Editorial Standards

Tech Icons’ editorial standards codify our commitment to independence, accuracy, transparency, and accountability. These standards apply to all editorial content and govern how we source, review, publish, and correct information.

For corrections, questions, or submissions, please contact [email protected] or please reach out here.

Last updated: September 2025

Next review: December 2025

Editorial Charter

Tech Icons is an independent business-technology publication headquartered in London. Our mission is to explain how strategy, influence, and capital reshape technology markets through rigorous, unbiased journalism.

Core Principles:

  • Independence: Editorial decisions are made free from commercial, political, or personal influence

  • Accuracy: We prioritize getting the story right over getting it first

  • Transparency: We disclose our methods, sources, and limitations to readers

  • Accountability: We take responsibility for errors and correct them prominently

  • Public Service: We serve readers’ need for reliable information over other considerations

We combine human reporting with analyst-grade research tools to deliver timely, accurate, and decision-useful journalism for senior operators, investors, and policymakers across global technology markets.

Governance & Editorial Council

  • Editor-in-Chief — Final editorial authority; standards enforcement; strategic oversight

    Contact: [email protected]

  • Managing Editor — Daily operations; story commissioning; workflow management

    Contact: [email protected]

  • Standards & Ethics Editor — Fact-checking oversight; corrections process; conflict resolution

    Contact: [email protected]

  • Editorial Council — Independent advisory body of 4–6 external experts (former editors, ethics specialists, media law practitioners, and analysts) reviewing coverage balance, accuracy, and AI usage.

    Contact: [email protected]

Escalation Process

  1. Standards & Ethics Editor (accuracy, fairness, sourcing disputes)

  2. Editor-in-Chief (unresolved ethical matters, legal concerns)

  3. Editorial Council (extraordinary cases requiring independent oversight)

Editorial Process & Quality Control

  1. Pitch & Commission — Ideas are assessed for news value, feasibility, and resources; market-sensitive work requires Editor-in-Chief approval.

  2. Research & Reporting — Primary documents and on-record sources prioritized; tools may support research but never replace human judgment.

  3. Editorial Review — Senior editor line-edit; two-stage fact-check; legal review for sensitive pieces.

  4. Pre-Publication — Final sign-off; metadata/SEO checks; disclosures (conflicts, AI, sponsorship).

  5. Post-Publication — Monitoring, reader feedback via [email protected], and ongoing fact-checks.

AI-Assisted Journalism

Permitted Uses: Research, preliminary analysis, structure/copy suggestions, transcription/translation, data visualizations.

Prohibited Uses: Publishing unreviewed AI output, synthetic quotes, automated editorial decisions, deanonymization, or processing confidential source data.

Disclosure Requirement: “This article utilized AI tools for research support and was independently reviewed and edited by Tech Icons staff prior to publication.”

Disclosure triggers:

  • AI-generated data analysis or visualizations
  • AI-assisted interview transcription (>500 words)
  • Substantive AI drafting support (>20% of content)
  • AI-powered research that identifies key sources

Sourcing & Verification

  • Two-source rule: Material facts require two independent sources unless supported by verifiable documents.

  • Anonymous sources: Allowed sparingly with public-interest justification and editor approval; anonymity reason disclosed to readers.

  • Citations: Direct links to filings, documents, and datasets wherever possible.

  • Corrections: Significant inaccuracies corrected prominently within 24 hours.

  • Source hierarchy: Primary documents → on-record interviews → background briefings → anonymous sources (editor-approved only)

Corrections & Clarifications

  • Silent updates: Typos, broken links, minor style.

  • Disclosed corrections: Factual errors, misleading context, significant omissions.

  • Major corrections: Market-moving inaccuracies, legal or safety-related errors.

 

Format: CORRECTION (21 Sept 2025, 14:30 GMT): An earlier version misstated [error]. Corrected to [fact].

Pre-correction versions are archived for 5 years.

Conflicts of Interest

  • Staff cannot hold positions in companies they cover.

  • No trading in actively covered companies (30-day blackout window).

  • Gifts/hospitality above £100 declined or donated.

  • Annual disclosure of financial interests >£1,000 to Standards & Ethics Editor.

  • Sponsored content is clearly labeled and produced separately.

Commercial Independence & Advertising

Privacy, Data Security & Source Protection

  • Full compliance with UK GDPR and ICO guidance.

  • Consent managed via IAB TCF v2.2 and a Google-certified CMP.

  • Secure channels for tips: SecureDrop, Signal, Proton Mail (see Contact page).

  • Encrypted storage, VPNs, and need-to-know access for sensitive data.

Visuals & Data Presentation

  • No manipulation beyond standard adjustments.

  • All visuals accurately captioned and licensed.

  • Stock photos clearly identified.

  • Charts must cite sources, units, timeframes, and methods, with uncertainties disclosed.

Sensitive Information

  • Market-sensitive stories assessed for timing, impact, and regulatory compliance.

  • Confidential sources protected with encrypted channels.

  • Personally identifiable information published only with strong public-interest justification.

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

  • Quarterly reviews: Coverage balance, source diversity, AI usage.

  • Annual transparency report: Error rate, corrections, council findings, reader trust survey results.

  • Monthly audits: Internal standards compliance reviews.

  • Quarterly reviews: Coverage balance, source diversity, AI usage, error rate analysis.

  • Annual transparency report: Error rate, corrections, council findings, reader trust survey results, response time metrics.

  • Monthly audits: Internal standards compliance reviews with Editorial Council oversight.

Contact & Reader Appeals

 

Response guarantees:

  • Initial response: 5 working days
  • Investigation completion: 10 working days
  • Escalation to Editor-in-Chief: 15 working days maximum
  • Editorial Council consultation: extraordinary circumstances only

 

Appeals process: complaint → Standards & Ethics Editor → Editor-in-Chief → Editorial Council (if unresolved).

Acknowledgments & External Standards

Tech Icons’ editorial and governance framework draws on globally recognized standards and regulatory guidelines, including:

 

These references reinforce Tech Icons’ commitment to independence, accuracy, transparency, and accountability in line with international best practices.