Editorial Standards and Practices

The Center for Investigative Reporting, which produces Mother Jones, Reveal, and More To The Story, is the longest-running nonprofit investigative news organization in the country. We deliver multiplatform journalism anchored in our commitment to the highest standards of editorial ethics. The mission that drives all our work is to produce hard-hitting reporting that holds power to account, raises awareness, and inspires change. Below are many of our core guidelines to ensure that all contributors maintain trust and credibility in alignment with our mission.

If you see any content that you believe violates our standards, or have questions, let us know at standards@cir.org.

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Table of Contents

1. Scope of Guidelines
2. Editorial Independence
3. Guiding Principles
4. Avoidance and Disclosure of Possible Conflicts
5. Confidential or Anonymous Sources
6. Fair and Transparent Newsgathering
7. Requests for Comment
8. Identifying Minors
9. Identifying Survivors of Assault or Trauma
10. Source Diversity
11. Artificial Intelligence
12. Payment for Journalistic Material
13. Corrections, Updates, Retractions, Takedowns
14. Content Warnings
15. Social Media

1. Scope of Guidelines

   This document covers a range of scenarios and commitments, but it is not exhaustive. Where questions and concerns are not answered below, consult the standards editor.

2. Editorial Independence

   The Center for Investigative Reporting retains full authority over all editorial content. We may at times accept donations to support the coverage of broad topics, but our newsroom maintains full editorial control of that coverage. Our acceptance of donations or advertisements does not involve an endorsement of donors or advertisers, their products, or their opinions.

3. Guiding Principles

   Our journalism seeks to reveal violations of the public trust and shine a light on those working for change. We pursue that goal by checking facts rigorously, correcting substantive errors publicly, and striving to include a diverse range of voices. It is essential that we characterize people, perspectives, entities, and events fairly and accurately. Following the facts where they lead, while acknowledging where we’re coming from, is a bedrock principle of our reporting and analysis.

4. Avoidance and Disclosure of Possible Conflicts

   Journalists need to avoid working on a story that they stand to personally benefit from in an undue way. Any reasonably perceived conflict should be disclosed in a story so that audiences can assess our work. Examples, in part:

   • Benefits, discounts, gifts: Journalists may accept benefits or discounts available to the general public or on the basis of our nonprofit status, or offered generally to all CIR employees. However, they may not accept benefits or discounts when doing so would compromise the story’s or reporter’s editorial integrity. Journalists should not accept personal gifts from sources or subjects except for rare situations when, especially for cultural reasons, it would be impolite to refuse a small but meaningful gift.
   • Event tickets: We may not accept free access to events for personal use when admission is not free to the general public. Staff members may accept free entry, however, when covering the events or for other newsgathering purposes.
   • Lodging or accommodations: CIR covers reporters’ travel and lodging while reporting. We should not accept publicity junkets, i.e., reporting trips paid for by the people being covered. Exceptions may be made in certain circumstances, such as when following the military on a mission. These circumstances should be disclosed in the story.
   • Sponsorships: Sponsored content created by an advertiser or business partner must be clearly labeled as sponsored content, must not blur the line with editorial, and must disclose that our newsroom is not involved in creating it (though our standards editor and producers may review it for quality). See our advertising policy.
   • Financial conflicts: Any editorial contributor to a story should disclose to a supervisor if the contributor could potentially benefit financially from a story due to personal investments.
5. Confidential or Anonymous Sources

   We aim to name the sources in our stories to help build trust with our audience and create accountability. We may agree not to name sources who have a compelling reason not to be named and who share information that we have reason to believe is credible, newsworthy, and less accessible by other means. Factors in deciding whether or not we will withhold source names in published work may include how the person knows the information, how we might corroborate or challenge it, what their motivation is for disclosing the information, how reliable they are, whether they have been named elsewhere, and risks to their personal safety. We should convey in the story our primary reason for granting anonymity.

6. Fair and Transparent Newsgathering

   We commit to treating the public and our sources fairly and transparently. Lying or misrepresenting ourselves to sources or subjects is not permitted. When seeking information that is also available to the general public, reporters need not announce themselves, but reporters must let anyone they interview know that they are a reporter.

   In rare cases, safety considerations may justify concealment. Any proposed use of undercover reporting must be carefully considered (see some considerations), flagged for review by our editor-in-chief and CEO, discussed with our standards editor, and approved by legal counsel before being initiated.

7. Requests for Comment

   We strive for no significant undue surprises for people we report on, and, when someone denies accusations, to note their denial in the story, even if the denial is not provided directly to the reporter but is only in the public domain. Exceptions may arise when reporting or commenting on well-established and widely reported facts.

8. Identifying Minors

   We should lean toward getting some form of guardian consent or awareness before naming a minor, unless there are safety reasons not to or they have been emancipated, or other situational exceptions. Whether a minor has been named in media reports before is not our deciding factor.

9. Identifying Survivors of Assault or Trauma

   Deciding whether to identify a survivor of assault or trauma should take into account the survivor’s wishes. Agency in this area is especially important. Consider principles of trauma-informed reporting.

   We must ensure that anonymity, when granted, applies consistently in all mediums covering the story.

10. Source Diversity

    Diversity in sourcing helps expand and enrich our reporting. We should think inclusively about the sources we quote, the subject experts we cite, and the reference material we research.

11. Artificial Intelligence

    We will always explore new technology to see how it can improve our work, and that includes artificial intelligence. But AI tools cannot emulate or replace human judgment, creativity, or values. They also cannot replace the relationship at the core of our existence as an organization—between our audiences and the journalists and publishing professionals they trust. Where AI can assist us, any use must be guided by our commitments to accuracy, human protection, and transparency to our audience.

12. Payment for Journalistic Material

    We may not pay or compensate in any way sources to interview, film, photograph, or audio-record them for an editorial story or to obtain a scoop or leak.
    

13. Corrections, Updates, Retractions, Takedowns

    Corrections
    Accuracy guides all of our work. All errors of fact must be corrected, and our factual corrections should be publicly noted. See more, including our updates policy, in our style guide.

    Retractions and Takedowns
    Retractions are the withdrawal of a claim or a component of a published work, whereas takedowns are the removal of the entire work. Both are exceptionally rare. Retractions and takedowns without public explanation are generally not permitted; an editor’s note is standard, and the note should be as prominent as the removed content.

14. Content Warnings

    Articles
    Our policy is not to include content warnings atop articles. A growing body of research indicates that such warnings, known as trigger warnings, do not reduce overall negative reactions and may increase reader discomfort. Exceptions may be made when crossposting an article by a publishing partner who requires it, and in other rare cases.

    Social videos
    Social videos can benefit from content warnings, such as a text card early in the video, especially for graphic footage of violence, death, or excessive blood, or a central focus on suicide or sexual assault.

    Audio
    If including a warning at the top of audio, consider restating it later for listeners joining midstream who might not have heard the top warning. However, when sensitive content is limited, it’s often better to weave a single warning into the narrative closer to that moment than to use a top disclaimer or repeated warnings.

15. Social Media

    Social media is a vital tool for sharing our work, building audiences, developing sources, recruiting contributors, and expressing voices. It also can put our organization and individuals at risk. We want to balance two commitments: protection for personal expression, and a need to recognize that personal accounts that bear our organization’s name will be seen as reflecting our work. We should therefore uphold the same journalistic standards on social media that we uphold on all our platforms.

This is a living document, last updated February 19, 2026. Questions and comments are welcome at standards@cir.org.