Our standards

Accuracy

Everything we make is researched, and every name, number, quote, and date is checked before it goes out, whether it’s a podcast, a policy, or a campaign.

• We say where information comes from and link to the source when it’s public.
• We quote people accurately, and only when they know they’re being quoted.

When we report

Our own reporting, like Reputation and our investigation with AfroLA, follows newsroom rules as well.

• We name our sources. When naming someone would put them at risk, we explain why we didn’t.
• We don’t pay sources.
• Funders don’t see or approve our reporting before it’s published.

Credit

Everyone who works on a project is credited by name for what they did, including research, writing, editing, music, and visuals.

• Photos and artwork carry a caption and a credit.
• When we build on someone else’s work or research, we name it and link to it.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we fix it where it appeared and add a note saying what changed and when.

If you see an error, tell us. We reply within two business days.

AI

In our own publications, AI is a tool for finding patterns, sorting material, and working out structure. People write, edit, and check everything we publish.

When AI plays a part in something we publish, we say so on that project and explain what it did, as The Thread did for its readers.

What AI never does in our work

• Create images of the real people we report on.
• Stand in for fact-checking.
• Invent quotes, sources, or data.

Work we make for clients

The same rules apply. How AI use is disclosed to a client’s audience is the client’s decision, and we can help them get it right.

Accessibility

We build this site to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA.

• Every page works with a keyboard, and you can always see where you are.
• Images have text descriptions, and headings follow a clear order for screen readers.
• Text keeps its contrast and can be enlarged without breaking the page.
• Nothing moves on its own for more than 5 seconds, and if your device is set to reduce motion, every effect shows its finished state instead.

If something on the site doesn’t work for you, tell us what happened and on which page. We reply within two business days and fix what we can.