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Ethics Statement - The Verge
Ethics Statement - The Verge
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Ethics Statement
Since it launched in 2011, The Verge has operated under a strict ethics policy that
ensures our editorial independence and the integrity of our journalism. All of our
editorial staff are required to abide by the following guidelines, many of which
exceed standards in our industry.
Earning and keeping the trust of our audience is, and always will be, at the core of
The Verge’s mission. In a world where information is distributed across countless
platforms and formats, it’s more important than ever to promote clear ethical
guidelines that allow audiences to know where that information comes from and
whether it can be trusted.
As a part of Vox Media, The Verge also adheres to the Vox Media Editorial Ethics &
Guidelines.
Editorial independence
Our most valuable asset is the independence that allows us to publish stories
without fear.
The Verge is routinely critical of people and companies we cover, and we’re most
proud of our work when we tell stories that people in power would prefer not see
the light of day. We are able to enjoy this independence because every member of
our editorial team is required to follow a strict code of conduct. Additionally, we
enforce a strict wall between The Verge’s editorial team and our parent company’s
advertising teams (addressed more in detail below).
We don’t accept things of value from companies or from their PR firms, period
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7/11/23, 11:18 AM Ethics Statement - The Verge
Professional conduct
In addition to standards that preserve our independence, The Verge’s reporters are
expected to abide by industry-standard ethical guidelines for reporting. This means
that our editorial team takes great care to learn the truth and report it, protect
sources, minimize risk of harm, and strive for accuracy and honesty in everything
we publish. We use the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics as a
baseline for the professional conduct of our editorial staff.
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7/11/23, 11:18 AM Ethics Statement - The Verge
ON THE RECORD
“On the record” is the default for talking to reporters and editors at The Verge. You
say things, we record them, we can report who you are and quote what you said. We
will expect corporate communications professionals and people speaking to us in
an official capacity to be on the record in almost every single case, and you will have
to tell us why you want to change this default every single time.
ON BACKGROUND
“On background” means you can talk to us and we will not specifically identify you,
instead using a descriptor like “company spokesperson.” If you are a corporate
communications professional speaking to us in your official capacity, we will not in
any circumstances attribute you as “a source familiar.”
This means:
3. You cannot say things like “background not for attribution,” and we will not
agree to that terminology. This is just off the record. Say what you mean.
A reminder: you have to ask, and we have to agree. Every single time.
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7/11/23, 11:18 AM Ethics Statement - The Verge
“Off the record” is simple: you talk to us, we agree not to use anything we hear in
any of our reporting unless we can source it otherwise. Like background, off the
record is an agreement. If we don’t agree, you are not off the record.
Advertising
Vox Media employs a dedicated advertising team that is responsible for selling
advertising space on our properties. Any feature on a Vox Media brand sponsored
by a particular company or advertiser that is developed independently by the Vox
Creative and Sales teams is clearly marked as "Advertiser Content." Advertisements
do not necessarily reflect the views of Vox Media or our editorial teams. Vox
Creative and Sales teams have their own set of guidelines and policies for
developing content and do not infringe on the creative agency of editorial teams.
Our editorial teams do not directly accept money or other consideration from
individuals or entities as a condition or incentive to write a review or story, whether
favorable or unfavorable. However, some of our editorial content is made possible
through the support of sponsors. This content is clearly marked as content
"Presented" by the applicable sponsor. Our sponsors may select which content they
wish to support, however, we do not allow our Sales teams, Vox Creative, or our
sponsors to control or interfere with the editorial integrity of our editorial teams
and the content they create.
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a
commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these
affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by
our affiliate partnerships. Vox Media does employ a commerce team to optimize
certain content for affiliate revenue, and such content is marked as such by
including a similar affiliate links disclosure. We work with several providers
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Distributed platforms
The Verge is a multimedia brand that is distributed across many platforms,
including our own site on the web, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others. Our
editorial standards apply to all of our platforms.
Vox Creative does, on occasion, distribute sponsored editorial content and paid
branded content through our distributed platforms. They are clearly labeled as
"Presented by" (for editorial sponsorships) or "Paid Content" (for branded content)
in the post and further labeled using platform-specific tools such as the Facebook
handshake.
Sometimes more information about a story we’ve published becomes available that
either continues the narrative or clarifies the original story, but it is not a
correction. In these cases, we may add and / or change elements of the original
story. These updates will be clearly noted at the bottom of the story, indicating the
time of the change and a note describing what was changed.
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Reviews
Advising our audience about the best way to spend their time and money is one of
our most important responsibilities. Our reviews always contain the honest,
independent assessments of our editorial team. Like everything else we publish,
there are no paid-for reviews of any kind written by The Verge editorial team.
Companies may loan products (like laptops and smartphones) to our editors for a
limited period of time so we can evaluate them and determine whether to review
them. Occasionally, we will keep a review unit for an extended period of time to
fully evaluate it and its software updates over time. We may also agree to an
"embargo" with a company or PR firm that allows us to evaluate their product prior
to its release.
Personal investing
We do not invest in companies we cover, and employees are forbidden from trading
or buying stock in companies we cover or companies in the general technology
sector. Vox Media’s retirement savings programs may hold some of these restricted
stocks, but these funds are not managed directly by employees.
Other employment
Employees of The Verge may not be otherwise employed by or receive
compensation from companies that they are likely to cover, nor are they permitted
to have any advisory role (paid or unpaid) at those companies. In general, writers
and editors of The Verge are not allowed to conduct journalism for other
publications without the express permission of the editor-in-chief.
Giveaways
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From time to time, The Verge or Vox Media will conduct contests and giveaways for
our audiences. We will post rules for each contest and giveaway, which will be
binding to individuals who decide to participate. While giveaways or contests may
be sponsored by an advertiser or partner, they are not and should never be
considered endorsements of the entities involved or their products.
When our content touches on investor products, services our investors provide,
compete with, or invest in, our content is created with total editorial independence
from these investors. None of our investors have influence on the content we
publish or access to our editorial and publication process unless we have an
agreement with an investor that specifically contemplates a content creation
partnership. If such a partnership exists, then this would be clearly disclosed to the
Vox Media audience. We will also remind audiences of our relationship with major
investors when we write directly about the business or other activities of such
investors.
Partnerships
From time to time, Vox Media’s Partnerships team engages with other businesses,
brands, and organizations whose activities resonate with the company as a whole,
or with one or more of our editorial teams. These partnerships do not impact the
content that our editorial teams independently publish. Our Partnerships team,
however, may create content as part of these partnerships, and we may publish this
content on our editorial sites. In these cases, we will include a disclosure to describe
the nature of the relationship between our editorial brand(s) and the partner(s) and
the extent to which our editorial teams were involved in the creation of the content
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Feedback
We’re always interested in hearing from you if you have a concern about our ethical
standards. If you see something that doesn’t look right on The Verge, please let us
know.
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