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OpenFact Guidelines

OpenFact is an independent, open-access journalism platform dedicated to transparency, verification, and public-interest reporting. These rules establish the editorial, ethical, and operational standards for all contributors.

1. Mission & Editorial Scope

OpenFact exists to make verified information accessible across borders. Contributors are expected to publish work that is:

  • Fact-driven and evidence-based
  • Relevant to public discourse
  • Transparent in sourcing
  • Clearly categorized as reporting, analysis, or opinion

Speed never outweighs accuracy.

2. Core Contributor Commitments

All contributors to OpenFact must:

  • Verify all factual claims before publication
  • Report fairly and without deliberate distortion
  • Clearly separate facts from interpretation or opinion
  • Protect confidential and vulnerable sources
  • Disclose relevant conflicts of interest

Editorial credibility depends on contributor responsibility.

3. Ethical Framework

OpenFact contributors are expected to follow internationally accepted journalistic ethics, including:

  • Independence from political, financial, or institutional influence
  • Accountability for published content
  • Transparency in methodology and sourcing
  • Proportionality and harm minimization
  • Willingness to correct verified errors

The SPJ Code of Ethics is recommended as a reference standard.

4. Accepted Content

The following content types are permitted:

✅ Investigative journalism
✅ Fact-based reporting and analysis
✅ Clearly labeled opinion and commentary
✅ Expert and specialist contributions
✅ Photo-driven storytelling
✅ Long-form and research-heavy journalism

All content must be original and authored by the contributor.

5. Linking Standards

To protect editorial quality and prevent abuse:

  • Maximum 3 outbound editorial links per article (excluding citations)
  • Links must provide context or additional factual value
  • ❌ No affiliate links, referral schemes, or monetized redirects
  • ❌ No coordinated link-building or SEO manipulation
Links must serve readers, not external interests.

6. Media Usage Policy

Video Content

  • ❌ Direct video uploads are not allowed (infrastructure limits)
  • ✅ Videos must be embedded from established platforms (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo)
  • Embedded video must be directly relevant to the article

Images

  • ✅ Only upload images you own or have licensed rights to use
  • Attribution is mandatory where applicable
  • Recommended file size: under 5MB
  • Deceptive or manipulated images are prohibited

7. Prohibited Content 🚫

The following content is strictly forbidden on OpenFact:

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

8. Moderation & Enforcement

OpenFact 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

Enforcement decisions are based on editorial conduct and factual integrity, not political or ideological positions.

Appeals

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

9. Corrections & Transparency

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

Transparency strengthens trust.

10. Contributor Rights

Contributors to OpenFact retain:

  • Full copyright to their original work
  • Republication and syndication rights
  • Control over their profile and content

OpenFact provides:

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

11. Platform Resource Responsibility

OpenFact operates with limited technical resources. Contributors are asked to:

  • Embed media instead of uploading large files
  • Optimize images before submission
  • Avoid unnecessary server or bandwidth consumption

Responsible use ensures long-term platform availability.

12. Updates to These Rules

These editorial rules may evolve as OpenFact develops. The most current and authoritative version is always published on this page.

Last Updated: December 2025