True Signal Media Standards
Accuracy. Integrity. Ethics.
These standards govern every piece of journalism True Signal Media publishes. They are non-negotiable, publicly stated, and consistently enforced. Our readers deserve to know exactly how we operate.
These standards guide all True Signal Media reporting, including investigations, FOIA disclosures, and daily brief coverage.
True Signal Media is an independent investigative newsroom. We answer to readers—not advertisers, not corporate owners, not political interests. These editorial standards ensure our journalism remains accurate, fair, and accountable to the public we serve.
Source Transparency
Every claim requires a source. Every source is documented.
True Signal Media practices radical source transparency. When we make a factual claim, we show readers exactly where that information came from. This includes:
- Government records: FOIA responses, court filings, congressional testimony, and official reports are cited with document identifiers and dates. Where possible, we link directly to primary source documents.
- Interview attribution: On-record sources are named with their title and relevant affiliation. We explain the source's connection to the story and why their perspective matters.
- Data sourcing: Statistical claims include methodology, sample size, date range, and the originating organization. We distinguish between peer-reviewed research and preliminary findings.
- Document publication: Key documents referenced in investigations are published in our FOIA Commons database for independent verification by readers, researchers, and other journalists.
We do not rely on anonymous sources for core factual claims unless the information can be independently verified through documents or multiple corroborating sources.
Accuracy & Verification
We verify before we publish. Speed never trumps accuracy.
Accuracy is the foundation of accountability journalism. True Signal Media employs a rigorous verification process before publication:
- Primary source priority: We obtain original documents rather than relying on secondhand reporting. When we cite another outlet's reporting, we verify their claims independently where possible.
- Multiple source confirmation: Significant factual claims require confirmation from at least two independent sources, or direct documentary evidence.
- Subject notification: Individuals and organizations that are subjects of critical reporting are given reasonable opportunity to respond before publication. Their responses—or refusal to respond—are included in our reporting.
- Expert consultation: Technical, legal, or specialized claims are reviewed by subject matter experts when the reporting team lacks direct expertise.
- Fact-check review: All investigations undergo internal review for factual accuracy, logical consistency, and evidentiary support before publication.
We would rather be second with the right story than first with the wrong one.
Corrections Policy
When we get it wrong, we say so—clearly, promptly, and publicly.
Errors undermine trust. When True Signal Media makes a mistake, we correct it transparently:
- Correction notices: Factual errors are corrected with a clearly labeled correction notice at the top of the article, explaining what was wrong and what the accurate information is.
- Timestamps: All corrections include the date and time of the correction, preserving a clear record of what changed and when.
- No silent edits: We do not silently alter published articles to remove errors. The correction process is visible to readers.
- Clarifications: When original reporting was technically accurate but potentially misleading, we publish clarifications that provide additional context.
- Retractions: In rare cases where fundamental errors undermine an entire piece, we retract the article with a full explanation of what went wrong.
To report an error, contact us at [email protected]. We investigate all correction requests and respond within 48 hours.
Editorial Independence
No one outside our newsroom controls our coverage decisions.
True Signal Media maintains complete editorial independence. This means:
- No corporate ownership: TSM is founder-led and reader-supported. We have no parent company, no board of directors with business interests, and no investors with editorial influence.
- No advertiser influence: We do not accept advertising that comes with editorial conditions. Coverage decisions are made by journalists, not sponsors.
- No pay-for-play: We do not accept payment in exchange for coverage, favorable framing, or suppression of newsworthy information.
- No advance approval: Sources, subjects, and partners do not receive advance approval over our reporting. Subjects may review direct quotes for accuracy, but not editorial framing or conclusions.
- Firewall on partnerships: Collaborations, grants, and partnerships do not influence editorial decisions. Funders have no input on story selection, angle, or timing of publication.
Our only obligation is to the truth and to the readers who depend on our reporting.
Confidential Sources
We protect those who take risks to inform the public.
Whistleblowers and confidential sources are essential to accountability journalism. True Signal Media takes source protection seriously:
- Identity protection: When we grant confidentiality, we protect the source's identity absolutely. We do not reveal confidential sources under any circumstances, including legal pressure.
- Secure communications: We offer encrypted communication channels including Signal, ProtonMail, and SecureDrop(coming in near future) for sources who need to communicate securely.
- Minimized risk: We work with sources to minimize identifying details in published reporting while preserving the substance of their information.
- Clear agreements: Confidentiality terms are established clearly before sensitive information is shared. We honor those agreements without exception.
- Verification requirements: Information from confidential sources must be independently verifiable through documents or corroborating sources before publication.
If you have information about institutional wrongdoing, visit our secure tip submission page to contact us safely.
Conflicts of Interest
We disclose relationships that could affect our reporting.
Journalists are human. We have relationships, perspectives, and histories. What matters is transparency:
- Disclosure: When a reporter has a personal, financial, or professional relationship relevant to a story, we disclose it to readers.
- Recusal: Reporters do not cover stories where they have a direct personal or financial stake in the outcome.
- Organizational transparency: TSM's funding sources, partnerships, and organizational relationships are publicly disclosed.
- No outside payments: Staff do not accept payment, gifts, or favors from individuals or organizations they cover.
Our founder's ongoing advocacy work with Covenant for Forgotten Warriors and the Kelvin Blas case is publicly documented. When TSM covers related veterans affairs topics, this connection is disclosed.
Fairness & Context
Accountability journalism requires fairness, not false balance.
True Signal Media is committed to fairness—but fairness is not the same as artificial balance:
- Right of response: Individuals and organizations facing criticism in our reporting are given meaningful opportunity to respond before publication.
- Contextual completeness: We provide sufficient context for readers to understand the full picture, including information that may complicate our narrative.
- Evidence-based conclusions: Our reporting follows the evidence. We do not manufacture false equivalence between well-documented facts and unsupported claims.
- Distinguishing news from opinion: News reporting is clearly distinguished from analysis and commentary. We label opinion content explicitly.
Our job is to report the truth as documented by the evidence—not to present "both sides" when the evidence clearly supports one conclusion.
FOIA & Public Records Methodology
We document our document requests.
Freedom of Information Act requests are central to TSM's investigative methodology. We maintain rigorous standards for public records work:
- Request documentation: FOIA requests are logged with submission dates, agency responses, and appeal status in our public tracking system.
- Response publication: Documents obtained through FOIA are published in our FOIA Commons database for public access and independent verification.
- Redaction transparency: When publishing documents with redactions, we note whether redactions were made by the originating agency or by TSM to protect sources or sensitive information.
- Appeal persistence: We appeal improper denials and document the appeals process. Readers can follow the status of ongoing FOIA litigation.
- Methodology disclosure: Investigative pieces explain which documents were requested, from which agencies, and what the response timeline looked like.
Our FOIA work is not just about obtaining documents—it's about modeling transparent, accountable journalism.
Our Commitment
These standards are not marketing language. They are operational commitments that govern how True Signal Media produces journalism every day. We publish them publicly so readers can hold us accountable to the same standards we apply to the institutions we cover.
Questions about our editorial standards? Contact us at [email protected].
Support Independent Journalism
True Signal Media is reader-supported. Your contribution funds the FOIA requests, investigative reporting, and document-driven journalism that holds institutions accountable.