Editorial Standards and Ethics
Laterstack reports on technology and the power systems around it. Readers, businesses, and policymakers use our work to make decisions, so the standard we hold ourselves to is plain accuracy and honest framing. These are the values that guide every piece we publish. They follow the principles set out by the Poynter Institute: accuracy, independence, fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Accuracy
We verify before we publish. Claims are sourced to primary documents, named people with relevant expertise, or established reporting from credible outlets. When we cannot confirm something, we say so. When a story is developing and facts may change, we say that too.
Independence
Our coverage is not for sale. We do not accept payment to write about a company, product, or person, and we do not let advertisers or sources dictate what we cover or how. When we have any relationship with a subject of a story, financial or personal, we disclose it in the piece.
Sourcing and fairness
We name our sources whenever we responsibly can, and we explain why when we cannot. We give the subjects of critical reporting a real chance to respond, and we note in the story when a request for comment went unanswered or was declined. We link to primary sources so readers can check our work themselves.
Opinion, analysis, and reporting
We separate the three. Straight reporting sticks to verified facts. Analysis explains what those facts mean and is labeled as analysis. Opinion is the writer’s argued position and is labeled as opinion. We never blur the line to make a claim look like settled fact when it is a point of view.
Use of artificial intelligence
A human journalist reports, verifies, and is accountable for every piece Laterstack publishes. We may use AI tools to assist with research, drafting, and editing, the same way a newsroom uses any other tool. No AI-generated text is published without a human checking it for accuracy and editing it. The byline on a Laterstack story names the person responsible for it, not a machine.
Corrections
We fix our mistakes quickly and in the open. How we handle errors is set out in our Corrections Policy. If you believe we got something wrong, tell us through our Contact page.