Editorial Guidelines and Publication Policy

Introduction

This guide is Athar's official reference for editorial principles and publication policy. It sets out the professional and ethical standards that govern the production and publication of journalistic content across all of the platform's channels.

The guide exists to unify editorial methodology and ensure adherence to the highest standards of accuracy, independence, integrity, transparency and fairness – strengthening public trust in the content Athar produces and serving the public interest.

Athar is committed to evidence-based journalism grounded in documents, verified data and reliable sources. The platform upholds the value of truth and recognises the public's right to accurate, balanced information, while respecting human rights, the rule of law and the ethics of the profession.

These guidelines apply to every piece of journalistic content the platform produces – investigative reports, in-depth features, analyses, data journalism and multimedia – and are binding on all staff and collaborators at every stage of the editorial process: from pitching ideas, gathering and verifying information, through editing and review, to publication, updates and corrections.

Vision

• To produce independent, in-depth journalism that explains what is happening, reveals what matters to the public, and advances transparency, accountability and the public good.

Mission

To deliver verified journalistic content built on evidence, data, field investigation and balanced analysis, with full commitment to independence, integrity and respect for human dignity.

General editorial principles

The following principles underpin every editorial decision at Athar. They guide the production of journalistic content at every stage, ensuring professional and ethical standards are met and public trust in published material is maintained.

• Truth and accuracy

Athar is committed to pursuing the truth and publishing accurate, documented information. All facts, data, figures, names and quotations are verified before publication. The platform relies on independent verification wherever possible and prioritises accuracy over speed when the two conflict. Errors are corrected transparently and promptly under the platform's corrections policy. Athar does not publish information that is unconfirmed, misleading, or taken out of context in a way that distorts the facts or misleads the public.

• Editorial independence

Athar maintains full editorial independence. Editorial decisions are made free from any political, economic, commercial, ideological or personal pressure or interest. No funder, advertiser, partner or interested party may influence the choice of topics, their content, the timing of publication or editorial conclusions.

• Integrity and professional responsibility

All staff and collaborators uphold the highest standards of integrity, honesty and professional trust. Fabricating facts, forging evidence, misrepresenting statements, withholding material information or using unlawful means to obtain information are prohibited – except in exceptional circumstances justified by the public interest and subject to editorial and legal safeguards.

• Public interest

The public interest is central to Athar's editorial mission. Priority goes to topics that promote transparency and accountability, uncover facts, enrich public debate and give the audience access to reliable information that helps them understand issues and make informed decisions. The platform balances the public's right to know with respect for privacy and human dignity.

• Respect for human rights

Athar upholds human-rights principles at every stage of the journalistic process. Coverage is fair and reflects diversity and difference. The platform does not publish content that discriminates or incites hatred, violence, stigmatisation or exclusion, and it pays particular attention to the rights of groups most vulnerable to abuse or marginalisation.

Professional and ethical commitment

• Athar applies the following standards to all journalistic content it produces or publishes:
• Accuracy and reliability take priority over speed of publication.
• The platform draws on diverse, reliable and independent sources, making every effort to cross-check information with more than one source wherever possible.
• News, analysis, opinion and commentary are clearly distinguished from one another so that opinion is never confused with fact.
• Editorial content is kept strictly separate from advertising or sponsored material, safeguarding editorial independence.
• Any potential conflict of interest is disclosed and appropriate steps are taken to preserve impartiality and independence.

Individual privacy and dignity are respected. Personal information is not published unless required by the public interest and in accordance with professional and legal standards.

• Unverified information, rumours and claims lacking sufficient evidence are neither published nor republished.
• Language is precise, clear and professional – free from exaggeration, sensationalism, bias or prejudgement.
• All relevant parties and perspectives are represented fairly and in a balanced way, with the right of reply observed whenever the nature of the material requires it.
• Sources and editorial angles are chosen with diversity and inclusion in mind, reflecting the plurality of society and avoiding the exclusion or marginalisation of any group.

Journalistic ethics are upheld at every stage of preparing a piece – from gathering and verifying information through editing, review, publication and subsequent updates.

