Editorial Standards & Ethics

The Trenton Post is an independent news publication. Our job is to report accurately and fairly on Trenton and Mercer County, and to be transparent about how we do it. These are the standards our journalists work by.

Accuracy

Getting it right comes first. We verify facts before we publish, attribute information to its source, and take care with names, titles, numbers, and quotes. When we are not certain of something, we say so or we hold the story until we are.

Sourcing

We build our reporting on primary sources: public records, documents, on-the-record interviews, and firsthand observation. We identify our sources whenever we can. We grant anonymity only when a source faces a real risk and the information is important and cannot be obtained another way, and a senior editor approves it.

Independence and conflicts of interest

Our coverage is not for sale. Editorial decisions are made by our newsroom, independent of advertisers, donors, or political interests. Journalists disclose any personal or financial conflict that could affect their work and recuse themselves when needed. Any sponsored or partner content is clearly labeled and kept separate from news.

Fairness

We give people and organizations a meaningful chance to respond before we publish something critical of them, and we represent their positions accurately.

Corrections and updates

When we get something wrong, we fix it promptly and transparently. See our Corrections Policy for how that works. We date our stories and note significant updates so readers know how current the reporting is.

Questions

Questions about our standards? Email newsroom@trentonpost.com.