Editorial Policy

This page explains how Bullquill chooses, sources, writes, checks and corrects what it publishes. Bullquill is run by one editor, writing as Rowan Ashby. The editor is responsible for everything published on this site.

1. What we publish

We publish explainers, analysis and regular roundups (we aim for weekly). We do not rewrite other outlets' stories in bulk or publish quick summaries of other people's reporting. Each piece should add something to the record: context, a clear explanation, a comparison of data, or a judgment about what a change means.

Each article carries a label:

• News: what happened, stated as fact and sourced.
• Explainer: how something works, such as a policy, a regulation or a technology.
• Analysis: our interpretation of the facts. Analysis is labeled as such, and we keep it separate from the factual sections of an article. When a sentence is our interpretation, the article says so.
• Opinion: a clearly argued point of view. We publish opinion rarely, and it is always labeled.

2. Sourcing standards

• Primary sources first. Figures, dates, policy decisions and quotes come from the original document whenever possible: a central bank statement, a regulation, an official dataset, a court filing, a company's own announcement or filing. We link to it.
• Attribution for key claims. Claims that are central to an article, such as a rate decision, the effective date of a rule or a headline number, should be attributed to their source, and figures that sources disagree on are labeled as such.
• Other media. When we rely on another outlet's original reporting, we name and link it. We do not present someone else's reporting as our own.
• Dates on data. Financial and economic figures are marked with the date or period they refer to ("Data as of...").
• Quotes. Every quote comes from a published source we link to, reproduced word for word. We never paraphrase into quotation marks or "tidy up" a quote. Direct quotes from published sources are kept short and attributed.
• What we leave out. If we cannot verify something against a source we can open and read, we do not publish it as fact.
• Anonymous sources. As a solo publication, we generally do not rely on anonymous sources. If we ever do, we will explain why in the article.

3. Finance coverage

Finance is our main section and gets the strictest rules.

• No investment advice or recommendations. We do not tell readers to buy, sell, hold or use any specific stock, fund, crypto-asset, loan or other financial product. We do not publish stock picks, trading signals or price targets.
• No personal advice. We write for a general audience. We do not answer individual questions about personal finances or portfolios.
• No promises of returns. We do not use words like "guaranteed," "risk-free" or "sure thing," and we do not suggest that past performance will repeat.
• Balanced comparisons. If we compare financial products, we show the data, the risks and the method behind the comparison. We do not call a product "the best" without evidence.
• Crypto. We cover crypto-assets from a regulatory and policy angle only. We publish no price predictions, exchange reviews, referral codes, airdrop or presale promotions.
• Risk warnings. Articles that discuss stocks, crypto-assets, derivatives, complex products, online lending or "buy now, pay later" services carry a risk warning. Examples and calculations are labeled as simulations, with the formula and assumptions shown.
• No product promotion. We do not promote financial products, and we do not link to unlicensed investment offers.

See our Disclaimer for the full notice that applies to Finance content.

4. Independence and conflicts of interest

• No paid coverage. We do not accept money, gifts or other benefits in exchange for coverage, and in our first year we publish no sponsored content and use no affiliate links.
• Advertising is separate. We plan to carry display advertising. Until then, ad spaces show only our own house message. When we carry ads, automated ad slots will be filled by an ad network, not chosen by the editor, and advertisers will have no say over what we write.
• Disclosed relationships. If we have a commercial relationship with a company we cover, we say so in the article.
• The editor's holdings. The editor does not hold the individual securities or crypto-assets discussed; any change will be disclosed in the relevant article. The editor does not trade an individual stock or crypto-asset discussed in an article in the seven days before or after publication.
• Review copies and access. If a company gives us a free product, game key or early access for a review, the article says so. Receiving it does not mean we will cover it or cover it favorably.
• Other relationships. If the editor has any personal or financial relationship with a company or person covered, the article discloses it, or the editor does not write about that subject.

5. Headlines, images and accuracy

• Headlines and summaries must match the article. We do not use clickbait or promise information the article does not contain.
• We use our own images, licensed images or official press materials. We do not copy news photos. We never present an illustration as a real photograph of an event or person.
• Each article shows its publication date and, when changed substantially, its update date.

6. Legal and fairness standards

We do not make accusations against people or companies without a documented basis in official records. We give people and organizations a fair account of their stated positions, using their own published statements where possible.

7. Corrections

Mistakes are corrected openly. See our Corrections Policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy: [email protected]