How Vivre Wire decides what to publish, how we check it, and the standards we hold ourselves to. These are our commitments to readers, sources and the people we write about.
Accuracy and verification
We publish what we can confirm. Before publication, reporters check facts, figures and quotations against credible sources. Where possible, these are on-the-record sources, official or regulatory documents, and our own reporting from the field.
- Claims that we cannot verify are either left out or clearly described as unverified.
- We treat social media posts and viral content as leads, not evidence, until we have checked them.
- We link to or name our sources where we can, and we say plainly when we do not know something.
Sources and anonymity
On-the-record sources are our default. We grant anonymity only when a source could face real harm and the information is important and cannot be obtained another way. Editors know the identity of every anonymous source, and we tell readers why anonymity was granted. To contact us safely, see Send a secure tip. We do not use anonymous sources to attack people or to settle personal scores.
Fairness and the right of reply
When a story includes allegations against a person or organization, we contact them before publication, tell them what we intend to report, and allow a reasonable time to respond. We report their response fairly. If they decline or do not answer, we say so. In urgent public-interest cases, we may publish with a shorter window and update the story when a response arrives.
Independence and conflicts of interest
We are independent of political parties, corporate lobbies and sectarian interests. Our newsroom decisions are made on journalistic grounds, separate from advertising and ownership.
- Journalists do not report on organizations or people where they have a financial, family or political interest, unless it is disclosed and an editor approves.
- We do not accept gifts, payments or favors in exchange for coverage.
- Sponsored or paid content is clearly labelled and kept separate from editorial content (see Advertise with us). Sponsors have no say over our reporting.
News, analysis and opinion
News reports state what happened and what has been confirmed. Analysis explains context and implications. Opinion and commentary, including the pieces in our Perspectives section, express the views of the author or of Vivre Wire as an institution when marked as an editorial. We label each type clearly so readers know what they are reading.
Dignity and sensitive reporting
We avoid sensationalism. When we report on tragedy, crime, court cases and public disputes, we act with restraint and consider the effect on victims, families and vulnerable people. We do not identify people by faith, ethnicity, gender or social status unless it is relevant and necessary to the story. We take particular care with children, survivors of violence and people in distress. We report on suicide and self-harm carefully and follow responsible reporting guidelines.
Images, quotes and use of other people’s work
We credit photographers, illustrators and the original reporting of other outlets, and we do not publish material we lack the right to use. We do not alter images in ways that mislead. If an image is illustrative or a file photo, we say so. We quote people accurately and do not invent or manipulate quotes.
Use of AI tools
Vivre Wire journalists may use AI tools for tasks such as transcription, research support and summarizing documents. A human editor is responsible for everything we publish. We do not publish AI-generated text or images as if they were original reporting or real photography. If AI-generated material is used in a story, we label it.
Corrections and complaints
When we make an error we correct it openly. Read how in our Corrections Policy. To raise a concern about our reporting or conduct, write to corrections@vivrewire.com or the Editor-in-Chief through newsroom@vivrewire.com.