Gender and women's issues

Athar adopts a gender-sensitive editorial approach that recognises differences in the experiences, opportunities and challenges facing women, men and other groups. Women are represented as active participants in public life – not as secondary or exceptional subjects of coverage.

The platform recognises that women's issues are not marginal; they are integral to questions of society, economics, politics, education, health, employment, justice, security and rights. Accordingly, Athar commits to the following:

• Fair and balanced representation

Women are actively sought out as sources, experts, commentators, witnesses and actors across all coverage areas – not only in stories specifically about women.

• Portraying women in stereotypical, marginal or merely emotional roles is avoided.

Diversity within women's issues is reflected, including differences related to age, disability, geography, economic status, social background and culture.

• Language and terminology
• Language is professional and respectful – free from belittling, objectifying, stigmatising or generalising about women.
• Descriptions that blame victims for what happened to them, or that justify or minimise violence, are avoided.

Precise legal and social terminology is used when covering gender-based violence, harassment, discrimination, early marriage, denial of rights, and discrimination in employment, education or healthcare.

• Sensitive coverage of gender-based violence
• Cases of violence against women and girls are handled with the utmost sensitivity, confidentiality and responsibility.

Details that could reveal a victim's identity or put her at risk are not published unless there is a clear editorial necessity and an overriding public interest, and only after appropriate precautions have been taken.

• Questions or phrasing that re-traumatise a victim or place her under suspicion are avoided.
• Photographs or visual material that could identify, expose or stigmatise victims are not published.
• The fact that some victims face additional risks from family, community, authorities or economic dependence is taken into account.
• Privacy and safety

The right of women and girls to privacy is respected, particularly in cases involving domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, blackmail, discrimination, reproductive health and personal identity.

• Unnecessary identifying information is not disclosed.

Clear, informed consent is obtained before conducting interviews or using testimony, photographs or recordings. The possibility that consent may be affected by fear, pressure or a power imbalance is always considered.

• Potential risks to women sources are assessed before publication, and protective measures are taken as needed.
• Avoiding stereotypes
• Stereotypes linking women solely to weakness, emotion, dependence, beauty or domestic roles are not reproduced.
• Headlines, images and phrasing that reinforce discrimination or diminish women are avoided.
• Women's issues are not treated as material for sensationalism, emotional consumption or entertainment.
• Women as sources and experts

There is a systematic effort to draw on women experts and spokespersons across all subject areas, including politics, economics, law, security, technology and science.

• Male-only sourcing on matters of general public concern is not acceptable.
• An internal database of women sources and experts is maintained to widen representation and improve balance in coverage.
• Data and research
• Gender-disaggregated data is collected wherever possible and relevant.
• Statistics and studies that reveal gaps between women and men in rights, opportunities and outcomes are used.
• Limitations in the data – whether incomplete, not disaggregated, or methodologically biased – are disclosed.
• Coverage in conflict, disaster and crisis
• Women and girls may face compounded risks in conflict, disaster, displacement, poverty and health crises – this is reflected in coverage.
• Women are not reduced to the role of victim; their resilience, initiative, leadership and community participation are also shown.
• Coverage that could endanger survivors, witnesses or humanitarian workers is avoided.

Topic selection criteria

• Athar gives priority to topics that:
• Serve the public interest.
• Expose wrongdoing, corruption or abuse of power.
• Address human-rights issues.
• Are grounded in data and documents.
• Offer explanatory or investigative value.
• Directly affect people's lives.
• Reveal discrimination or inequality, including gender-based discrimination.

Content types

• Published material includes:
• Investigative reports.
• In-depth features.
• Analyses.
• Monitoring.
• Data journalism.
• Human-interest stories.
• Explainers.
• Interviews.
• Special dossiers.
• Multimedia.

Fact-checking

• No information is published before:
• Its accuracy has been verified.
• It has been cross-checked against more than one independent source wherever possible.
• Original documents have been reviewed where available.
• The authenticity of photographs and video has been confirmed.
• Date, location and context have been verified.
• All verification steps have been documented in the story file.
• Where full verification is not possible, that fact is disclosed clearly to the reader.

