Accuracy first, then speed
When accuracy and speed pull apart, accuracy wins. We will hold a story for an extra thirty seconds rather than publish a wrong number. The breaking-tweet culture around sport produces a great deal of unverified noise — the desk treats that noise as leads to check, not facts to repeat.
Honesty about uncertainty
If a fact is unconfirmed, we say so. If a stat comes from a single source, we name the source. If our analyst’s view is an opinion, it is clearly framed as one. We avoid hedging language that disguises what we don’t know.
No undisclosed interests
Reporters don’t write about teams, competitions or players they have a personal relationship with. If a relationship is unavoidable — a hometown tie, a long-running charity — the relationship is declared in the byline or the story footer.
No betting, fantasy or affiliate content
We don’t carry betting tips, fantasy selections or affiliate sportsbook links. Where we earn commercial revenue, it is from sponsorship, display advertising, or the newsletter — never from editorial content that pretends to be objective.
Image ethics
Photography on this site is licensed, generated, or commissioned. We do not publish photographs that misrepresent a player, team or match. Where a stock image is used as a placeholder for a player not yet photographed, the caption says so. Report a misrepresentation.
Children, grief and dignity
We cover athletes of all ages. Coverage of minors avoids identifying imagery of private settings and never runs without editorial consideration. Stories about grief, injury, or personal loss are written with restraint and read back to a second editor before publication.
Sources we will protect
A reporter who receives information from a confidential source may withhold the name of the source, but the published claim must still be verifiable. Anonymous sourcing is the exception, not a habit.
Accountability
If a story is wrong, we correct it visibly. If an editor is asked to defend a published claim, they have to. If a piece of coverage is removed permanently, an editorial note explains the removal. The corrections ledger is the public record.