invent authors, credentials, interviews or evidence.

Automation and illustrations

The network uses automated tools to assist collection, drafting, narration and illustration. Automated output can contain errors; it is not a substitute for verifiable sources. An illustration is not documentary evidence of an event. Generated illustrations must be identified, and image credits must describe the actual source.

Corrections and updates

Material corrections should explain what was wrong and what is correct, on the original article. Publication dates must not be refreshed for routine website maintenance. Read our corrections policy.

Commercial independence

Advertising, sponsorship and editorial coverage are separate. Paid and partner material must be clearly disclosed. Buying advertising does not buy favorable editorial coverage. Read our advertising and sponsored-content policy.