Editorial Policy

1. Core Editorial Principles

Every member of our newsroom is expected to work to these principles:

• Accuracy: Facts are checked before publication, not after. Accuracy takes priority over being first.
• Impartiality: We report without taking sides in party politics and without advancing a personal agenda.
• Balance: Where a matter is disputed, we present the significant viewpoints fairly and give those criticised an opportunity to respond.
• Transparency: We tell readers where information came from and what remains unconfirmed.
• Accountability: We correct mistakes openly and explain what changed.
• Independence: Editorial decisions are made by the newsroom alone.
• Human dignity: We report on people with care, avoid gratuitous detail, and weigh public interest against harm.

2. Sourcing Policy

• We prefer primary sources: official documents, orders, notifications, filings, published data, and first-hand accounts.
• We name sources wherever it is safe and practical to do so, so readers can judge the evidence themselves.
• Where a report originates with a news agency or another publication, we credit that agency or outlet by name.
• Serious allegations require at least two independent sources, or a document that stands on its own, before publication.
• Social media is not proof. Posts, forwarded messages, and screenshots are treated as leads to be verified, never as confirmation.
• Images and video are used only when we hold the rights or a valid licence, and are credited to the photographer, agency, or rights holder.

Detailed verification steps and our evidence tiers are set out in the Fact-Checking Policy.

3. News, Analysis, Opinion, and Sponsored Content

• News reports verified facts and attributes them.
• Analysis explains context and likely implications, and is labelled as analysis.
• Opinion reflects the views of the named writer, is labelled as opinion, and is not presented as straight reporting.
• Sponsored content is paid for or supported by a brand and is always labelled as sponsored, paid, or partner content.

These formats are visually distinguishable so a reader can tell at a glance what they are reading.

4. Authorship, Bylines, and Dates

• Articles carry a byline identifying the reporter or the newsroom desk responsible for the report.
• Where an author profile exists, the byline links to a public page showing that author's role, background, and contact route.
• Every article displays its publication date.
• When an article is materially revised after publication, it displays an updated date and time. We do not refresh the update stamp unless the content actually changed.
• Agency-sourced copy credits the originating agency in place of an individual byline.

5. Ownership, Funding, and Editorial Independence

JantaScope is not owned, controlled, or funded by any political party, government body, or religious organisation. We do not accept funding that comes with conditions on our coverage.

Advertisers, sponsors, and commercial partners have no influence over what we cover, how we cover it, or the conclusions our reporting reaches. They do not see editorial content before publication, and buying advertising does not secure coverage or prevent critical reporting.

6. Sponsored Content and Advertising Labelling

• Paid material is labelled Sponsored, Paid content, or Partner content, and names the brand behind it.
• Advertising is displayed in clearly identifiable ad areas, separate from editorial text.
• Sponsored material does not carry a reporter byline in a way that implies independent reporting.
• We decline advertising or sponsored content that is deceptive, unsafe, or designed to look like a news report.

Our commercial rules are set out on the Advertise With Us page.

7. Original Content and Copyright

• We do not copy and paste content from other publishers. Plagiarism is grounds for removal of the content and internal action.
• Where we quote another outlet's reporting, we keep the quotation limited and credit the outlet by name.
• Photographs, illustrations, audio, and video are used only where we own them, hold a licence, or are otherwise permitted, with credit as required.
• If you believe your copyright has been infringed, email support@jantascope.com with the URL, a description of the work, and details of your rights, and we will review it promptly.

8. Use of Artificial Intelligence

We are deliberately conservative about automation. Our rules are:

• AI tools may assist only with translation, language and grammar improvement, headline suggestions, summarisation, and transcription.
• Nothing is published without human editorial review. We do not auto-publish machine-written articles.
• Humans verify every fact. AI output is never treated as a source or as evidence.
• Any AI-generated or AI-altered image or illustration is labelled as such.
• A named person on our team remains accountable for the accuracy of every published article.

9. Conflicts of Interest

• Contributors must disclose any financial, personal, family, or professional interest in a story they are covering.
• Where a material interest exists, the contributor is reassigned, or the interest is disclosed to readers within the article.
• Gifts, paid trips, or hospitality that could reasonably be seen to influence coverage must be declined or declared.
• Contributors do not trade on unpublished information.

10. Reporting Sensitive Subjects

• Crime and courts: A person accused of an offence is reported as accused, not guilty, unless and until convicted. We report the outcome of proceedings where we reported the charge.
• Sexual offences: We do not publish the identity of a survivor of a sexual offence, or details that could identify them.
• Minors: We do not identify children involved in crime, abuse, or custody matters, and we take extra care with images of children.
• Suicide and self-harm: We avoid describing method or location, avoid sensational framing, and include helpline information where relevant.
• Communal, caste, and religious tension: We avoid language that inflames, do not amplify unverified claims, and avoid identifying communities where it is not editorially necessary.
• Tragedy and grief: We approach victims and families with restraint and do not pressure people to speak.

11. Editorial Workflow

Every article passes through the following stages before it reaches readers:

1. Reporting: The reporter gathers information and identifies sources and documents.
2. Fact-check: Claims, names, figures, dates, and quotes are checked against the source material.
3. Editorial review: An editor reviews accuracy, fairness, legal risk, headline framing, and image choice.
4. Publish and monitor: After publication we monitor for new developments, reader reports, and errors, and update or correct the article as needed.

12. Corrections and Complaints

If we publish something inaccurate, we want to know. Our full process, response times, and escalation route are set out in the Corrections Policy.

13. Changes to This Policy

We review this policy periodically and update it as our newsroom practices develop. When we make a substantive change, we revise the “last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of our Services after a change indicates acceptance of the updated policy.