The Uyghur Post: Core Journalistic Guidelines

The Uyghur Post – Editorial Guidelines & Principles

I. Mission & Scope

Our mission is to document, report, and preserve critical Uyghur stories, deliver accurate and insightful coverage of Uyghur life, culture, and human rights, and nurture diverse voices across the global Uyghur community, all guided by integrity, free expression, and the standards of credible, professional journalism.

The Uyghur Post reports on China’s policies toward the Uyghur people, the human rights situation in the homeland, international responses, and the culture, education, and economic activities of Uyghur communities worldwide. It also provides space for diverse voices, including opinion writers, guest contributors, and commentators on politics, culture, language, education, and the economy.

II. Editorial Independence

1. Separation of News and Opinion

News: Managed independently by the Chief Editor, focused solely on factual reporting, accuracy, and evidence-based storytelling.
Opinion: Includes editorials, commentaries, and external expert perspectives. Opinion pieces must always be clearly labeled and separated from news reporting.

2. Protection from Influence
The Uyghur Post is fully independent of political parties, governments, advocacy groups, or donors. Editorial decisions are never swayed by external funding, political agendas, or activist pressures. Independence ensures reporting prioritizes truth, accuracy, and the needs of Uyghur communities above all else.

III. Accuracy & Verification

All information must be verifiable, contextualized, and responsibly sourced. Where uncertainty exists, this must be clearly communicated to readers. The Uyghur Post prioritizes direct, firsthand reporting, including eyewitness accounts, documents, and research from trusted primary sources.

IV. Ethical Reporting

1. Respect & Sensitivity
The Uyghur Post takes care to avoid harm to vulnerable individuals and communities. Special attention is given when reporting on trauma, detention, persecution, and family separation, particularly within the Uyghur homeland and diaspora.

2. Integrity
Plagiarism, fabrication, and manipulation of facts are strictly prohibited. Conflicts of interest must be declared and avoided. Journalists maintain honesty, transparency, and professional responsibility in all reporting.

V. Professional Editorial Workflow

Pitch → Assignment → Reporting → Drafting → Editor Review → Fact-Check → Copyedit → Final Approval → Publication → Post-Publication Monitoring → Corrections/Updates logged transparently.

This workflow ensures accuracy, accountability, and consistency, especially when covering complex or sensitive Uyghur issues.

VI. Additional Standards and Institutional Policies
(Grounded in the realities of Uyghur journalism, digital repression, and diaspora reporting)

1. Fact-Checking & Verification
Every news report is independently reviewed by a second editor or fact-checker familiar with Uyghur issues.

Factual claims are classified as:

Verified – confirmed by direct evidence or two independent, credible sources
Corroborated – supported by one reliable source plus contextual evidence
Unverified – transparently reported with clear limitations

Sensitive testimonies from the homeland, diaspora families, or survivors of repression are stored securely in encrypted systems with limited access. This ensures accuracy despite the extreme barriers to information in Uyghur regions.

2. Risk Management & Source Protection
Testimonies involving risk—especially from inside the Uyghur region or from families under pressure—are anonymized by default unless explicit consent is provided. Staff must use encrypted communications (Signal, ProtonMail, VPN) for sensitive reporting. All notes, recordings, photographs, and documents are stored with encryption and two-factor authentication. Staff receive regular digital-security and counter-surveillance training tailored to Uyghur risks. These measures protect sources, journalists, and their families from state and transnational threats.

3. Editorial Transparency

Annual Transparency Report summarizing investigations, editorial practices, partnerships, funding categories, and correction statistics.
Public Corrections Page documenting updates and clarifications.
Funding Disclosure to ensure independence from political, governmental, or advocacy influence.

These practices uphold integrity in a field often clouded by misinformation and politicized narratives.

4. Diversity, Fairness & Inclusion
Use gender-fair, culturally respectful, and non-stereotyped language. Reporting must avoid discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, gender, region, dialect, disability, or political viewpoint. Avoid sensationalism; prioritize dignity, accuracy, and context, particularly when reporting on trauma, detention, and persecution.

5. Social Media Conduct
Staff must act professionally, avoid factional disputes, and maintain a respectful online presence. Journalists must not engage in partisan political activism that could undermine editorial independence. Confidential information, unpublished reporting, and sensitive sources must never be shared publicly. Public engagement must align with The Uyghur Post’s mission to serve Uyghur communities and global audiences responsibly.

VII. Corrections, Updates & Accountability
Errors must be corrected promptly, clearly, and publicly. Major corrections require a note explaining what was changed and why. All updates must be timestamped for transparency.

VIII. Transparency & Funding Independence
The Uyghur Post discloses broad funding categories while respecting donor privacy. No donor or external organization may influence editorial decisions. All collaborations with NGOs, academic institutions, or media partners are documented and transparent.

IX. Upholding International Standards
The Uyghur Post aligns its editorial policies with:

Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics
International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) principles
UNESCO guidelines on journalist safety
Global best practices for diaspora and human rights reporting

This ensures reporting meets the expectations of academics, NGOs, policymakers, and international media.

X. Commitment to Continuous Improvement
The Uyghur Post regularly reviews and updates its editorial principles to reflect evolving challenges, security needs, and global journalistic standards, ensuring the organization remains a trusted voice for Uyghur communities worldwide.