Editorial Guidelines

At INsauga INC., we are committed to serving cities and towns in southern Ontario with trustworthy, unbiased, and comprehensive information. Our journalistic endeavours are rooted in a dedication to truth, accountability, respect for human rights, and the democratic values that support a free press. This code serves as a guiding framework to ensure that every team member meets the highest ethical and professional standards. 

Our journalists are careful to capture news about crime, municipal politics, transit, traffic, real estate, food, entertainment and more and present it to our readers in the form of accurate, fair and balanced stories.

Our journalists must report information accurately, thoroughly, and fairly, with a commitment to truth in every story. All facts are verified through reliable sources, and any errors are promptly and transparently corrected. 

We make every effort to ensure our information is accurate by contacting the appropriate parties and individuals to confirm any tips or other information we receive from various sources. If we receive information about an individual or organization that is accusatory or unflattering, we give the other party ample time (typically no less than 24 hours) to respond. If a party releases a public statement defending themselves, we will include the statement in our reporting.

We keep all interview notes and recordings to refer to said materials if a quote or statement is disputed. We will not share our notes or recordings publicly unless extraordinary circumstances compel us to, but notes and recordings will not be deleted or destroyed post-publication.

Our stories are presented with balanced perspectives and avoid selective reporting that might mislead or misrepresent the truth. 

INsauga INC. operates independently of external political, corporate, or individual influences that may compromise journalistic integrity. Our journalists must avoid any activities or relationships that may compromise their impartiality. Financial, personal, or familial interests that might affect reporting must be disclosed to management. 

Although we strive to rely almost exclusively on our own reporting, we are careful to properly credit other news organizations when we refer to their reporting in a story.

Generally speaking, we do not unpublish or remove articles from our website except for some stories about missing people who have been found. In some cases, we might remove a story if details in the article threaten public safety or an individual’s safety. We can edit stories after publication if new details emerge or a court order is issued, and we will be transparent about the edits that have been made.

We reserve the right to not publish the names of individuals accused of petty or non-violent crimes. When writing about suspects, we might include names and photos if such information is published by police. We will not publish the name or photo of any individual protected by a publication ban. Readers should also note that in Canada, police generally do not provide mugshots or other photos of suspects to the media if such suspects are not at large and we will generally not seek out photos of such individuals ourselves.

Readers should also note that media in Canada is not permitted to share the names or photos of underage suspects. We respect and abide by this law and will not seek out such information on our own to share with readers.

We respect everyone’s right to a fair trial and will not declare or insinuate guilt in any crime reporting prior to a formal conviction.

All our reporting must adhere to Canadian and Ontario law, including libel and privacy laws. Journalists are expected to understand and operate within these boundaries, seeking legal counsel when necessary. 

If a person or organization is accused of something illegal or otherwise untoward, we will give that person or organization a chance to respond. If they respond publicly, we will include their statement—which may be edited for length or clarity—in our reporting.

We will not refer to a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, skin colour or physical ability unless it is absolutely necessary or germane to the story. In representing Ontario’s diverse population, our journalists strive for inclusive, respectful reporting that reflects all communities without bias or stereotyping. 

Our journalists avoid language or imagery that may perpetuate hate, discrimination, or prejudice against any group or individual based on race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, religion, or other personal characteristics. 

We sometimes interview people under the age of 18, typically for stories centred around education or extraordinary achievements in academics, music, sports, or other subjects. When covering sensitive subjects involving children or teens (such as crime stories), we are careful not to include any identifying information not supplied by police or the child’s parents/legal guardians.

If the information in an article is sensitive, we believe the family of the child or teen should be contacted prior to an interview.

We will not publish social media posts or videos we believe will be harmful to a child, teen or vulnerable person of any age (such as someone experiencing a mental health or other medical emergency).

While we do publish photos and videos of crime scenes and traffic collisions, we will not show an image of an injured or deceased person unless the circumstances are extraordinary.

While we do pay for some photo and video content on a case-by-case basis, we do not pay for information and will not provide any payment for tips, forwarded documents or interviews.

Our journalists respect the privacy of individuals and avoid unwarranted intrusion. Extra care is taken in stories involving children, victims of crime, and other vulnerable individuals. While public figures are subject to a higher level of scrutiny, our journalists differentiate between relevant public interest and matters that do not affect the public. 

We do not write voyeuristic or exploitative stories about people involved in high-profile crimes or scandals (as either victims or accusers). We do not send reporters to private households to conduct “ambush” interviews.

We will use publicly available posts on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc) in our reporting and we generally do not ask permission before embedding or quoting a publicly available post in our articles. We will not post any posts or videos that we believe to be exploitative and we will not use underhanded tactics to gain access to private postings that members of the public are not privy to.

When we are covering events or reaching out for interviews, we identify ourselves as journalists working on a story for INsauga.com. When we conduct restaurant or Top 5 reviews, we do not because we want to ensure we do not receive any special treatment that could bias our review from management or staff.

While we try to avoid using anonymous sources, we will use them if the story requires the person’s participation and we have evidence revealing our source’s name could be harmful.

If a source wishes to be kept anonymous, we must still corroborate their claims with the person or organization they have brought to our attention. We will not publish any articles based on rumours, hearsay or conjecture.

At INSauga Inc., we are committed to the values of transparency, integrity, respect, and public service that are foundational to high-quality journalism in Ontario. Every employee at INsauga Inc. is expected to uphold these values, ensuring that our work contributes positively to public knowledge and civic engagement.

In order to ensure our reporting is neutral, unbiased and fair, we do not permit overlap between our advertising and editorial departments. Sponsored posts (i.e. posts paid for by advertisers) are clearly marked as such and are not subject to review by senior or managing editors.

Sponsorship does not influence editorial decisions and we do not provide biased editorial coverage to advertisers or clients.

We do not accept payment for our coverage or reviews of festivals, concerts, events or restaurants. That said, we are often invited to attend festivals, concerts and other events free of charge. Sometimes, complimentary food and beverage will be provided at such events. While we may decide to accept complimentary passes and tickets on a case-by-case basis, we will not accept payment for the final article or review.

We do not show our completed reports to sources (including those in government or policing) before they are published. Any request to see or review a completed article prior to publication will be promptly denied. That said, we may show sources their direct quotes in the interest of fact-checking.

Occasionally, our staff writers and editors will pen opinion pieces. These are clearly marked as opinion pieces and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other people employed by insauga.com.