Sources

• Athar draws on:
• Official documents.
• Government data.
• Public records.
• Academic studies.
• Subject-matter experts.
• First-hand testimony.
• Confidential sources when necessary.
• The platform follows these principles when working with sources:
• Source diversity

Athar seeks to diversify its sources and avoids relying on a single source for substantive matters. Primary sources are preferred wherever available – original documents, public records, court rulings, direct statements, official data and field interviews.

• Credibility assessment

Every piece of information is evaluated against the reliability of its source, the source's direct knowledge of the facts, possible motives, track record of providing information and the extent to which the claims can be verified through other sources.

• Use of anonymous sources

An anonymous source may only be used under strict conditions and with the approval of the editorial leadership, after confirming that the information is clearly in the public interest and that obtaining it from an on-the-record source is either not possible or would expose the source or others to genuine risk or obstruct the truth.

• The following conditions must be met before an anonymous source is used:
• The information must have clear journalistic value and public-interest relevance.
• The source must have direct knowledge of the facts or documents in question.
• The source's identity must be reviewed internally by the editorial board, even if it is not disclosed to the reader.
• The source's motives and potential for bias or deception must be assessed.
• The information should be corroborated, wherever possible, by a second independent source, a document, or physical evidence.

An anonymous source alone must not be used to level serious accusations or make claims that affect reputation or rights unless strong evidence and thorough editorial and legal review support them.

• Anonymous sources may not be used in stories that can be completed with on-the-record sources or available documents.
• Where appropriate, the reader is told why the source's identity is withheld, in general terms that do not compromise the source's protection.
• Degrees of attribution

When an anonymous source is used, attribution must be precise and not misleading – for example: "an informed source said," "a former official who asked not to be named said," or "according to a source involved in the case" – while avoiding vague language that implies unwarranted reliability.

• Prohibition on misuse of anonymous sources

Anonymous sources must not be used to spread rumours, settle scores, pass on propaganda, conceal weak verification or lend false credibility to incomplete material.

• Internal documentation

The editorial board documents the identity of every anonymous source internally, along with the reason for non-disclosure, a credibility assessment and the person who authorised its use – for internal review and accountability purposes.

Source protection

The platform is committed to protecting confidential sources. A source's identity is not disclosed without their consent, or unless legally compelled after all available legal remedies have been exhausted.

• Appropriate technical measures are taken to protect communications, data and documents.
• Athar also commits to:
• Not sharing any identifying information about a source beyond those on the editorial team who strictly need to know.
• Using secure communication channels when dealing with sensitive sources.
• Storing source-related documents and data in protected, access-restricted environments.
• Not retaining identifying data beyond the point at which there is no further editorial need for it.
• Informing sources, wherever possible, of the potential risks associated with communication or publication.

Journalist safety and source protection

The safety of journalists, staff and collaborators – as well as that of sources – is among Athar's highest editorial priorities. The platform holds that obtaining information never justifies exposing anyone to physical, psychological, legal or digital harm, and that protecting people takes precedence over any story or scoop.

No journalist or source will be asked to take any action that carries unjustified risk. A journalist has the right to decline an assignment, end an interview, or suspend contact with a source if they judge that continuing would threaten their own safety, the safety of the source, or the safety of anyone else.

When working with anonymous or sensitive sources, Athar assesses potential risks before gathering or publishing information and takes appropriate steps to mitigate them. These steps may include choosing secure communication channels, minimising the circulation of identifying data, and delaying or withholding certain details where publication could reveal a source's identity or expose a journalist or source to retaliation, prosecution or harm.

The safety of a journalist, source or collaborator must never be sacrificed for a story, regardless of its journalistic importance. Where editorial interest conflicts with safety considerations, safety prevails. The editorial decision taken must reduce risk to the lowest possible level.

Article Thirteen: Interview ethics

• Journalists must:
• Identify themselves and their role.
• Explain the purpose of the interview.
• Refrain from deception or misrepresentation.
• Respect the interviewee's right of reply.
• Not take quotations out of context in a way that alters their meaning.
• Journalists must also:
• Obtain clear consent before recording interviews where required.
• Not pressure an interviewee into making statements against their will.
• Respect the interviewee's right to decline specific questions – unless there is a clear public interest that justifies professional insistence.
• Not use interviews or quotations out of context in a way that distorts the meaning or misleads the reader.

