Editorial Code of Conduct

Friday Things is a media outlet focused on cultural criticism that is underpinned by high journalistic standards, transparency and an adherence to a code of ethics.

Journalistic Principles

Friday Things seeks to uncover the truth behind the spin; we will never engage in “bothsidesism” that falsely implies there is a moral or ethical balance when there is not.

Writers must never invent or falsify a quote, source, anecdote or detail that pertains to a real person or event.

Friday Things will strive for informed consent when conducting all interviews, but particularly when interviewing or featuring people who are vulnerable and/or unfamiliar with editorial processes.

Journalistic Practices

Friday Things uses double quotation marks to indicate direct quotations from sources or previously published material, except in headlines or on social media, where double quotation marks may also be used to set off titles of books, movies, etc., as per CP Style. (Single quotation marks may be used to indicate sarcasm or irony.)

Ellipses are used where words have been removed from a quotation.

Friday Things will never misrepresent another person’s published work as our own. The extensive use of someone else’s words, structure or ideas without attribution or acknowledgement constitutes plagiarism.

Friday Things strives to limit the use of anonymous sources; in cases where anonymity is offered, the writer and editor must have confirmed the source’s identity and judged anonymity as necessary for their safety and security, professional or otherwise.

When information is offered to a Friday Things writer “off the record,” this indicates it cannot be included or alluded to in the story. Information that is provided “on background” may be used to inform reporting but may not be published. And information that is “not for attribution” can be explicitly included in the story, but the source of the information may not be identified.

Corrections

Friday Things strives for accuracy in all its reporting, but acknowledge that mistakes may occur. When significant factual errors happen, corrections will be published at the top of the relevant story. (Corrections for spelling, grammar and CP Style errors may also occur but will not be flagged.)