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TruthNow Guidelines

TruthNow is an independent journalism platform dedicated to publishing verified, timely, and accountable reporting. These rules define the editorial and ethical standards required for contributors and protect the integrity of the platform.

1. Editorial Purpose

TruthNow exists to publish fact-based journalism that informs public debate without ideological control. All content must:

  • Be grounded in verifiable facts
  • Serve the public interest
  • Clearly distinguish reporting, analysis, and opinion
  • Avoid undisclosed influence or manipulation

Accuracy always takes precedence over speed.

2. Contributor Responsibilities

All contributors to TruthNow must:

  • Verify factual claims before publication
  • Use reliable and identifiable sources
  • Protect confidential sources at all times
  • Clearly label opinion and interpretation
  • Disclose relevant conflicts of interest

Contributor accountability is essential to credibility.

3. Ethical Standards

TruthNow expects adherence to recognized journalistic ethics, including:

  • Editorial independence
  • Accuracy and fairness
  • Accountability for published material
  • Transparency in sourcing and methodology
  • Minimization of harm to individuals and communities

The SPJ Code of Ethics is recommended as a guiding framework.

4. Permitted Content

TruthNow accepts:

✅ Investigative journalism
✅ Fact-based reporting and analysis
✅ Clearly labeled opinion pieces
✅ Expert and specialist contributions
✅ Photo stories and multimedia narratives
✅ Long-form and in-depth reporting

All content must be original work by the contributor.

5. Linking Policy

To ensure editorial quality (check Google spam rules):

  • Maximum 3 outbound editorial links per article (excluding citations)
  • Links must add factual or contextual value
  • ❌ No affiliate, referral, or monetization links
  • ❌ No coordinated link-building or SEO manipulation
Links must benefit readers, not external agendas.

6. Media Policy

Video Content

  • ❌ Direct video uploads are not permitted
  • ✅ Videos must be embedded from established platforms (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo)
  • Embedded content must be directly relevant

Images

  • ✅ Only images with legal usage rights may be uploaded
  • Attribution is required where applicable
  • Recommended file size: under 5MB
  • Misleading or manipulated imagery is prohibited

7. Prohibited Content 🚫

The following content is strictly forbidden on TruthNow:

❌ Plagiarism or copyright infringement
❌ Fabricated, knowingly false, or misleading information
❌ Hate speech, harassment, or threats
❌ Promotional or sponsored content presented as journalism
❌ Malware, exploits, or malicious code
❌ Breach of source confidentiality
❌ Publication of private or sensitive data without consent

8. Enforcement & Moderation

TruthNow reserves the right to:

  • Remove content that violates these rules
  • Restrict, suspend, or terminate contributor accounts
  • Act immediately in cases of serious or repeated violations

Moderation actions are based on editorial conduct and factual integrity, not political viewpoint.

Appeals

If you believe a moderation decision was made in error, you may submit an appeal via the official contact page.

9. Corrections & Updates

  • Errors must be corrected promptly once verified
  • Corrections must be clearly visible
  • Updates to developing stories should be transparent and time-stamped
  • Silent edits that change meaning are not permitted

Trust depends on transparency.

10. Contributor Rights

Contributors to TruthNow retain:

  • Full copyright ownership
  • Republication rights
  • Control over profile and content

TruthNow provides:

  • A professional publishing platform
  • Secure technical infrastructure
  • Privacy and pseudonym options
  • Access to an independent journalism community

11. Platform Resource Use

TruthNow operates with limited resources. Contributors are asked to:

  • Embed media instead of uploading large files
  • Optimize images before submission
  • Avoid unnecessary server load

Responsible use ensures platform stability.

12. Rule Updates

These editorial rules may evolve over time.
The current and authoritative version is always published on this page.

Last Updated: December 2025