Ethics & Corrections

Pierce Newsroom is the editorial desk of Pierce Publishing House, based in Dallas, Texas. We report and analyse technology, learning, work, family and money for readers who want the evidence as well as the argument. Our first obligation is to the truth and to our readers, ahead of advertisers, partners, the people we write about, and our own company’s products.

These standards draw on the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics: seek truth and report it, minimise harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent.

• Every factual claim we publish must be supported by a source we have checked, and each article lists its sources in its notes.
• We prefer primary sources: the study, the filing, the court record, the dataset or the person who was there, over coverage of them.
• Figures are checked against their source, with the date they describe and what they measure, and are not rounded in a way that changes their meaning.
• Quotations are reproduced accurately and in context. We do not invent composite people, quotes or scenes.
• Photographs are not altered in ways that mislead. Illustrative images are chosen to illustrate, not to depict the specific people or events in a story unless the caption says they do.

When a claim is disputed, unproven or comes from an interested party, we attribute it to the person or outlet making it, and say so plainly, rather than presenting it as established fact. We credit other publications whose reporting we rely on and link to their work.

We name our sources wherever we can. We grant anonymity only when a source faces real risk of harm or retaliation, the information is important and cannot be obtained on the record, and an editor knows the source’s identity. We explain to readers why anonymity was granted, and we protect the identity of confidential sources.

Pierce Publishing House also publishes books and runs the Pantry app. When an article mentions one of our own products or services, or a person or business with a family, financial or working relationship with anyone involved in the article, we disclose that relationship in the article itself.

• We do not accept payment, gifts or favours in exchange for coverage, and no one outside the newsroom approves a story before publication.
• The subjects of a story may check facts about themselves, but they do not get to approve or edit it.
• Writers do not cover companies or people in which they hold a material financial interest without disclosing it.
• If we ever publish sponsored or paid content, it will be clearly labelled as such and kept separate from our reporting.

We label what kind of piece you are reading. Reporting tells you what happened and what the evidence shows. Analysis interprets that evidence and says what it may mean, and the reasoning is shown. Opinion and essays argue a point of view. Founder and case stories are based on the records and accounts of the people involved, and we say where the figures come from. Headlines and social posts must be supported by the article they lead to.

• When we report serious criticism of a named person or organisation, we give them a fair opportunity to respond before publication, and report their response or that they declined.
• We take particular care with children, people in crisis and private individuals, who have not chosen public life.
• We do not publish private information, such as home addresses or health details, unless it is essential to the story and in the public interest.

We may use AI tools to help research, transcribe, summarise sources, check copy or adapt articles for social media. A person on our team reviews, verifies and edits everything before it is published and is accountable for it, and every fact is checked against the original source, never against an AI summary of it. We do not publish AI-generated images presented as real photographs.

We correct errors of fact promptly and in the open. When we find or are told about a significant error:

• we fix the article and add a dated correction note to it, saying what was wrong and what is now right;
• we do not quietly change facts, figures, quotes or meaning without a note;
• if the error appeared in a headline or a social post, we correct it there too where the platform allows, or post the correction;
• if a story’s central premise turns out to be wrong, we say so prominently at the top of the article.

Spelling, grammar and formatting fixes that do not change meaning are made without a note. When an article is updated with new information after publication, we mark it as updated and say what changed.

Email hello@piercepublishing.app with the article’s link, the statement you believe is wrong, and any evidence. We acknowledge requests within two business days and aim to resolve them within seven. If we decide no correction is needed, we will tell you why.

We do not remove or unpublish articles on request. We may update, correct or add context to them, and we will consider removing information only where keeping it would put someone at risk of real harm or where the law requires it.

Our bylines tell you who is responsible for each article, and the desk at Pierce Publishing House answers for everything Pierce Newsroom publishes. We review these standards as the newsroom grows and date each revision. Questions, complaints and tips can go to hello@piercepublishing.app. See also our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.