Editorial Standards

1.Accuracy

Accuracy is fundamental to Monterra Originals.

Material factual claims should be verified before publication using reliable information appropriate to the subject.

Where possible, important claims should be confirmed through primary sources, original documents, official records, direct statements, credible reporting, data, academic research, or multiple independent sources.

Names, titles, dates, locations, quotations, statistics, company information, historical events, financial figures, and other factual details should be checked carefully.

We should not knowingly publish information that we believe to be false, misleading, materially incomplete, or presented without necessary context.

When facts cannot be established with certainty, the language of the story should reflect that uncertainty.

Terms such as:

• according to
• reported
• estimated
• alleged
• appears
• may
• could
• has not been independently verified

should be used when appropriate rather than presenting uncertain information as established fact.

2.Primary Sources

Whenever practical, Monterra should seek the source closest to the underlying information.

Primary sources may include:

• court records
• regulatory filings
• financial statements
• government documents
• corporate filings
• official company announcements
• transcripts
• public datasets
• academic papers
• interviews
• speeches
• original recordings
• photographs
• archived webpages
• public records

Secondary reporting can provide important context and lead to additional sources, but significant factual claims should be traced to original documentation when reasonably possible.

3.Source Quality

Not all sources carry equal weight.

Source reliability should be evaluated based on factors including:

• proximity to the event
• expertise
• evidence provided
• independence
• possible conflicts of interest
• track record
• corroboration from other sources

A widely repeated claim is not necessarily a verified claim.

Search results, social-media posts, forums, comments, AI-generated summaries, and aggregated articles should not automatically be treated as authoritative evidence.

They may help identify leads, public reaction, or additional material that can then be independently checked.

4.Multiple Sources and Corroboration

Significant or disputed claims should be corroborated where practical.

A single source may sometimes be sufficient when that source is authoritative, directly responsible for the information, or provides strong documentary evidence.

Claims involving serious accusations, misconduct, financial wrongdoing, criminal activity, safety concerns, or substantial reputational harm should receive additional scrutiny.

Where evidence conflicts, Monterra should not hide the disagreement.

The story should explain what is known, what is disputed, and what remains uncertain.

5.Attribution

Information should be attributed when attribution helps viewers understand where a claim originated.

Attribution should be especially clear when:

• facts are disputed
• information comes from a company or interested party
• an estimate is being used
• an allegation has not been proven
• a claim depends on one source
• a source has a significant potential conflict of interest

Statements from companies, governments, advocates, researchers, employees, executives, critics, and other interested parties should not automatically be presented as neutral fact.

6.Quotations

Quotations should accurately represent what a person said and the context in which it was said.

Editing for length should not materially change the speaker’s meaning.

Words should not be rearranged in a way that creates a statement the speaker did not make.

When a quotation is taken from another publication or recording, Monterra should identify the original source where appropriate.

7.Context

Correct facts can still mislead when important context is omitted.

Monterra stories should provide enough background for viewers to understand the significance of the information being presented.

Relevant context may include:

• historical background
• market conditions
• industry practices
• economic conditions
• timing
• geography
• scale
• comparison data
• previous events
• competing explanations
• relevant responses

We should avoid presenting isolated statistics, quotations, or events in ways that create a materially distorted impression.

8.Fairness

Fairness does not require giving every viewpoint identical weight.

It does require representing relevant people, organizations, evidence, and competing explanations accurately and in good faith.

People and organizations covered critically should not be deliberately mischaracterized.

When significant criticism or allegations are central to a story, Monterra should seek or include relevant responses where practical.

A response may come from:

• direct communication
• public statements
• filings
• interviews
• press releases
• testimony
• previously published comments

If a relevant party does not respond, that may be stated accurately.

9.Right of Response

For serious allegations or potentially damaging factual claims, Monterra should make a reasonable effort to identify the subject’s position before publication when circumstances permit.

The amount of time and form of contact may depend on:

• seriousness of the claim
• complexity of the issue
• publication schedule
• availability of the subject
• whether a public response already exists

A lack of response should never be represented as an admission.

10.Opinion, Analysis, and Fact

Monterra may include analysis, interpretation, commentary, or conclusions.

These should be grounded in evidence and should not be presented as established fact when they are judgments or interpretations.

Where the distinction is important, the language should make clear whether a statement is:

• fact
• analysis
• estimate
• prediction
• opinion
• allegation
• interpretation

11.Headlines, Titles, and Thumbnails

Titles, thumbnails, captions, and promotional text should accurately reflect the underlying story.

