POLICY, STANDARDS, AND COMPLAINTS IN EDITORIAL
Our Editorial Policies lay out the underlying principles of our editorial approach as well as the standards that are enforceable and that our team is required to follow in a searchable format.
Base21 adheres to the American Press Council’s complaint criteria.
If you wish to file a complaint, please contact us at contact@base21.org. You can find more information about our complaints process, as well as details about our editorial policy and standards, further down this page.
Examine the Table of Contents:
- Quality Control and Editorial Policies
- Advertisement and Sponsorship Policy
- Policies and Disclosure Regarding Affiliate Programs
- The Ethical Position
- Privacy Statement
- Receiving Complaints Procedure
Quality Control and Editorial Policies
Base21 has a firm and unwavering commitment to producing factually accurate, ethical, well-researched, and balanced editorial news information.
Independence, accuracy, and a clear presentation
Because Base21 is a consumer-focused publication, maintaining the publication’s editorial independence and integrity is critical to our success. The Digital Editor is in charge of ensuring that standards are followed at all times and has editorial authority over information delivery.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of Base21 to ensure that the gathering of news and information, as well as the presentation of that material, adheres to generally accepted standards of objective journalism. Our editorial standards require, at the very least, that reasonable steps be taken to ensure the accuracy of any factually based information.
Standards:
1. Base21 ensures that factual content in news reports and elsewhere is correct, does not mislead readers, and can be distinguished from other types of content such as opinions.
2. If published material contains serious errors or is likely to mislead readers, Base21 will issue a correction or take any other appropriate corrective action.
Equity and proportionality
It is Base21’s responsibility to ensure that the gathering and dissemination of news and information is neutral and adheres to generally accepted standards of objective journalism. To be impartial, it is not necessary to provide every angle of every argument; similarly, it is not necessary to give equal weight to all points of view.
Standards:
3. Base21 ensures that factual material is presented with reasonable fairness and balance, and that the writer’s expressions of opinion are not based on material that is significantly inaccurate or omits key facts. Furthermore, Base21 ensures that writers do not base their opinions on material that is significantly inaccurate.
4. Base21 ensures that when content refers negatively to a person, that person is given a fair opportunity to publish a rebuttal later if it is reasonably necessary to address a potential violation of General Principle 3.
Personal space and safety must be respected.
Privacy is an essential component of human dignity, and everyone has the right to expect others to respect their right to privacy. Base21 respects this right, and the company is aware of its responsibility to protect users’ privacy and avoid causing them harm.
Standards:
5. Base21 will not violate a person’s legitimate expectations of privacy unless there is a compelling reason to do so in the public interest.
6. Base21 does not cause or contribute significantly to significant offense, distress, or prejudice, as well as a substantial risk to health or safety, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest.
Integrity and openness are essential characteristics.
Base21’s operations are recognized as critical to the company’s efforts to maintain the trust of its audiences and those who participate in or are otherwise directly affected by the content that we produce. We are committed to not publishing anything that could be construed as misleading, and we recognize that it is our responsibility to ensure that news and information are collected and presented in accordance with generally accepted standards of objective journalism. If a conflict of interest does arise, Base21 will take the necessary precautions to ensure that it is fully reported and does not affect the published content.
Standards:
9. Base21 will not publish information obtained in an unethical or dishonest manner unless there is a compelling case to show that doing so is in the public interest.
10. Base21 ensures that conflicts of interest are avoided or fully acknowledged, and that they do not influence the published material.
Policy on Feedback
Base21 encourages open dialogue and public participation with its readers to help us determine our coverage priorities and ensure accuracy. We also welcome feedback on the information we create and publish. If you would like to provide feedback on our content, coverage decisions, reporting, or any activity after publication to either provoke, amend, or expand a story, please send an email to press@base21.org.
Policy on Modifications and Revisions
An editor must acknowledge and correct inaccuracies in factual information at the beginning or end of the article. When editing material to improve its readability, style, or spelling, there is no need to provide acknowledgement. If there has been significant new development in the plot, an update may be included within a week of the story’s publication.
Sources Who Won’t Be Named
Only when there is a reasonable fear that reporting on matters of public interest will jeopardize one’s personal or professional safety should anonymous sources be cited. Stories published on Base21 will almost never, if ever, be based on a single anonymous source with no supporting documentation.
The article contains bylines, datelines, and credit lines.
A report’s bylines, datelines, and credit lines should provide readers with an accurate representation of the source of the information. Every piece should include the author’s byline and contact information, so readers know who to contact if there is a problem or an error.
