Journalism ethics

Editorial standards | Fact-checking | Ethics policy

Ethics policy

Mongabay staff and its contributors agree to abide by the guidelines articulated in the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. The ethics articulated in Mongabay’s principles of editorial decision making also inform the professional behavior of the individuals and organizations that engage in Mongabay’s journalism.

Editorial fundraising firewall

Mongabay retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a separation between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue to ensure news judgments are made independently – not based on or influenced by donors or any other revenue source. We do not give supporters the rights to assign, review or edit content. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions.

Conflict of interest and disclosure policy

Anyone working with Mongabay – both employees and freelance contributors – must take care to avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest. This includes not accepting payment, employment, paid or unpaid assignments, gifts, favors, or junkets from current or potential news sources. External financial support for travel expenses must be disclosed to the assigning Mongabay editor prior to the start of reporting activities. Furthermore, disclosure of any relevant outside affiliations and financial interests should be done on a story-by-story basis. Please use this form to do so.

Certain outside affiliations and financial interests may bar a freelancer from working for Mongabay or from covering certain topics except as an unpaid commentary. These include paid or volunteer work with an organization covered in a story or with a stake in an issue covered in a story. Past work with news sources or outside affiliations and financial interests may require disclosure in a story. These decisions are at the editor’s discretion.

Mongabay acknowledges that conflicts of interest are not always clear cut. When in doubt, writers should consult with their editor about what may constitute a conflict of interest.

Mongabay reserves the right to terminate a work assignment or professional relationship with a contributor if undisclosed conflicts of interest come to light at any point during the editorial process or after publication.

Editorial standards | Fact-checking