They may be concise, compelling, or provocative, but they should not materially misrepresent the content.

Monterra should avoid:

• fabricated quotations
• false claims of certainty
• misleading before-and-after comparisons
• invented statistics
• implying events occurred when they did not
• presenting speculation as confirmed fact

A headline or thumbnail should not create a materially different impression from the story itself.

12.Statistics and Data

Numbers should be treated with the same care as quotations.

When using statistics, Monterra should consider:

• source
• methodology
• sample size
• date
• geographic scope
• definitions
• whether the number is an estimate
• whether comparisons are appropriate

Percentages and large figures should be placed in context when doing so helps viewers understand their scale.

Correlation should not automatically be described as causation.

13.Polls and Surveys

Poll and survey results should be presented with appropriate context.

Relevant information may include:

• who conducted the survey
• who was surveyed
• sample size
• dates
• methodology
• margin of error when available
• wording of the question

Online polls or self-selected responses should not be represented as statistically representative unless they actually are.

14.Business and Financial Coverage

Business stories often involve forecasts, valuations, earnings, debt, market estimates, investments, and competing corporate claims.

Monterra should distinguish between:

• revenue and profit
• valuation and cash
• announced investment and completed investment
• projected savings and realized savings
• planned locations and operating locations
• layoffs announced and layoffs completed
• bankruptcy, liquidation, restructuring, and closure

Corporate marketing claims should be identified as such when relevant.

15.Bankruptcy, Closures, and Corporate Decline

Monterra frequently covers companies experiencing bankruptcy, restructuring, store closures, failed expansion, ownership changes, or financial distress.

These terms should not be used interchangeably.

For example:

• bankruptcy does not automatically mean a company has ceased operating
• Chapter 11 generally involves reorganization
• Chapter 7 generally involves liquidation
• a store closure does not necessarily mean the entire company has failed
• a company can restructure without filing bankruptcy

Stories should explain the actual status rather than relying on dramatic shorthand.

16.Allegations, Lawsuits, and Criminal Matters

Allegations should be described as allegations unless established as fact.

A lawsuit contains claims made by one party and does not by itself prove those claims.

People charged with crimes should not be described as convicted unless they have been convicted.

Where legally and editorially appropriate, stories should explain whether:

• allegations were denied
• charges were dismissed
• a case was settled
• a judgment was entered
• a conviction occurred
• an appeal is pending
• the matter remains unresolved

17.Historical Material

Historical storytelling should distinguish between contemporary evidence and later interpretation.

Dates, quotations, archival footage, photographs, newspaper reports, and historical claims should be sourced carefully.

When historical accounts differ, Monterra may explain those differences rather than presenting one interpretation as undisputed.

18.Archival Footage and Images

Archival images and video should be used in a way that does not materially mislead viewers about when or where an event occurred.

If footage is illustrative rather than footage of the specific event being discussed, the presentation should avoid implying otherwise when that distinction matters.

Images should not be digitally altered in ways that create a false factual impression.

Normal editorial adjustments such as cropping, resizing, exposure correction, stabilization, or color correction may be used so long as they do not materially change the meaning of the image.

19.Recreations and Illustrative Visuals

Recreations, animations, stock footage, generated visuals, maps, graphics, and illustrative sequences may be used to help explain a story.

They should not knowingly be presented in a way that causes viewers to believe they are authentic documentary footage of an event when they are not.

Labels or contextual cues should be used when necessary to avoid confusion.

20.Artificial Intelligence

AI tools may be used to assist with parts of the research and production process.

Possible uses may include:

• research assistance
• organization
• transcription
• summarization
• translation
• data processing
• coding
• production planning
• image or graphic creation
• editing assistance
• workflow automation

AI output should not be treated as an authoritative source by itself.

Material factual claims derived from AI-assisted research should be checked against reliable sources before publication.

AI systems can produce incorrect, outdated, incomplete, or fabricated information.

When synthetic or AI-generated material could reasonably be mistaken for authentic documentary evidence, disclosure should be considered.

21.AI-Generated Images and Video

AI-generated imagery may be used for illustration, visualization, conceptual scenes, graphics, or creative presentation.

It should not knowingly be used to fabricate documentary evidence.