Policy on Bylines:
Some of the articles or pages on our website may have bylines attributed to Base21 rather than our staff or other contributors. In the event that a contributing author does not have a user account, this byline may be used in its place. We will continue to provide a brief author profile at the end of each of our guest pieces.
Furthermore, we may offer our perspectives on significant issues that are important to our audience, such as climate change and mental health, through editorials and opinions written by members of our team. The editorials are not signed because, even if written by one or more members of our staff, they represent the point of view of our news organization’s management rather than the perspective of a single author.
Procedures and Policies for Investigating Factual Claims
The accuracy of Base21’s reporting is critical, and we make every effort to verify the sources of the information we use. Material and information are obtained from reputable and well-known publications and organizations, and they are double-checked for accuracy. Companies, organizations, and publications chosen to provide information have a reputation for integrity and respect. When in doubt, we consult subject-matter experts or government data sources, depending on which is available. We explain complex concepts and facts to readers in simple terms, and where necessary, we provide evidence based on original source papers. We believe the information is correct, and if it is not, we will work to correct it as soon as possible while remaining open and honest about the extent of the error. Any question posed by a reader will be carefully considered and checked for accuracy before offering a clarification or making a correction.
Advertisement and Sponsorship Policy
Base21 understands the importance of transparency in the process of building trust. We promise to be transparent about the nature of the relevant advertising and sponsorship. The information will be labeled in an understandable manner, and its publication will be transparent.
Base21’s mission is to become the world’s most dependable source of product knowledge and coverage. We are committed to providing user-friendly, authoritative content that is the result of extensive research, all of which serves to motivate, educate, and encourage consumers to make wise purchasing decisions. Base21’s content and experiences are created in accordance with strict editorial guidelines, ensuring that they are accurate, up to date, and easy to understand.
Base21, which takes great pride in its independence, generates revenue by selling advertising space on its various domains, such as its websites, apps, social media, and partner publications. The majority of the time, we work with our sponsors to create co-created or branded content, but we also present content created by our advertisers on occasion. This content is always clearly labeled to ensure the highest level of transparency possible in accordance with the following criteria.
Every piece of written advertising content is carefully considered. No written content is published on Base21 without the Editor’s approval first. We reserve the right, at any time and for any reason, to refuse, cancel, or remove any advertisements that have been placed. If an advertisement is rejected, canceled, or removed from our site, the advertiser will be notified and given an explanation as soon as possible. It is important to note that we use the services of third-party Service Providers such as Google AdSense to display display advertisements on our website in order to help support and maintain our service. Some of these advertisements are delivered by a program in a user-specific manner. Base21 accepts no responsibility for, and does not endorse, any advertising, products, or resources made available through programmatic advertising.
Certain advertisements will not be accepted because our primary responsibility is to our audience. As a result, we will not accept or publish any content that violates our editorial guidelines or may violate our ethics. available. Base21 will never allow the display of any advertisement for a product or service that is deemed dangerous, illegal, or objectionable. Advertisements may not contain any content that is deceptive, dishonest, or offensive. This includes content that misrepresents, mocks, or insults a person or group based on their age, color, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or disability. Every advertisement must clearly identify the advertiser, and any advertisement that could be confused with editorial content must be clearly labeled as an advertisement.
The editorial and advertising materials must be clearly distinguishable. We maintain a clear separation between editorial and advertising content in accordance with our editorial policy. All advertisements displayed on Base21 properties are clearly labeled, leaving no room for interpretation.
Affiliate funds allow our editors to provide products that will be listed on Base21 serious study in order to maximize our earnings. If you make a purchase at an online retailer’s site within a certain amount of time after clicking on one of the links we provide, we may be compensated as part of the process of creating this resource. More information about our affiliate policy can be found here.
Policies and Disclosure Regarding Affiliate Programs
Our goal as a group of enthusiastic product writers and creatives is simple: to provide our readers with the information they need to make a decision that is in their best interests. At Base21, we take great pride in providing unbiased reviews of products and services that put our audience first, and producing content of the highest quality while remaining objective will remain our top priority. Our in-house editorial staff and freelance writers have given each and every product that we cover in our reviews and features their full attention and consideration.
Our editorial decisions are based on the belief that the use of various items can improve the lives of our audience members, and it is this belief that guides us. Each week, our team of knowledgeable editors conducts dozens of hours of research into various products, putting those products through hands-on testing, conducting interviews with industry professionals, consulting market research, and reading customer feedback. Our product coverage is not determined by algorithms or data collection; rather, we hand-pick each product based on our research and testing of the available options.
