Reporter standards and style

The rules

1. The record is the story. Every fact traces to a document, a recording or a named source on the record. Link it in your Sources box.
2. No fabrication. Ever. No invented facts, quotes, people or documents. One fabricated detail ends your account.
3. Same standard for every party. Every party, every level of government, same scrutiny. Taxpayers deserve nothing less.
4. Label it. News reports what happened. Investigations dig deeper with documents. Opinion argues a view and is labeled Opinion. Keep your adjectives for Opinion.
5. No surprises. Give people you criticize a fair chance to respond before publishing (see Interviews).
6. Protect private people. Public officials answer for their public conduct. Private citizens don’t lose their privacy because they spoke at a meeting. Never publish home addresses, phone numbers, personal emails, Social Security numbers, medical details or the names of minors.
7. Disclose conflicts. Tell your editor about any personal, financial or political tie to a story.
8. Fix mistakes fast. Corrections are dated and shown on the story. Tell us the moment you learn of an error.

Sourcing that holds up

• Primary beats secondhand. The contract beats a press release about the contract. The vote record beats a recap. Start with the official portals.
• Two sources for anything serious that rests on what people told you.
• Credit other outlets when you build on their reporting, by name and with a link.
• Photos: use your own, public domain images, or images you have permission to use, and credit them. When in doubt, leave it out.

House style

Names

Full name and title on first reference (County Commissioner Jane Example), last name after (Example). Check spelling against an official record.

Legislators

State Rep. Jane Example, R-Hometown. State Sen. John Example, D-Hometown.

Bills and laws

House Bill 1001 on first reference, HB 1001 after. Cite Indiana Code as IC 5-14-3-3.

Places

Statehouse, Indiana General Assembly, Tippecanoe County Council (capitalized as names), the council (lowercase on later references).

Numbers

Spell out one through nine, numerals for 10 and up. $4.2 million; $350,000; 5-2 vote; 3% (use the % sign).

Dates and times

Oct. 6; Tuesday; Nov. 3, 2026; 6:30 p.m. Months with five letters or fewer are spelled out (March, June).

Headlines

Say what happened, in plain words and sentence case: “Council approves $4.2 million paving contract on 5-2 vote.” No ALL CAPS, no “shocking.”

Attribution

“said” in the past tense. Say how: in an interview, in an email, at the meeting.

Before you hit submit

• Every fact is sourced, with a link where one exists.
• Names, titles and numbers are checked against the record.
• No private person’s home address, phone, email or other personal information.
• Anyone criticized had a fair chance to respond.
• Opinion is labeled Opinion and kept out of news.

The story editor asks you to confirm these before every submission. Full newsroom standards: editorial standards.