Editorial Ethics Code

Ethics & Integrity Standards

Our binding principles governing conflict of interest, gift acceptance, anonymous sources, and artificial intelligence disclosure.

1. Conflicts of Interest & Financial Holdings

All Daily Brief journalists, editors, and research staff must maintain complete financial and political independence. Reporters are barred from trading stocks or holding financial interests in companies or industries within their reporting beats. Any potential personal or familial conflict of interest must be disclosed immediately to the Editor-in-Chief prior to undertaking an assignment.

2. Gifts, Travel & Access Policy

Daily Brief pays for all travel, meals, accommodations, and press credentials required for news gathering. Staff members are prohibited from accepting gifts, free travel, subsidized equipment, or favors valued above $25 USD from sources, corporations, governments, or PR agencies.

3. Anonymous Source Verification Rules

Anonymous sources are used only as a last resort when vital public-interest information cannot be obtained on the record, and when the source faces credible risk of retaliation. Every anonymous claim must be independently corroborated by at least two separate primary sources and approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

4. AI Assistance Disclosure Policy

Daily Brief does not use generative AI to write, synthesize, or publish news articles. Automated tools may only be utilized for transcript audio processing or document OCR. If AI tools assist in data visualization, a prominent disclosure label is affixed to the visual asset.