However, if you purchase something after clicking on a link on our website, we may receive a commission in the form of an affiliate payment. This is currently a popular media technique used by many well-known websites. It is also a significant revenue generator for digital publications.
When you click a link on one of our sites that takes you to a retailer with whom we have an affiliate relationship, the URL of the retailer’s website will automatically indicate that you came from Base21. If you decide to purchase that product, we may receive a small commission that will go toward compensating us for our time and effort. It is important to note that using this method will not increase your price; rather, it will remain the same as if you went directly to the site.
These products were chosen entirely on their own, after extensive research and feedback. If a producer or a merchant has paid for editorial placement on our website, we make it very clear by including a “Sponsored Content” tag and providing extensive disclosure.
It is critical that we maintain our audience’s trust, which serves as the foundation of our editorial policy, in order to ensure a sustainable legacy of factual product journalism. We will continue to review and discuss items in an open and objective manner with the goal of achieving one primary goal: assisting you in locating the best things available.
If you have any questions about the affiliate links on our website, please contact us at contact@base21.org.
- The Ethical Position
- Click the link above to read Base21’s Ethics Policy Statement.
- Privacy Statement
- Please click here to learn more about Base21’s privacy practices.
Receiving Complaints Procedure
As soon as the complaint is received, a member of Base21’s complaints-handling team will gather any additional information that they believe is necessary at this time. Following that, the Director will decide whether the complaint should be pursued further for one of the following reasons:
It does not meet the standards for what can be complained about, who can make a complaint, when and how a complaint should be made (see Making a Complaint); or it does not meet the requirements for what can be complained about.
It would be more appropriate to consider it through another process (such as reporting the complaint to a third party, amending processes, or referring the complaint to an industry body for consideration); or it is more appropriate to consider it through another process.
Base21 was previously notified of the problem, and the company believes it has been adequately resolved.
Even if the facts stated in the complaint are true, it is highly unlikely that Base21’s Editorial Guidelines were violated; or
the extent to which the complaint investigation may require Base21 to devote more resources than is proportionately reasonable given the expected severity of the violations; or
The complaint should not be taken any further because, among other things, it is inappropriate.
Known as “Secondary Complaints,”
If the person who filed the complaint is not personally recognized or directly affected by the material that was published, the complaint may be classified as a “secondary complaint.”
When faced with this scenario, the Director considers the following factors, in addition to the factors discussed in the preceding paragraph, when deciding whether or not the matter should be investigated further:
The risk of exacerbating any potential invasion of privacy or other harm caused to people or organizations directly impacted by the material; or the risk of the material causing harm to people or organizations not directly affected by it.
the extent to which informing the complainant, the media industry, and the general public whether a specific type of breach has occurred may provide an important example of the application of Base21’s Standards, even if people or organizations directly affected by it do not wish to make or endorse a complaint themselves, or if they cannot be contacted; or the extent to which the complainant has the right to be informed whether a specific type of breach has occurred.
the extent to which the complaint’s consideration may compel Base21 or the complainant to invest more resources than are reasonably appropriate to the gravity of the suspected breaches; or the possibility that the complaint is unfounded.
the extent to which the primary individual is required to provide input and/or participate in the matter at hand
Several Complaints
Even if there are several individual complaints about the same content, the Director may choose to only involve one or some of the complainants in further consideration of the content. Complainants will be informed individually of the decision and the outcome in its entirety, to the greatest extent practicable. If this is not the case, the resolutions to matters involving a large number of complainants will be posted on the Council’s website.
The Complaint Resolution Procedure
If the Director does not choose to withdraw the complaint from further consideration, Base21 will respond quickly by calling or emailing the complainant.
The phone call and/or email are intended to determine whether Base21 has previously taken action in response to a direct complaint about the content at issue, or whether it is willing to consider doing so in response to the complaint.
Discontinuance
In the event that the Director decides to withdraw consideration of a complaint, the complainant will be notified. The complainant may request a review of that decision if they do so within seven days of being informed of the Director’s decision.
The complaint will be considered resolved if no investigation is requested or if the investigation is unsuccessful.
Recapitulation / Escalation
If the complaint is not stopped or addressed as a result of these initial processes, or if the complainant disagrees with the resolution of the matter, Base21 recommends that the complainant submit the complaint to the appropriate industry organization for consideration.
Regardless of its membership status, the original source of the complaint, or any previous attempts at resolution or discontinuance by Base21, it will cooperate with any requests made by the Council, and any adjudications issued by it will be published.