Harm. Before publishing we ask who could be hurt by this, and whether the public interest outweighs it. Sometimes it doesn’t, and we don’t publish. Being able to prove something isn’t a reason to publish it.
Private individuals. People who hold power, take public money, or shape public policy face more scrutiny than people who don’t. Private individuals who appear in our work incidentally are not named unless naming them is necessary to the finding.
People at risk. We don’t publish material that would identify protesters, detainees, their families, or anyone whose exposure would put them in danger — even when that material is already circulating publicly. Something being findable elsewhere doesn’t mean we should amplify it.
Contributor safety. We plan for the safety of the people who work with us before we plan the story. Nobody is asked to travel, meet a source, or take a legal or physical risk on our behalf.
Harassment. Our contributors receive it. We don’t respond in kind, we don’t publish anything designed to invite a pile-on, and we support contributors who are targeted.
Distressing material. Warned above the fold, never used as illustration, published only when the record requires it.