Article Thirteen: Language and writing style

• Athar's standards include:
• Correct, formal Arabic.
• Clear, direct language.
• Accurate, non-misleading headlines.
• Avoidance of exaggeration and sensationalism.
• Adherence to spelling, grammar and punctuation rules.
• Precise and consistent terminology.
• The platform also commits to:
• Simplifying language without sacrificing accuracy.
• Avoiding prejudgement and unjustified emotive language.
• Using legal and technical terms in their correct sense.
• Standardising the spelling of names, places and terms within each piece.
• Using gender-sensitive language and avoiding phrasing that excludes women, reinforces discrimination or reproduces stereotypes.

Article Fourteen: Images and media

• Visual content must meet the following standards:
• Only original or licensed images are used.
• Images are not manipulated in ways that alter reality.
• Image sources are credited.
• Victims' privacy is respected.
• Graphic images are not published unless editorially necessary, and a clear warning is provided.
• Athar also commits to:
• Not using photographs or video out of context.
• Verifying the authenticity of visual material before publication.
• Disclosing whether an image is archival, illustrative or digitally generated.
• Not publishing visual material that could endanger individuals without clear editorial justification.
• Respecting intellectual-property rights when using graphics, maps and infographics.

Images and visual material that objectify women, reproduce demeaning stereotypes or reveal the identity of victims of gender-based violence are not used.

Article Fifteen: Artificial-intelligence policy

Athar holds that journalistic work is a fully human responsibility at every stage – from choosing the story and gathering information, through verification, analysis and editing, to review and publication. While AI tools offer technical capabilities, they cannot verify facts, evaluate context or exercise editorial judgement. They must not, therefore, be relied on to produce journalistic content.

• General principle

Athar does not accept any journalistic material that has been substantially prepared or written by AI. All published content must be produced by a human journalist or editor, with information gathered, verified, analysed and written in accordance with Athar's editorial standards.

AI tools may be used for certain supporting technical or linguistic tasks, provided they do not replace human editorial work, compromise the originality, independence or accuracy of the content, and that the text undergoes full human review before publication in every case.

• Permitted uses
• AI tools may be used only as technical aids for non-editorial tasks, including:
• Transcribing interviews and audio recordings, with the output reviewed against the original recording.
• Producing initial translations of texts and documents, provided these are fully reviewed by a human before use.
• Assisting with spelling, grammar or formatting corrections.
• Organising files, tables or datasets – without analysing them or drawing conclusions.
• Organising ideas or administrative tasks that do not result in journalistic content.
• Prohibited uses
• AI tools must not be used to:
• Write news, reports, investigations, analyses, articles or any journalistic material intended for publication.
• Generate information, facts, figures, statistics, conclusions or analyses.
• Fabricate or rephrase quotations attributed to individuals or organisations.
• Create sources, references or documents, or attribute information to entities that did not produce it.
• Summarise documents, investigations or studies for use as the basis of published content without thorough review of the original.
• Make editorial decisions or suggest journalistic conclusions.

Producing images, audio or video recordings, or synthetic documents that appear genuine without disclosure – or using them in any way that could mislead the public – is also prohibited.

• Verification

AI output is not a source of information. It must not be cited as evidence, a reference, or journalistic support.

Athar verifies all information from its original sources – official documents, public records, databases, academic studies, direct interviews and documented testimony. No information produced by AI is accepted unless independently confirmed through reliable sources.

• Editorial responsibility

Full responsibility for the accuracy of information, the soundness of facts, the validity of analysis and compliance with professional and ethical standards lies with the journalist, editor and editorial board. The use of AI tools may not be invoked to justify any professional, legal or ethical error.

• Data protection

Entering unpublished documents, confidential information, personal data, or identifying information about sources or ongoing investigations into any public or non-approved AI tool is prohibited. This safeguards the confidentiality of information, the security of sources, and the integrity of the journalistic process.