For example, generated imagery should not be presented as an authentic photograph of:

• an event that never occurred
• a person performing an action they did not perform
• a location in a materially false condition
• an alleged crime or incident for which no authentic image exists

When context makes the synthetic nature of the material important, it should be disclosed.

22.Altered Audio and Video

Audio or video should not be edited in a way that materially changes the meaning of what occurred.

Normal documentary editing may include:

• trimming
• sequencing
• removing pauses
• adjusting audio levels
• noise reduction
• color correction
• cropping
• stabilization

Edits should not manufacture a false statement, action, sequence of events, or reaction.

23.Transparency

Where useful to understanding a story, Monterra should explain relevant limitations in the available evidence.

Examples include:

• incomplete records
• conflicting accounts
• missing data
• estimates
• unavailable sources
• unverifiable claims

Transparency about uncertainty is preferable to false precision.

24.Anonymous and Confidential Sources

Anonymous sourcing should be used carefully.

When possible, viewers should receive enough information to understand why a source is credible without revealing information that could identify the source.

The identity and potential motivations of a confidential source should be evaluated before relying on the information provided.

Important claims from anonymous sources should be corroborated when practical.

25.Social Media and User-Generated Content

Material found on social media should not automatically be assumed to be authentic.

Before using user-generated photographs, videos, screenshots, posts, or claims, Monterra should consider:

• original source
• upload history
• date
• location
• account authenticity
• manipulation
• surrounding context

Viral popularity is not verification.

26.Reddit, Forums, and Online Communities

Online communities may provide valuable first-person experiences, leads, criticism, or evidence of public reaction.

Individual posts should not automatically be treated as representative of a broader population.

Claims discovered through forums should be independently verified when used as factual evidence.

27.Privacy

A fact being publicly accessible does not always mean it must be included in a story.

Monterra should consider the editorial value of publishing personal information against the potential harm or intrusion involved.

Particular care should be taken with:

• home addresses
• personal contact information
• financial information
• medical information
• private family matters
• victims
• minors
• people not central to the story

28.Children and Minors

Coverage involving children requires additional care.

Monterra should consider whether identifying a minor is necessary to the story and whether doing so could create unnecessary harm.

The fact that information about a child is available online does not automatically justify republishing it.

29.Victims and Vulnerable People

Stories involving victims of crime, abuse, disaster, serious illness, exploitation, or traumatic events should be handled with care.

Graphic or highly personal information should be included only when it contributes meaningfully to understanding the story.

30.Graphic or Disturbing Content

Graphic imagery should not be used solely for shock value.

When disturbing material is editorially necessary, Monterra should consider:

• whether less graphic alternatives exist
• whether viewers need warning
• whether identifying details should be obscured
• whether the material adds meaningful understanding

31.Discrimination and Personal Characteristics

Race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics should generally be mentioned only when relevant to the story.

Descriptions should be accurate and should not rely on stereotypes.

32.Conflicts of Interest

Editorial decisions should not knowingly be shaped by undisclosed financial or personal interests.

Where a relationship could reasonably affect how viewers interpret coverage, disclosure should be considered.

33.Gifts, Travel, and Access

Free products, travel, event access, early access, or other benefits should not guarantee favorable coverage.

If outside support materially affects how a story was produced and the relationship is relevant to viewers, it should be disclosed appropriately.

34.Sponsorships and Paid Content

Sponsored content should be clearly identifiable when applicable.

A commercial relationship should not be disguised as independent editorial coverage.

Sponsors should not be permitted to secretly determine factual conclusions presented as Monterra’s independent editorial judgment.

35.Advertisers and Editorial Independence

Advertising relationships should not provide advertisers with control over independent editorial conclusions.

Monterra may cover organizations that advertise, sponsor content, partner with Monterra, or otherwise have a commercial relationship with the publication.

Relevant relationships should be disclosed when necessary to avoid misleading viewers.

36.Partnerships

Production, distribution, licensing, or commercial partnerships may support Monterra projects.

Partnerships should not require Monterra to publish information known to be false or materially misleading.

Paid or sponsored relationships should be disclosed where appropriate.

37.Product Reviews and Recommendations

If Monterra publishes reviews, recommendations, rankings, or comparisons, relevant commercial relationships should be disclosed when applicable.

Payment, free products, affiliate relationships, or access should not be hidden when they could reasonably affect how viewers interpret a recommendation.

38.Copyright and Fair Use

Monterra respects copyright and other intellectual-property rights.

