Editorial standards

These standards apply to everything Hoosier First publishes.

Accuracy and sourcing

• We state facts only when we can support them with documents, records, data, or named or verified sources.
• Each piece lists its main sources and documents. Investigations link to the underlying records wherever we legally can.
• We prefer primary sources: official records, filings, court documents, meeting agendas and minutes, and public data.
• When we cannot verify something, we say so, or we do not publish it.
• We do not fabricate quotes, people, documents or events. We do not publish placeholder stories.

Anonymous sources

We use anonymous sources only when the information is important, cannot be obtained on the record, and has been corroborated. We explain why a source was granted anonymity.

Fairness

We contact the people and organizations we report on and give them a reasonable opportunity to respond before we publish. We note when they decline or do not respond.

Labels

• News: factual reporting.
• Investigation: in-depth accountability reporting with a documented sources list.
• Opinion: the author's own views. Opinion is always labeled and never presented as news.
• Outside reporting: links to work by other news organizations. We name the outlet and the date, and we do not present that work as ours.

Corrections

We correct errors promptly and transparently. Corrected articles carry a note explaining what changed and when. We do not quietly edit published facts. See Corrections & tips.

Independence and conflicts

Writers disclose any personal, financial or political interest in a story to the editor. A writer with a conflict does not cover that subject. We do not endorse candidates.

Data and tools

District, ballot and meeting information comes from official sources, including the Indiana Election Division, U.S. Census Bureau boundaries, and county and city websites. Each item notes its source. Where data is missing, we say "Not yet added" rather than guess.