• Compliance: adherence to this policy is part of the obligation to uphold Athar's editorial standards. Any team member who violates it or relies on AI tools to produce journalistic content for publication in contravention of this guide may be held accountable.

Article Sixteen: Corrections and updates

Athar is committed to accuracy, transparency and accountability, and acknowledges that professional errors can occur. Handling them responsibly and promptly is a core part of journalistic integrity and public trust. The platform corrects any confirmed error under the following rules:

• Errors are corrected as soon as they are verified, without unjustified delay.
• Corrections are made clearly and transparently, so that the reader is not misled and the existence of the error is not concealed.
• Published material is not deleted or altered to hide errors, unless required by substantial legal, ethical or security reasons, or where continued publication would cause serious harm that a correction alone cannot remedy.
• An internal log of all corrections and substantive amendments is maintained for documentation and institutional review.

Types of corrections

• Athar recognises three levels of correction:
• Minor editorial amendments

These cover spelling, grammatical, formatting or similar errors that do not affect meaning or facts. They may be corrected without issuing a separate notice.

• Substantive corrections

These involve errors in facts, names, figures, dates, quotations or other information that could affect the reader's understanding of the piece or its conclusions. In such cases the information is corrected and a clear note states that the piece has been corrected, specifying the nature of the error and the correction.

• Updates

Where new information or developments emerge after publication, the piece is updated accordingly. The date of the update is noted where appropriate. An update is not presented as a correction if there was no error in the original version.

• Correction procedure:
• All reports or queries about errors are reviewed by the editorial board.
• The claim is verified before any amendment is made.
• Where an error is confirmed, the correction is carried out as soon as possible on the website and relevant digital platforms.
• Where an error was published on social media, the information is corrected on the platform where it appeared, where possible.
• Internal review:

Athar regularly reviews and analyses the causes of substantive errors and takes the steps needed to improve editing, verification and review processes – reducing recurrence and strengthening the quality of journalistic content.

Article Seventeen: Prohibited content

• Athar does not publish:
• False or unverified news.
• Hate speech.
• Incitement to violence.
• Discrimination in any form.
• Violations of privacy without a clear public interest.
• Promotional material disguised as journalism.
• Material that infringes intellectual-property rights.
• Athar also refrains from publishing:
• Defamation unsupported by evidence.
• Rumours, or the recycling of rumours.
• Exploitative or degrading use of human tragedy.
• Material that could endanger individuals or sources without clear editorial necessity.
• Content that reinforces gender-based discrimination, justifies violence against women or diminishes victims.

Article Eighteen: Comments and user-generated content

Athar welcomes responsible discussion. Comments containing abuse, defamation, incitement to hatred or violence, personal information, or content that violates the law are removed or withheld.

• The platform reserves the right to:
• Review comments before or after publication, depending on the platform and its capabilities.
• Remove any content that compromises public safety, threatens individuals, or violates privacy.
• Ban users who repeatedly commit serious violations.
• Prevent the use of interactive spaces for propaganda, disinformation or abuse.
• Remove any comment involving harassment, discrimination, or abuse based on gender, identity, background or any protected characteristic.

Article Twenty-One: Intellectual-property rights

All published material is protected by intellectual-property rights and may not be republished or used except under the terms set by Athar or with prior permission. Content must be attributed to its source.

• Athar also respects the rights of others when using:
• Texts.
• Photographs.
• Video.
• Graphics and charts.
• Data.
• Audio recordings.
• Any other legally protected material.

Article Nineteen: Pre-publication review

• Every editorial piece passes through the following stages:
• Story approval.
• Information gathering.
• Source verification.
• First edit.
• Fact-check.
• Legal review where necessary.
• Copy-editing.
• Final review.
• Publication.
• Follow-up and updates.

The editorial board ensures that each stage is documented to the appropriate degree, especially for sensitive, investigative or data-heavy pieces, those relying on anonymous sources, and stories involving women or other groups at heightened risk.

Article Twenty: Compliance

This guide is binding on all staff and collaborators. It may be reviewed and updated periodically to keep pace with professional, technical and legislative developments. Any amendments are approved by the editorial leadership and communicated to the team.

Last updated: August 2026

Version: 1.0

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