Editorial Standards

Morning Record publishes clinical audits of Canadian news coverage. These editorial standards govern how audits are selected, written, reviewed, corrected, and archived. They exist to ensure that Morning Record operates as a factual journal of record rather than an opinion or advocacy platform.

These standards apply to all content published on MorningRecord.com.

1. Editorial Purpose

Morning Record exists to establish a shared factual baseline for the Canadian general public.

Our work focuses on forensic analysis of public information, including legislation, fiscal reports, government data releases, and official transcripts. We do not seek to persuade readers toward a political position. Our role is to document what occurred, what was claimed, and what the underlying data shows.

2. Independence & Non-Advocacy

Morning Record is editorially independent.

• We do not endorse political parties, candidates, or advocacy campaigns.
• We do not publish sponsored content, paid audits, or advertorials.
• Financial considerations do not influence topic selection, framing, or conclusions.
• Contributors are prohibited from writing audits where they hold a direct financial or political conflict of interest.

3. Sourcing & Verification

All factual claims must be verifiable.

• Primary sources are required for all core findings (e.g. Hansard, Statistics Canada, federal or provincial budgets, legislation, court records, official financial statements).
• Secondary reporting may be cited only when it clearly links to a primary source.
• Anonymous sources are not used.
• Fiscal figures must be traceable to original documents and reproducible by the reader.

Links to sources are provided wherever possible.

4. Language, Tone & Structure

Morning Record uses a clinical writing standard.

• Headlines describe findings, not outcomes.
• Emotive language, speculation, rhetorical framing, and moral judgment are avoided.
• No attribution of intent unless explicitly documented in source material.
• Numerical claims are presented with context, assumptions, and limitations.

Where calculations are required, they are shown transparently within the article.

5. Review Process

All articles undergo a structured review prior to publication.

This includes:

• Source verification
• Numerical validation
• Language and tone review
• Consistency with editorial standards

Corrections are treated as part of the publication record, not as failures.

6. Corrections & Accountability

Accuracy is prioritized over speed.

• Material errors are corrected promptly.
• Corrections are noted at the top of the relevant article with a timestamp.
• A public log of corrections is maintained on the Corrections page.
• Readers may submit potential errors through the Contact page.

Content is never silently altered to remove mistakes.

7. Archival Integrity

Published articles form a permanent public ledger.

• Historical content is preserved.
• Updates are clearly labeled and dated.
• Original findings remain accessible for reference and review.

8. Scope & Limitations

Morning Record reports on verifiable facts and documented outcomes.
We do not publish opinion columns, editorials, or anonymous commentary.

Interpretation is limited to what can be demonstrated through data, records, and source material.

Effective Date: December 2025