Poland-24 is committed to accurate, fair and responsible journalism about Poland.
Our purpose is to help readers understand what is happening in Poland and why it matters, particularly readers outside the country who may not already be familiar with its institutions, politics, history or society.
These standards guide how we research, write, edit, illustrate and correct our journalism.
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Accuracy comes first
Accuracy is more important than being first.
Before publication, we aim to verify material facts including:
- names and titles;
- dates and locations;
- statistics and financial figures;
- quotations;
- legal and regulatory status;
- parliamentary and governmental decisions;
- election and political developments;
- company announcements;
- scientific and research claims.
Where possible, Poland-24 checks important claims against original or primary sources.
If information cannot yet be independently confirmed, we aim to make that clear to readers.
We do not knowingly publish information we believe to be false.
Primary sources
Where practical, we prefer primary and authoritative sources.
These may include:
- government ministries and public institutions;
- legislation and official parliamentary records;
- courts and regulatory authorities;
- police and emergency services;
- official statistical agencies;
- companies and financial filings;
- universities and research institutions;
- international organisations;
- original reports and documents;
- direct statements and interviews.
Secondary reporting can be valuable, particularly when journalists have obtained information unavailable elsewhere, but we do not treat repetition across multiple outlets as independent confirmation of a claim.
Attribution and sourcing
Readers should be able to understand where important information comes from.
We attribute significant claims to their source where appropriate and provide links to useful original material when it helps readers verify or better understand the story.
We distinguish between:
- independently verified facts;
- official statements;
- allegations;
- estimates;
- analysis;
- opinion;
- and information reported by another publication.
An allegation does not become a fact merely because it has been widely reported.
Anonymous sources
Poland-24 prefers named and attributable sources.
Anonymous sourcing should be used cautiously and only when there is a legitimate reason why the source cannot be publicly identified.
Where anonymous information is important to a story, we aim to provide readers with as much context as reasonably possible about the source’s position and basis of knowledge without revealing their identity.
Anonymous claims should receive appropriate scrutiny and, wherever possible, independent corroboration.
Fairness and right of reply
People and organisations criticised in our reporting should normally be given a fair opportunity for their position to be represented when the allegation or criticism is significant and the circumstances allow.
Fairness does not require treating every claim as equally credible.
Where the available evidence strongly supports one account over another, our reporting should reflect the weight of that evidence while accurately describing relevant competing claims.
Politics and contested issues
Poland-24 reports on political parties, politicians, governments, public institutions and political movements without campaigning for a particular political outcome.
Our reporting should distinguish clearly between:
- facts;
- political claims;
- allegations;
- opinion;
- and our own explanatory context.
Contested claims should be attributed.
We do not present political accusations as established facts without sufficient evidence.
When reporting legislation, parliamentary activity, government programmes or regulatory measures, we take particular care to distinguish between:
- proposals;
- legislation under consideration;
- measures that have been adopted;
- measures that have entered into force;
- and policies that have actually been implemented.
Headlines should not exaggerate the procedural or legal status of a development.
Context
Accuracy also requires context.
A statement can be technically correct but still misleading when important information has been omitted.
Where necessary, Poland-24 provides background information that helps readers understand the significance, scale or history of an event.
This is particularly important for international readers who may not already understand Poland’s political system, geography, public institutions or historical context.
Headlines
Headlines should accurately reflect the substance of the article.
We may write headlines designed to attract attention and encourage readers to read further, but they should not materially misrepresent what happened.
Headlines should not turn speculation into certainty, allegations into facts or proposals into completed decisions.
Statistics and surveys
Numbers require context.
When reporting polls, surveys, economic statistics or scientific studies, we aim to identify relevant information such as:
- who produced the data;
- the period covered;
- the population measured;
- sample size where relevant;
- whether figures are preliminary or final;
- and important limitations.
We avoid presenting a comparison as meaningful when the underlying datasets or populations are not reasonably comparable.
Corrections
When Poland-24 establishes that it has published a material factual error, we correct it.
