YNC is committed to accuracy, independence, fairness, and transparency. These standards apply to every article we publish, regardless of author, category, or format.
1. Accuracy
Accuracy is the foundation of everything we do. Every factual claim in a published article must be supported by at least one verifiable, cited source. We distinguish between facts (verifiable), analysis (clearly reasoned from facts), and opinion (clearly labelled as such).
- All facts must be sourced. Unsourced factual claims will not be published.
- Statistical claims must cite the original dataset or report, not secondary coverage of it.
- Where a single source makes a significant claim, we seek corroboration before publishing.
- We never present speculation as established fact.
2. Independence
YNC is not funded by governments, political parties, commercial advertisers, or any organisation whose interests might conflict with objective reporting. Our editorial decisions are made solely on journalistic merit.
- Contributors may not write about organisations or individuals with whom they have a financial or personal relationship without disclosing this relationship.
- No advertiser, sponsor, or partner has any influence over our editorial content.
- We do not accept payment in exchange for editorial coverage.
3. Fairness & Balance
We give subjects of critical or negative coverage a genuine opportunity to respond before publication where practicable. We present multiple perspectives on contested issues. We do not platform views that advocate violence or hatred.
4. Verification Process
Every article submitted by a contributor goes through the following process before publication:
- Submission — contributor submits draft through the newsroom system
- Desk review — senior editor reviews structure, angle, and sourcing
- Fact check — key claims are independently verified against cited sources
- Edit — copy editing for clarity, accuracy, and house style
- Approval — editor-in-chief or senior editor approves for publication
5. Sources & Attribution
- Named sources are preferred. Anonymous sources are used only when necessary to protect the source from harm, when the information cannot be obtained any other way, and when the source is reliable and in a position to know.
- We do not grant anonymity to sources who use it to attack others.
- All articles cite sources at the end or inline. Report-based articles name the report, institution, and publication date.
6. Corrections Policy
We correct errors promptly and transparently. See our full Corrections Policy. Corrections are noted on the original article with the date of correction.
7. Conflicts of Interest
Contributors must declare any personal, financial, or professional relationship with the subject of their article. Editors assess whether the conflict prevents fair reporting and may reassign or decline the article accordingly.
8. Artificial Intelligence
YNC does not publish AI-generated articles. AI tools may be used to assist with research (identifying sources) or grammar checking, but all written content must be authored by a human journalist. Any AI-assisted element must be disclosed in the article or editor notes.
9. Images & Media
- All published images must be original, licensed for commercial use, or in the public domain.
- Images must not be materially altered in ways that mislead the reader about their content.
- Image captions must accurately describe the image and credit the source.
Raising a Standards Concern
If you believe any published content has failed to meet these standards, contact the Editorial Board at editorial.board@yncnetwork.com (or info@yncnetwork.com) with the article title and your specific concern. All complaints are reviewed by the editor-in-chief.