Ethics & Professional Standards Guidelines
ElectionAnalyst.com
Last updated: 05.05.2025
At ElectionAnalyst.com, we recognise that our role in covering elections, democratic institutions, and political affairs demands the highest standards of ethical conduct, independence, and public accountability.
These guidelines reflect our commitment to truth, fairness, impartiality, and public service journalism, and apply to all editors, contributors, researchers, and analysts operating under the ElectionAnalyst.com brand.
1. Core Ethical Principles
We uphold the following core values:
Accuracy – All content must be factual, verifiable, and clearly distinguished from opinion.
Independence – We are free from political affiliation, lobbying influence, and state interference.
Transparency – Sources, data sets, and funding relationships must be disclosed wherever relevant.
Integrity – No publishing under false identities, and no intentional misrepresentation of facts.
Civic Duty – Our purpose is to strengthen informed participation, not to influence electoral outcomes.
2. Standards for Reporting and Analysis
A. Fact-Checking and Verification
All facts, claims, statistics, and references must be verified using primary or reputable secondary sources.
Anonymous or confidential sources must be clearly justified and protected.
Quotes must be used in full context and accurately reflect the speaker’s intent.
B. Balance and Fairness
Political actors and institutions should be represented fairly.
Opposing viewpoints should be given reasonable space, especially in opinion or analysis pieces.
No party or candidate shall receive disproportionate or paid editorial coverage.
C. Correction and Accountability
Mistakes must be acknowledged and corrected promptly as outlined in our Corrections Policy.
Contributors must cooperate fully in resolving disputes regarding accuracy, misquotation, or bias.
3. Editorial Independence
ElectionAnalyst.com is editorially independent from:
Governments and public institutions
Political parties or candidates
Commercial advertisers or donors
Editorial decisions are made by our internal editorial board and are never influenced by external funding or pressure.
4. Legal & Ethical Compliance
We follow legal and ethical obligations consistent with international human rights law, including:
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (freedom of opinion and expression)
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
Best practices from the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), UNESCO, and Council of Europe press freedom standards
We reject the application of foreign or domestic laws that attempt to restrict free expression, legitimate political criticism, or the right to publish electoral data.
5. Protection of Contributors and Sources
Contributors working under political risk or in authoritarian environments may publish under pseudonyms.
Whistleblowers, election observers, and informants will be protected under strict source confidentiality protocols.
No contributor will be disciplined for publishing truthful analysis or verified evidence, even if it causes political offence.
6. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
All contributors and editors must:
Declare any affiliations or financial interests that could affect their editorial neutrality
Avoid assignments where a personal or financial conflict may be perceived
Abstain from promoting parties, candidates, or policies in exchange for payment or favour
7. Professional Conduct & Respect
Discrimination, hate speech, and defamation will not be tolerated
Editorial debates should be civil, respectful, and grounded in reason
We actively promote gender equity, diversity of opinion, and inclusion in coverage
8. Data Ethics & Visual Accuracy
Election data must be sourced, timestamped, and cited.
Graphs, maps, and statistics must not be visually misleading.
AI-assisted content must be transparently labelled and editorially reviewed.
9. Public Engagement and Complaints
Readers, election observers, or public officials may raise concerns by contacting:
???? editor@electionanalyst.com
We aim to respond to all formal queries or ethics complaints within 5 working days.
10. Final Statement
“Our highest allegiance is to democratic truth — not power, partisanship, or fear.”
— Editorial Board, ElectionAnalyst.com
By following these guidelines, we affirm our role as an independent, ethical voice in global election reporting — serving the public interest above all else.
