Last updated: 16 September 2026
This policy governs everything published by The Lahore Tribune. It is public so that readers can hold us to it.
1. Accuracy
We publish what we can verify. Every factual claim in a story should be traceable to a document, a named source, a direct observation by our reporter, or a named institution.
Where a claim is contested, we say who is making it and who disputes it. We do not present one party’s account as settled fact because it was easier to obtain.
Where we are uncertain, we say so in the story. “We were unable to confirm” is a legitimate sentence and we use it.
2. Sourcing
Named sources are the default. A named source can be held accountable for what they said; an anonymous one cannot.
Anonymity is granted only when all three apply:
- the information is of clear public interest,
- it cannot reasonably be obtained on the record, and
- the source faces a credible risk — legal, professional or physical — from being identified.
Requests for anonymity are approved by an editor, not by the reporter alone. When we grant it, we tell readers why: “a senior official at the department, who asked not to be named because they are not authorised to speak publicly.”
We do not grant anonymity for attacks on named individuals. If a source will not put their name to a criticism, we do not publish it as a quote.
Single-source stories. Significant allegations require corroboration — a second independent source, or a document. We do not publish a serious claim on one person’s word.
3. Verification
Before publication we check:
- Documents, for authenticity and provenance
- Images and video, for origin and date, including reverse image search
- Statistics, against the original dataset rather than a secondary report
- Quotes, against a recording or contemporaneous note
- Names, titles and spellings, with the person or institution concerned
Material circulating on WhatsApp, Facebook or X is treated as a lead, never as a source. We do not republish viral claims without independently establishing them.
4. Right of reply
Anyone criticised or accused in our reporting is contacted before publication and given a reasonable opportunity to respond. What counts as reasonable depends on the story, but it is never zero.
If they decline to comment, we say so. If we could not reach them, we say what we tried.
5. News and comment are separate
News reporting and opinion are separated and labelled. Opinion pieces carry the author’s name and, where relevant, their affiliation.
Sponsored or paid content is labelled clearly at the top of the page. It is never written by our newsroom staff and never presented in a way that could be mistaken for reporting. See Advertise With Us.
6. Conflicts of interest
Staff declare any financial, political, family or commercial interest that touches on what they cover. Where a conflict exists, the reporter is taken off the story.
Staff do not accept payment, gifts of material value, or paid travel from people or organisations they report on. Where an event is attended on an organiser’s invitation, this is disclosed in the story.
Advertisers receive no favourable treatment in our reporting, and no advance notice of stories that concern them.
7. Images
Photographs are credited. We do not alter the content of a news photograph beyond standard adjustments to exposure, contrast and cropping that do not change what the image shows.
Illustrations, reconstructions and file photographs are labelled as such. We do not use a file image in a way that implies it shows the event being reported.
8. Use of AI tools
We may use AI tools for transcription, translation, research assistance and copy-editing. We do not publish AI-generated reporting.
Any article substantially produced with AI assistance is disclosed. AI-generated or AI-altered images are labelled. A human editor is responsible for everything we publish, and AI output is verified before use like any other unverified claim.
9. Corrections
We correct errors promptly and visibly. See Corrections for the full process.
10. Reader complaints
Complaints about breaches of this policy go to editor@thelahoretribune.com. We aim to respond within five working days.
11. Independence
Editorial decisions are made by the newsroom. Our owners and advertisers do not determine what we cover or how we cover it.