Minor typographical or formatting mistakes may be corrected without a formal notice when they do not alter the meaning of the article.
Where a correction materially changes a reader’s understanding of a story, we aim to explain the change.
Our full approach is set out in the Poland-24 Corrections Policy.
Readers can report suspected errors by emailing:
Updates to developing stories
News changes.
Articles may be updated after publication when new verified information becomes available.
We distinguish between an update and a correction.
Adding new information to a previously accurate story is an update. Changing information because an earlier statement was materially wrong may require a correction.
Artificial intelligence and editorial tools
Poland-24 may use artificial intelligence and other digital tools to assist parts of the editorial process.
These tools can support activities such as:
- research;
- identifying potential stories;
- reviewing documents;
- translation;
- transcription;
- data analysis;
- drafting assistance;
- editing;
- headline development;
- and visual production.
AI-generated output is not treated as an authoritative source.
Material factual claims should be verified against reliable sources before publication.
Editorial responsibility remains with Poland-24, not with the software used during production.
AI-generated and illustrative images
Poland-24 may use digitally generated or AI-assisted imagery where appropriate.
Such imagery should not be used in a way that falsely presents an invented scene as documentary evidence of a real event.
We do not intentionally fabricate photographs of real meetings, attacks, disasters, documents or other news events and present them as authentic evidence.
Where the distinction could reasonably mislead readers, an image should be identified as illustrative.
Photography and captions
Photographs, captions and graphics are part of our journalism and are subject to the same standards of accuracy as written reporting.
Images should not be deliberately cropped, altered or presented in a way that materially misrepresents the event being reported.
Archive photographs should be clearly contextualised where there is a realistic risk that readers could mistake them for images of the current event.
Conflicts of interest
Editorial decisions should not be determined by undisclosed personal or commercial interests.
Contributors should avoid situations in which a financial, professional or personal relationship could reasonably call the independence of their reporting into question.
Material conflicts should be disclosed where relevant to the reader’s understanding of the journalism.
Advertising and sponsored content
Advertising supports many independent publications, including digital news organisations.
Advertisers and commercial partners do not determine the conclusions of Poland-24’s independent editorial coverage.
Paid, sponsored or commercially commissioned content should be distinguishable from normal editorial journalism.
Where content has been produced as part of a commercial relationship, readers should be informed appropriately.
Press releases
Press releases are sources, not finished journalism.
Information supplied by governments, businesses, campaign groups, public-relations agencies or other organisations should be assessed and attributed appropriately.
We do not assume that claims made in promotional material are independently established facts.
Copyright and original journalism
Poland-24 respects the intellectual property of other publishers, photographers, writers and creators.
When another organisation has originated reporting that is material to our story, appropriate attribution should be provided.
We aim to add our own reporting, verification, explanation or context rather than simply reproducing the work of another publisher.
Crime and legal reporting
Allegations involving criminal conduct require particular care.
A person who has been accused or charged should not be described as guilty unless guilt has been established through the appropriate legal process.
We distinguish accurately between:
- investigation;
- arrest;
- charge;
- prosecution;
- conviction;
- and sentencing.
Relevant legal restrictions and the presumption of innocence should be respected.
Sensitive subjects
Stories involving death, injury, children, victims of crime and other sensitive circumstances should be handled with appropriate care.
Graphic or distressing information should only be included when it has genuine editorial value.
Unnecessary intrusion into private grief should be avoided.
Reader feedback
We welcome scrutiny of our journalism.
Readers who believe that a Poland-24 article contains an error, lacks important context or falls below these standards can contact:
Please include the relevant article URL and enough information for us to understand and review the concern.
Our responsibility
Editorial standards are meaningful only when they influence everyday publication decisions.
Poland-24 will continue to refine these standards as the publication develops, technology changes and new editorial challenges emerge.
Our goal remains simple:
to report Poland accurately, explain it clearly and give readers enough evidence and context to make up their own minds.
