Editorial standards

Most of this is fairly simple. Read the source. Ask the people involved. Say what you know, say what you do not, and correct it if you get something wrong.

I want to see the original

If a story turns on a licence, a law, a scientific paper, a contract or a government decision, I want to read that document myself. A press release or somebody else's article can point me towards it, but I do not want either of them doing the reporting for me.

The same goes for research. If I am writing about a study, I read the study, look at how it was done and check who funded it. If the evidence does not support the sentence I want to write, the sentence changes.

People get a chance to answer

If a person, company or institution faces material criticism in one of my pieces, I send written questions before publication and give them a fair chance to respond. If they answer, I use the answer where it belongs in the story, including when it makes the story less tidy.

If they do not answer, I say that. A non-response is a non-response. It is not evidence that the criticism is true.

I do not assume motive

A document can show what somebody did. A statement can show what they said. Neither automatically tells me why they did it. If I am making an inference, I make that clear. I do not turn a plausible explanation into a fact because it makes a better ending.

The strongest counterargument belongs in the story

If I am challenging a decision, I want readers to understand the best case for that decision too. That might be an agency's legal constraint, a company's explanation, a scientist's uncertainty or a piece of evidence that cuts against my original idea. If it changes the story, it stays in.

Funding is disclosed

If a charity or foundation has paid for reporting, the reader should know. The same applies to any relationship that could reasonably matter to the story.

My WDC role

I am also Head of Hunting and Captivity at Whale and Dolphin Conservation. That work and my journalism are separate. If I report on something that overlaps with WDC's campaigning, I disclose the connection. Information that reaches me through that job is sourced again independently before I use it in journalism.

Some work I will not take

I do not write for the fishing, mining or whaling industries, or for organisations they fund. I do not take sponsored work on cetacean issues. I also will not take a piece where the conclusion has been decided before the reporting starts.

Corrections

I will get things wrong at some point. If I do, I want to know about it. A factual error is corrected in the piece and the correction is dated. If you think something I have published is wrong, email me and I will check it.

Tips and documents

If you have a document that does not add up, or a story you think is being missed, email lukedmcmillan@hotmail.com. If you need a more secure way to talk, say so and I will arrange one.