Editorial standards & corrections

1. Our principles

Our standards follow widely recognized principles of journalism ethics, adapted for an opinion publication:

• Seek truth and report it. Be accurate, and show readers where the facts come from.
• Minimize harm. Treat the people we write about with fairness and decency.
• Act independently. Serve readers, not parties, donors or governments.
• Be accountable and transparent. Own our mistakes and correct them in the open.

2. Accuracy and sourcing

• Every factual claim must be supported by a primary source, a named public record or a reputable outlet, and linked where possible.
• We prefer primary documents: legislation, court filings, official statistics, transcripts and on-the-record statements.
• Numbers are given with their source and period, such as the agency, the dataset and the month or year.
• Quotations are exact and in context, with the speaker and occasion identified. We don't alter quotes beyond clearly marked ellipses or brackets.
• Every piece is read by an editor before publication, and factual claims are checked against their sources.

3. Opinion and analysis

Every article is filed under exactly one section, shown at the top of the page: U.S. Politics, Economics, Foreign Affairs or Opinion.

• Opinion pieces argue a point of view. They are the views of the author, not of Weekly American as a whole.
• Editorial Board pieces carry the Editorial Board byline and represent the publication's institutional view.
• U.S. Politics, Economics and Foreign Affairs pieces explain events and their consequences for Americans. They may reach conclusions, but those conclusions must follow from the evidence presented.

Each article also tells search engines and news apps whether it is opinion or analysis.

4. Independence and conflicts of interest

• Weekly American accepts no funding from political parties, campaigns or foreign governments.
• Writers disclose any financial, political, professional or personal interest relevant to their subject. Disclosures appear at the end of the piece.
• Writers don't accept gifts, payment or other favors from the people or organizations they cover.
• We don't publish paid or sponsored content disguised as editorial. If we ever carry sponsored material, it will be clearly labeled as such.

5. Corrections and clarifications

When we get something wrong, we fix it promptly and say so. We do not silently edit published facts.

• Correction: issued when a piece contained a factual error. The text is fixed, and a dated note at the end of the article says what was wrong and what changed.
• Clarification: issued when a piece was accurate but could mislead or lacked important context. It gets the same dated note.
• Updates: when we add new information after publication, the article shows an "Updated" date.
• Spelling, grammar and formatting fixes that don't change meaning are made without a note.

How to request a correction

Email editors@weeklyamerican.org with the article link, the specific claim and, if you can, a source showing the correct information. We aim to acknowledge requests within two business days and to publish any needed correction as soon as it is confirmed. Opinions themselves are not subject to correction, but the facts they rest on are.

6. Anonymous sources

We prefer sources who speak on the record. We grant anonymity only when the information is important, can't be obtained on the record, and the source faces a real risk such as job loss or harm. An editor must know the source's identity and approve its use. The article will explain why anonymity was granted and how the source knows the information. Anonymous sources are never used for personal attacks.

7. Use of AI and images

• Every piece is written or approved by a person and reviewed by an editor before publication. Any AI tools used for research or editing are aids, not authors.
• AI is never used to create quotes, sources, data or events.
• AI-generated or substantially altered images are labeled as such in the caption and the image description.
• Photographs are not altered in ways that mislead. Captions identify what is shown and, where known, the source or credit.

8. Op-ed submissions

We welcome op-ed submissions on issues that affect Americans. Send them to editors@weeklyamerican.org.

• 800–1,200 words, original and not published elsewhere.
• A one-line bio, and links to sources for factual claims.
• A disclosure of any conflicts of interest.

Submissions are edited for length, clarity and accuracy, and meet the same standards as staff pieces. Because of volume, we may only reply to submissions we accept.

9. Fairness and right of reply

We criticize ideas, policies and public conduct, not people's private lives. When a piece makes a serious allegation against a person or organization, we make a reasonable effort to seek their response before publication. Anyone who believes they were treated unfairly may send a response to editors@weeklyamerican.org. We will review it and may publish it as a letter or follow-up.

10. Privacy and personal safety

We do not publish home addresses, private phone numbers, private email addresses or other personal details that could expose people to harassment. We don't name private individuals, minors or crime victims unless there is a clear public interest. We never encourage readers to target anyone.

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11. Updates to these standards

We review these standards as the publication grows. The date at the top of this page shows when they last changed. Questions are welcome at editors@weeklyamerican.org.