Policy and Editorial Guidelines for Trendy Digests

Mission Statement

Ethics Policy

• We pay our own way. We accept no gifts from news sources. We accept no free trips. We neither seek nor accept preferential treatment that might be rendered because of the positions we hold.
• We do not accept payment — either honoraria or expenses — from governments, government-funded organizations, groups of government officials, political groups or organizations that take positions on controversial issues. A writer or editor also cannot accept payment from any person, company or organization that he or she covers.
• We make every reasonable effort to be free of obligation to news sources and to special interests. We must be wary of entanglement with those whose positions render them likely to be subjects of journalistic interest and examination. Our private behavior as well as our professional behavior must not bring discredit to our profession or to Trendy Digests.
• We do not allow sources to dictate how their information will be used, nor do we allow them to review our stories before publication. We do not grant anonymity to sources unless it is essential to protect them from harm or retaliation, and we explain the reasons for granting it.
• We do not plagiarize or fabricate information or images in our articles. We attribute information and quotes to their original sources and we verify them before publication. We correct any errors or inaccuracies as soon as possible and we acknowledge them publicly.

Verification and Fact-Checking Standards

• We are committed to verifying the facts and information in our articles before publication. We use multiple sources of evidence to support our claims and we cross-check them for consistency and reliability. We also use online tools such as Bing, Google, Snopes, FactCheck.org, etc., to verify the authenticity and accuracy of information and images.
• We alos use generative AI to help us with tasks such as: Searching and finding trending topics of the day using public search engines like Google and Bing. Our professional editors analyze user behavior, social media trends, and web analytics. Finding relevant articles on the topics from reputable sources using our advanced AI quality checker built on GPT that filters out low-quality or unreliable websites based on criteria such as domain authority, content quality, the credibility of the story, etc. Our professional editors write news articles and stories with the assistance of generative AI on grammar verification, fact check, written style optimization, etc.
• Finally, our team of fact-checkers reviews every article generated before publishing it on our website. They ensure that the articles are coherent, grammatically correct, unbiased, and adhere to our editorial guidelines. They also add any missing information or context that the model might have overlooked.
• We have a team of editors who review our articles for factual errors, logical flaws, grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, etc., before publication.
• We also welcome feedback from our readers who may spot any errors or inaccuracies in our articles. For any suggestions or questions, please send an email to service@trendydigests.com, or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/TDigests), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TrendyDigests/) or Medium (https://medium.com/@TrendyDigests).

Diversity Policy

• We value diversity in our staff, our sources, our stories, and our audience. We believe that diversity enriches our journalism and enhances our credibility. We seek to reflect the diversity of the world we cover in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, culture, disability, etc.
• We are committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce representing different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We also provide training and mentoring opportunities for our staff to develop their skills and knowledge.
• We are committed to seeking out and including diverse sources in our stories who can provide relevant information and insights on the topics we cover. We also avoid stereotypes, generalizations, and assumptions that may misrepresent or marginalize any groups or individuals.
• We are committed to covering a wide range of topics that appeal to the different interests, tastes, and preferences of our audience. We also monitor our analytics and feedback to understand who our readers are and what they want from us.

Ownership Structure

Corrections Policy

• If we discover an error or inaccuracy in our article before publication, we will correct it immediately.
• If we discover an error or inaccuracy in our article after publication, we will correct it promptly and note the correction at the bottom of the article with the date and time of the correction and a brief explanation of what was corrected.
• If we receive a correction request from a reader or a source who claims that our article contains an error or inaccuracy, we will investigate the claim and verify the information. If we find that our article is indeed erroneous or inaccurate, we will correct it accordingly and note the correction as described above. If we find that our article is accurate and factual, we will explain our reasoning and evidence to the requester and decline to make any changes.
• If we receive a legal notice or a complaint from a person or an organization who alleges that our article is defamatory, libelous, or infringing on their rights, we will consult with our legal counsel and respond appropriately. We will comply with any court orders or judgments that require us to correct, retract, or remove our article.

Policy on Sources

• We prefer to use named sources who are willing to be identified and quoted in our articles. We believe that named sources enhance the credibility and transparency of our journalism.
• We use anonymous sources only when it is essential to protect them from harm or retaliation, and when they can provide information that can not be obtained otherwise. We explain the reasons for granting anonymity to our readers and we describe the sources as accurately as possible without revealing their identity.
• We do not allow sources to dictate how their information will be used, nor do we allow them to review our stories before publication. We do not grant anonymity to sources who want to avoid accountability or responsibility for their actions or statements.
• We verify the identity and credibility of our sources before using their information or quotes in our articles. We also verify the accuracy and authenticity of their information or quotes with other sources or evidence.
• We attribute information and quotes to their original sources and we cite them properly using hyperlinks within the text or footnotes at the end of the article. We follow a consistent citation style such as APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

Policy on Reader Engagement and Feedback

• We encourage our readers to comment on our articles, share them on social media, subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Medium, etc., and contact us via email with any questions, suggestions, compliments, or complaints.
• We moderate our comments section to ensure that it is civil, respectful, and relevant. We do not tolerate any comments that are abusive, hateful, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, or otherwise offensive or inappropriate. We reserve the right to delete such comments and ban such users from our platform.
• We respond to reader feedback as soon as possible and as politely as possible. We thank them for their input and acknowledge their points of view. We also address any issues or concerns that they may raise about our articles or policies.
• We invite reader participation and collaboration in our journalism. We solicit story ideas, tips, photos, videos, etc., from our readers who may have information or insights on trending topics. We also feature reader-generated content such as op-eds, letters to the editor, reviews, etc., on our platform.