Code of Ethics
Press Headliner publishes the day’s top stories headline first. Speed and brevity raise the ethical stakes: a digest that millions may scan in five minutes must be more disciplined, not less, than a long-form outlet. This Code states the standards every Press Headliner editor and contributor works under. It is a public document so readers can hold us to it.
1. Accuracy Above Speed
The first headline of the day is a factual claim, and it must be true. We verify names, figures, dates, and quotations against primary sources wherever they exist — official documents, direct statements, court records, and original data — before publication. Where only secondary reporting exists, we attribute it. Where facts are unconfirmed, we say “unconfirmed” or we do not publish. Being first is worthless if the headline is wrong; we would rather be second and correct.
2. Headlines Must Not Mislead
A Press Headliner headline carries the news itself. It must be supported by the story beneath it, must not withhold the essential fact to manufacture a click, and must not exaggerate certainty, scale, or blame. If the evidence says “may”, the headline says “may”. Question headlines that imply an answer we have not established are prohibited.
3. Attribution and Transparency of Sources
Every contested claim names its source. Readers are entitled to know whether a figure comes from a government agency, a court filing, a company, a campaign, or an interested advocacy group — and what interest that source has. Anonymous sources are used only when the information is of clear public importance, the source’s identity is known to an editor, and no on-record route exists; the reason for anonymity is stated as specifically as safety allows.
4. Independence and Conflicts of Interest
Editorial decisions at Press Headliner are made by editors alone. No advertiser, sponsor, commercial partner, or outside organisation selects, alters, delays, or suppresses stories. Staff must disclose personal, financial, or political interests that could reasonably appear to affect coverage, and must not work on stories where such an interest is material. Gifts, payments, and favours intended to influence coverage are refused. Paid editorial coverage does not exist on this Site.
5. Fairness and the Right of Response
People and organisations facing significant criticism in a story are given a fair opportunity to respond before publication wherever time reasonably permits, and their response is reported accurately, not caricatured. We distinguish clearly between established fact, allegation, and charge. An arrest is not a conviction; a lawsuit is a claim, not a finding; we write accordingly and update stories when cases resolve.
6. Minimising Harm
We report crime, tragedy, and public-safety news with restraint: victims are not identified where naming them adds harm without public value, graphic material is used only where it is essential to understanding, and suicide and self-harm coverage follows recognised responsible-reporting guidance. Speed during emergencies never justifies publishing unverified casualty figures or identifying details from unofficial sources.
7. Corrections and Accountability
Errors are corrected visibly and promptly under our Corrections policy, with a dated note stating what changed. Silent alteration of published facts is prohibited. Editors, not the original reporter alone, decide disputed corrections. Repeated or serious breaches of this Code are treated as a conduct matter for our publisher, 24World Media.
8. Originality and Credit
Press Headliner writes its own headlines and copy. We credit the reporting of other outlets where we rely on it, link to primary sources where practical, and never present another organisation’s work as our own. Images are used with rights cleared or under a lawful basis, and credited where required.
9. Separation of News, Opinion, and Sponsorship
News, opinion, analysis, and sponsored material are labelled for what they are. Opinion never alters the factual record of the news pages; sponsored material never enters the editorial ranking of the day’s headlines. Readers should never have to guess which standard a piece of content was produced under.
10. Holding Us to This Code
Press Headliner is published by 24World Media, 1411 N Sterling Ave, Palatine, IL 60067, United States. If you believe a story breaches this Code, contact us through the Contact page marked “Ethics”, identifying the story and the provision concerned. Every such complaint is read by an editor, and upheld complaints result in correction, clarification, or a published editor’s note as the case requires.
11. Diversity of Sources and Community Standing
A national headline digest must hear the whole country. Our editors deliberately source beyond official Washington: state and local officials, affected residents, independent experts, and community organisations all appear in our attribution, and we weigh a claim by its evidence rather than the prominence of its speaker. We do not extract quotes from social media without verifying the account and context, and we never present a single viral post as public opinion.
