Jersey Intel adopts the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent. These are the practices we use to meet it.
Our practices
- Primary records first. We verify what we report against primary records: public records obtained through New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA), meeting agendas and minutes, court filings, contracts and state data.
- Show our work. Every story ends with a Sources box linking the documents behind it, so readers can check them.
- Right to respond. We ask anyone named or criticized in a story for comment before we publish, and we include their response. If they don’t respond, we say so. Responses that arrive after publication are added as updates.
- Headlines lead with what we found. Our headlines state our own reporting, not hype or speculation.
- Credit. We credit other outlets’ earlier reporting, and we label a story “Exclusive” only when we were genuinely first.
- Charges are not convictions. We describe criminal charges as accusations and update stories when cases are resolved.
- No payment for coverage. We do not take money or favors in exchange for coverage, and we do not publish press releases as news.
- Ads are separate from news. Any advertising is clearly labeled and kept apart from news decisions.
- Credited photos. We use photos and graphics with credits, and we never use images that misrepresent a person or event.
- Sources and tipsters. We do not publish a tipster’s identity without consent. Anonymous claims are not published unless confirmed by records or on-the-record sources.
How we use technology
We use AI tools to help review public records, draft stories and check facts. They make it possible for a small newsroom to read more documents. They do not replace editorial judgment: every story is fact-checked against primary documents before publication, and a person is responsible for everything we publish.
Mistakes
When we get something wrong, we correct it openly under our Corrections Policy. Report errors to jerseyintel@gmail.com.