Editorial Policy
Proposed principles for accurate, independent, fair and accountable journalism at YARLSRI NEWS.
Editorial independence
Our proposed editorial standard is to make news judgments on public interest, evidence and relevance rather than advertiser, sponsor or political preferences. Any ownership interests or conflicts that could affect coverage should be disclosed and reviewed.
Accuracy and verification
Journalists should verify material claims with credible primary sources wherever possible, cross-check contested facts, label unconfirmed information clearly and avoid presenting allegations as established facts.
Fairness and right of reply
Reporting should represent relevant perspectives accurately, distinguish factual claims from opinion and seek a meaningful response from individuals or organisations facing serious allegations when feasible.
Sources and attribution
Information should be attributed transparently. Anonymous sources should be used only when there is a defensible editorial reason and their reliability has been assessed. Fabricated quotations and misleading attribution are not acceptable.
Opinion, analysis and sponsored content
News reporting, analysis, opinion and paid advertising should be clearly labelled. Sponsored content must be distinguishable from independent journalism and should not silently influence news decisions.
Images, video and AI-generated material
Visuals and captions should accurately reflect the events shown. Archival footage, illustrative imagery, reconstructions and AI-generated media should be labelled when relevant to readers’ understanding. Material should not be deceptively edited.
Multilingual publishing
Translations across Tamil, English, Sinhala and other editions should preserve meaning and context. Headlines and captions should be checked for inaccuracies introduced by translation.
Privacy, safety and sensitive coverage
Editorial decisions should weigh the public interest against privacy and potential harm, especially when covering children, victims, traumatic events and vulnerable individuals. Avoid gratuitous graphic detail.
Corrections and accountability
Material errors should be assessed promptly and corrected transparently using the proposed process described in our Corrections Policy. Readers should have a reliable way to raise concerns before this policy is launched.
Editorial review and policy status
Draft for approval: These are proposed standards, not a claim that an editorial board, verification desk, complaints process or enforcement system is already operating. The publisher must approve the policy, appoint responsible editors and verify that the described practices are in place before publication.