OzoneNews Editorial Standards

0. Information Gain requirement (post-March 2026)

Following the Google March 2026 Core Update, every article published on the Ozone Network must contain at least one piece of Information Gain, original content that does not exist anywhere else on the open web. Generic AI rewrites of existing articles are not journalism and will not be published.

Every article must contain at least one of the following before publication:

• An original quote from a named source obtained through direct contact
• A contrarian perspective with explicit reasoning not present in the source reporting
• A custom chart, raw data screenshot, or primary-source dataset the wider web has not summarized
• A “Why This Matters” section written by a human editor tying the story to a macro trend

Banned transition phrases. The following phrases are prohibited in all published article body copy. They are markers of low-effort AI generation and will cause the prebuild lint to fail:

• “In conclusion”
• “It is important to note”
• “It is important to remember”
• “Furthermore, it is crucial”
• “In today’s fast-paced world”
• “In the ever-evolving landscape”
• “It is worth noting that”
• “Moreover, it should be noted”
• “Navigating the complex”
• “Delve into”
• “In summary”

1. Accuracy over speed

We do not chase breaking news without sourcing. If a story cannot be verified, it does not run, regardless of competitive pressure. Speed-to-publish is never a defense for an unsupported claim.

Every article is reviewed against its source material before publication. Headlines must reflect what the article actually establishes, not what the story might suggest.

2. Primary sources only

Reporting must trace back to a primary source. Acceptable primary sources include:

• Court filings, indictments, and dockets
• SEC, FTC, FCC, FEC, and other regulatory disclosures
• Government records, FOIA responses, congressional testimony
• Peer-reviewed research and preprints (clearly labeled)
• Company press releases and earnings reports (labeled as such)
• Named on-record sources speaking from direct knowledge

Aggregating another publication’s reporting is not journalism. When we cite another outlet, we credit and link to the original, and we do our own verification before repeating the claim.

3. Attribution and sourcing

Every factual claim must be attributable. If a claim is not in the linked source material, it is not in the article. Quotes are reproduced verbatim. We do not clean up quotes to sharpen them.

Anonymous sources are used only when the information is in the public interest, the source faces credible risk for speaking on the record, and a second source or document corroborates the claim. The reason for granting anonymity is disclosed in the article.

4. News versus analysis

News reporting and analysis are different products and are labeled as such. Opinion is labeled opinion. Analysis is labeled analysis. We do not blend reporting and commentary in a way that obscures which is which.

5. Conflicts of interest

OzoneNews reporters and editors disclose any financial or personal interest that could reasonably be perceived as a conflict with their reporting. Reporters do not cover companies in which they hold individual stock positions. Crypto holdings are disclosed when relevant to coverage.

OzoneNews as an organization accepts no advertising, sponsored content, or political donations. See our ownership and funding disclosure.

6. AI use in the newsroom

AI tools are used internally for research assistance, transcription, and first-draft structuring. AI is never used to generate published article copy without human editorial review and complete rewrite by the named reporter. Every published sentence is written or substantially edited by a named human reporter who is accountable for it. We do not use AI to fabricate quotes, invent sources, or produce synthetic data.

The Ozone Network does not publish fully automated AI-generated articles. Every article that uses AI assistance must have measurable Information Gain added by a human before publish (see Section 0 above).

7. Corrections and accountability

Errors are inevitable. Hidden errors are not acceptable. Every correction is published publicly, timestamped, and the original text is preserved alongside the corrected version. See our corrections policy.

8. Right of reply

When OzoneNews reports a substantive claim about a person or organization, we contact the subject for comment before publication and give a reasonable response window. If a response arrives after publication, the article is updated and the update is timestamped.

9. Source protection

We protect the identity of confidential sources. We do not turn over notes, drafts, or communications to third parties absent a lawful, narrowly-scoped order, and we will resist such orders.

10. Diversity of coverage

Our coverage decisions aim to reflect the breadth of subjects affected by the stories we cover. We seek out perspectives beyond the most easily reachable sources, particularly when reporting on policy, technology, and finance stories with disparate impact.

Contact and questions

Questions about our standards, or a specific article’s sourcing: editorial@ozonenetwork.news.

Last updated: May 19, 2026. Published by Ozone Network News LLC, Austin, Texas. Material changes to this policy are committed to the public repository.