Editorial Policy

Meridian Daily exists to provide clear reporting on the world, technology and everyday life. Readers trust us to be accurate, fair and independent, and this Editorial Policy sets out the standards every member of our newsroom follows to earn and keep that trust. It applies to all content we publish across our World, Technology, Business, Society, Autos, Shopping, Science and Health sections.

Our Core Principles

Accuracy: We verify facts before publishing and correct mistakes promptly and transparently.
Fairness: We represent people, organizations and viewpoints fairly, and we give the subjects of significant criticism a reasonable opportunity to respond.
Independence: Our editorial decisions are made solely by our journalists, free from commercial, political or personal influence.
Transparency: We explain how we work, identify our sources wherever possible and label different types of content clearly.
Accountability: We take responsibility for our work and welcome feedback from readers.

Accuracy and Verification

Every article is fact-checked by its author and reviewed by at least one editor before publication. Reporters are expected to verify key facts with primary sources, such as official documents, research papers, court filings, company statements and direct interviews, rather than relying on secondary reports. Statistics are checked against their original source, and we link to that source wherever practical.

When a story is developing, we say so clearly and update it as new verified information becomes available. Significant updates are noted in the article.

Sourcing

We prefer on-the-record sources who can be named. We grant anonymity only when a source faces a real risk of harm, retaliation or legal jeopardy, when the information is important to the public interest and when it cannot be obtained in any other way. The identity of an anonymous source must be known to at least one editor, and we explain to readers, as far as possible, why the source was granted anonymity and how they know what they claim to know.

We do not pay sources for information. We do not publish quotes we cannot attribute accurately, and we never invent sources, quotes or details. Material from other publications is credited and linked.

Health, Science and Financial Reporting

Health and science stories rely on peer-reviewed research, recognized public health authorities and qualified experts. We describe the strength and limitations of evidence, distinguish early findings from established consensus and avoid overstating results. Business and personal finance content is informational and does not constitute investment advice; see our Disclaimer.

Independence

Our journalists decide what to cover and how to cover it based on news value and public interest. No advertiser, sponsor, partner, investor or outside party may review, approve or alter our editorial content before publication.

Our Shopping coverage follows the same standards. Products are chosen and evaluated by our editors. We do not accept payment for reviews or for placement in buying guides. If we accept loan units or review samples, we say so, and receiving a product does not guarantee coverage or a favorable review. If we use affiliate links in the future, we will disclose them clearly, and commissions will never influence our recommendations.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

We may use software tools, including artificial intelligence, to assist with limited tasks such as transcribing interviews, checking spelling and grammar, summarizing long documents for research or suggesting headlines. Our policy is:

Human editors review everything. No content is published without review and approval by a human editor, who is accountable for its accuracy and fairness.
AI tools are never treated as a source of facts. Any information produced with the help of such tools is independently verified against reliable sources.
We do not publish AI-generated images presented as real photographs of news events.
We do not enter confidential source material or unpublished sensitive information into public AI tools.
If AI plays a substantial role in producing a piece of content, we will disclose this to readers.

Conflicts of Interest

Staff and contributors must avoid conflicts of interest, and the appearance of them. They may not write about companies, organizations or people with whom they have a financial, family or close personal relationship, and they must disclose any potential conflict to an editor before beginning work on a story. Journalists covering business and technology may not trade in shares of companies they cover. Staff may not accept gifts, free travel or other benefits that could compromise, or appear to compromise, their independence, beyond items of nominal value. Where a conflict cannot be avoided, it is disclosed to readers.

Separation of Advertising and Editorial

Meridian Daily is funded by advertising, including ads served through Google AdSense, Google Ad Manager and other certified partners. Our advertising and editorial functions are strictly separated:

Ads are clearly labeled as "Advertisement" or "Sponsored" and are visually distinct from editorial content.
The advertising team has no role in editorial decisions, and journalists are not involved in selling advertising.
Advertisers cannot buy favorable coverage or prevent unfavorable coverage.
Any sponsored content, if offered, will be clearly labeled, produced separately from our newsroom and never presented as independent journalism.

More details are available on our Advertise page.

Opinion and Analysis

News reporting, analysis and opinion are clearly distinguished. Opinion pieces are labeled as such and reflect the views of the author. Analysis is grounded in reported facts and identified as analysis.

Privacy, Images and Sensitive Subjects

We respect the privacy of private individuals and take particular care when reporting on children, victims of crime, grief, suicide and health conditions. We do not manipulate news photographs in ways that mislead readers. Images are credited and used with permission, under license or as permitted by law.

Corrections and Feedback

When we make a mistake, we correct it promptly and transparently in line with our Corrections Policy. Readers can report errors to corrections@meridiandaily.com. Questions about this policy can be sent to our Editor-in-Chief, Eleanor Hayes, at editor@meridiandaily.com.

Learn more about our team on the Authors page and about our publication on the About page.