Standards
Editorial standards
The journal is only as useful as the reader’s ability to trust a sentence. These are the rules we use when a sentence is in doubt.
Purpose
We publish independent long-form journalism about brand practice in Australia. The reader should be able to tell a reported fact from an argument, an argument from a recitation of a client story, and a guest essay from a paid placement.
Accuracy
Public claims about companies, regulators and campaigns are checked against primary sources where they exist: ASIC and ASX filings, ACCC and court documents, annual reports, published creative, and on-the-record interviews. Where we are working from experience in a room, we say so. We do not invent quotes. We do not launder a rumour as “industry sources say” if we cannot describe the source class.
Fairness
If a piece makes a specific adverse claim about a named organisation that is not already on the public record, we offer a chance to respond before publication when time allows. We do not ambush junior staff. We do not pretend a holding-company strategy is the personal failing of a designer.
Corrections
Material errors are corrected on the page, with a dated note describing what changed. If you see one, write to the desk. We do not silently rewrite history to spare embarrassment.
Conflicts and independence
Editors and contributors declare relevant clients, employers, shareholdings and family ties. A writer does not review a brand they are paid to keep. Where a conflict is relevant and the piece still deserves to run, the conflict is disclosed at the top.
Sponsored work
Paid essays and paid links are labelled. Paid or guest-post links use rel="sponsored". We do not sell the appearance of a staff essay. See write for us.
Language and AI
We write in Australian English. Generative tools may be used for research notes or to stress-test a structure. They are not an author. A human editor is responsible for every published sentence.
Sources we will not hide behind
“Best practice”, “world-class”, “purpose-led” and “the journey” are not sources. If a claim cannot survive contact with a store, a call centre or a regulator, it does not belong in the journal.
Related pages: about, privacy, image credits.