Documentary and editorial work may sometimes incorporate third-party material for purposes including:

• commentary
• criticism
• news reporting
• analysis
• education
• historical context
• transformation

Use of third-party material should be evaluated based on the circumstances and applicable law.

Monterra should avoid using more copyrighted material than reasonably necessary for the editorial purpose.

For copyright concerns, see Copyright / DMCA.

39.Music

Music should be appropriately licensed, owned, permitted, or otherwise lawfully used.

Music should not be used merely because it is easily downloadable or widely available online.

40.Corrections

Material factual errors should be corrected when identified and verified.

Corrections should address the actual error rather than obscure it.

Depending on the nature of the error, a correction may involve:

• editing text
• updating a caption
• revising a description
• correcting a graphic
• replacing an upload
• adding clarification
• publishing a correction notice

Significant corrections should be made transparently when practical.

See Corrections.

41.Clarifications

A clarification may be appropriate when published information was technically accurate but could reasonably create a misleading or incomplete impression.

Clarifications should improve understanding without pretending an error occurred when one did not.

42.Updates

Stories may be updated as events develop or new information becomes available.

An update is different from a correction.

New information does not necessarily mean the original reporting was incorrect.

Material updates should be identified when doing so helps viewers understand how the story changed.

43.Removal of Published Material

Published material should not normally be removed solely because a subject dislikes accurate coverage.

Removal may be considered in unusual circumstances involving:

• serious factual problems
• legal requirements
• safety risks
• privacy concerns
• rights issues
• accidental publication
• other compelling editorial reasons

Whenever possible, correcting or updating material is preferable to silently removing it.

44.Requests to Alter Coverage

Requests from individuals, companies, advertisers, sponsors, public officials, partners, or other outside parties should be evaluated based on accuracy and editorial merit.

Pressure from a powerful or interested party is not itself a reason to change accurate reporting.

45.Investigative Work

Investigative claims require heightened attention to sourcing, documentation, fairness, and context.

Serious allegations should be supported by evidence appropriate to their significance.

Documents should be authenticated where practical.

Relevant subjects should be given a reasonable opportunity to respond when circumstances permit.

46.Undercover or Deceptive Methods

Deceptive reporting methods should not be used casually.

If they are ever considered, the expected public-interest value should substantially outweigh the concerns created by the method, and the information should not reasonably be obtainable through less deceptive means.

47.Safety

Editorial value should be weighed against unnecessary risks to:

• sources
• subjects
• staff
• contributors
• viewers
• members of the public

Sensitive operational details may be withheld when publishing them would create an unreasonable safety or security risk without meaningful editorial benefit.

48.National Security and Sensitive Infrastructure

Stories involving critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, transportation systems, utilities, healthcare systems, or other sensitive operations may require additional judgment.

Monterra should avoid publishing unnecessary technical details that could create a meaningful security risk while still reporting information that serves the story.

49.Health, Science, and Technical Claims

Technical subjects should be based on appropriate evidence and expertise.

Preliminary research, observational findings, preprints, and disputed theories should not be represented as settled scientific conclusions.

Expert credentials and relevant conflicts should be considered when evaluating sources.

50.Forecasts and Predictions

Predictions about technology, markets, employment, demographics, politics, climate, business performance, or other future events should be clearly identified as forecasts rather than facts.

Forecasts should be attributed where appropriate.

51.Translation

Translations should preserve the meaning of the original statement as accurately as practical.

Where a translation could materially affect interpretation, additional review should be considered.

52.Accessibility

Editorial presentation should consider accessibility.

Where practical, Monterra should support features such as:

• captions
• readable text
• meaningful headings
• appropriate contrast
• alternative text
• keyboard-accessible controls
• clear link labels

For more information, see Accessibility.

53.Correction Requests from Viewers

Viewers are encouraged to report potential factual errors.

Requests should ideally identify:

• the documentary, article, page, caption, or post involved
• the disputed information
• why it may be incorrect
• supporting documentation or reliable sources when available

See Corrections or use the Contact page.

54.Editorial Feedback

Monterra welcomes substantive feedback about its reporting and storytelling.

Disagreement with a conclusion or editorial judgment does not automatically constitute a factual error.

Criticism should nevertheless be considered in good faith.

55.Changes to These Standards

These standards may evolve as Monterra Originals grows, develops new formats, adopts new technologies, or encounters new editorial situations.

The current version of the standards should remain publicly available on this page.