Editorial policies
How Piscatores reports, corrects errors, and handles sources and submissions.
This page describes the standards the Piscatores editorial board follows. It is a working draft for the board to adopt formally and review each academic year.
Accuracy and verification
Every factual claim should be checked against a primary source, a named official, or a document. Rumors, screenshots, and social media posts are leads, not evidence. When a claim cannot be verified, the story should say so.
Reporters should keep notes and contact details for fact-checking. Names, titles, course codes, dates, and figures must be confirmed before publication.
News and opinion
News stories report what happened. Opinion pieces argue a position. The two are labeled clearly: opinion pieces carry the author’s byline and an identifying label, and they do not appear as ordinary news.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we correct it promptly and visibly. Corrections state what was wrong and what is correct. Substantive corrections are noted at the end of the article with the date. Requests for correction may be sent to piscatores@gmail.com.
Sources and anonymity
We prefer named sources. Anonymity may be granted when a source faces a credible risk of harm and the information is important to the public. The editor must know the source’s identity. Anonymous sources are described as precisely as safety allows.
Fairness and privacy
People who are the subject of critical reporting should be given a reasonable chance to respond. We do not publish private information — home addresses, personal phone numbers, health details, or identifying information about minors — unless there is a clear public interest and the editor approves.
Plagiarism and artificial intelligence
Plagiarism is prohibited. All quoted and paraphrased material must be attributed. Writers may use language tools for grammar and organization, but submitted work must be their own reporting and writing. Fabricated quotes, sources, or events are grounds for removal and disciplinary referral.
Conflicts of interest
Members of the board should not report on organizations they belong to, campaigns they work for, or people with whom they have a close personal relationship without disclosing the conflict to the editor. Gifts, paid work, and free travel connected to a story must be disclosed.
Social media
Official Piscatores accounts are managed by the editorial board. Personal posts by staff do not represent the publication. Staff should not publish unpublished reporting or source material on personal accounts.
Complaints and review
Complaints about a story should be sent to piscatores@gmail.com with the headline, date, and the specific passage at issue. The editor-in-chief and the faculty adviser will review the complaint and respond within a reasonable period. The board’s decision may be appealed to the adviser.
Data privacy
Personal information collected through submission and contact forms is handled under the data privacy notice.