As a part of Vox Media, Vox.com adheres to the Vox Media Editorial Ethics & Guidelines and to the following:
Vox continues to evolve as a brand as it builds its portfolio of editorial content and partners across multiple mediums, driving the future of journalism. However, our commitment to the core values of integrity and passion will never change.
We believe in working with talented people, the judgment of our staff, and the transcendent importance of serving the interests of our audiences. Through adherence to the Vox Media editorial guidelines, we aim to give our teams clear guidance about what to avoid and the public knowledge of what to expect from our brand. Simultaneously, we recognize the impossibility of reducing the complexity of real life to a simple checklist or rulebook and encourage conversation and dialogue with colleagues and supervisors about concrete situations as superior to trying to craft an ethics policy that would address every conceivable dilemma.
As the needs of our newsrooms and audiences change, our guidelines will adapt in kind to ensure that Vox Media’s work is always deserving of our audiences’ trust. Vox’s editorial team also adheres to its own ethics principles that follow below.
Advertising, Membership, and Grants
Vox generates revenue through advertising partnerships, membership, and philanthropic grants. In no case, however, does the operation of these lines of business interfere with the integrity of our editorial teams or influence the content they create.
With advertising partnerships, the nature of Vox’s content in relation to advertisers and sponsors is clearly marked or announced as “Presented by,” “Paid Content For,” “Partner Content From,” “Ad,”or “Advertiser Content From” if and as applicable.
“Presented by” is used to describe content that is created independently by our editorial networks but is made possible through the direct support of advertisers. That content is clearly disclosed as “Presented by” the applicable sponsor wherever it appears on Vox’s website, channel, podcast and/or social media account. With “Presented by” content, our sponsors may select which content they wish to support; however we do not allow our Vox Media Sales teams, Vox Creative, or our sponsors to control or interfere with the editorial integrity of our editorial teams and the content they create.
“Paid Content For” is used to describe content that has been created with funding from an advertiser. Advertisers may be involved in the creation of this content by collaborating on product integration, general topics or themes, and/or in other similarly limited ways. In each case, however, where content is designated by “Paid Content For,” Vox Creative or Vox Media’s editorial teams determine the final content and the advertiser has absolutely no control or approval rights.
“Partner Content From,” “Ad,” or “Advertiser Content From” is used to describe content that is provided or paid for by an advertiser and developed by the Vox Media Sales teams and Vox Creative in collaboration with the advertiser (independent from our editorial teams). That content is clearly disclosed as “Partner Content From,” “Ad,” or “Advertiser Content From” wherever it appears on a Vox Media network website, channel, podcast, and/or social media account.
Some of our content contains affiliate links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links; and we will include a disclosure within the content.
Advertisements do not reflect the views of Vox Media or our editorial teams.
We also accept financial contributions from individual audience members via our membership program, as well as funding from philanthropic grantmaking organizations and individuals. However, this financial support does not affect Vox’s editorial independence, which it maintains within those relationships.
You can read more about our business model and how we make money here.
Conflicts of Interest, Activism, and Disclosures
To remain transparent with our audience, Vox will disclose when we write about a company with which Vox has a current grant funding or investment relationship. This helps maintain trust and ensures our readers understand the nature of those relationships in relation to our coverage, if any. While funding supports our work, it doesn’t dictate our reporting — disclosure in those instances simply reinforces our commitment to integrity and editorial independence.
Conflicts of interest will be disclosed when editorially appropriate in accordance with Vox Media’s Editorial Ethics and Guidelines, such as a personal or family relationship, personal financial investment, or relevant political activity. Our staff will also refrain from demonstrating in support of or donating to causes that could compromise their journalistic coverage of an issue.
Corrections, Updates, and Deletions
Vox makes every effort for content to be accurate upon publication. If a correction is required, however, we are transparent and update a story if new information either materially adds to or invalidates the original story. We will issue corrections for a factual error or if a typo in the copy could cause audiences to misunderstand the story.
We almost always leave all editorial content live, with editor’s notes, updates, clarifications, and corrections as needed. We may, in rare instances, remove content from our websites, social media pages, or related platforms for legal reasons or extenuating circumstances. Removal will never be at the direction of, or be influenced by, our advertisers or funders, and will always be approved by editorial leadership.
If you have reason to believe that a correction is necessary or warranted in any of Vox’s content, please email corrections@vox.com.
We follow Vox Media’s guidelines on use of generative AI. In addition, at Vox, our editorial staff may use AI tools for some permitted use cases, including but not limited to the following:
We will continue to update our AI guidelines and usage as this technology and its capabilities related to newsroom usage evolves.
Vox obtains information from a variety of sources. While we strive to always get as much as possible on the record, some of our sources do not wish to be named, and we grant anonymity when the information is essential to the story, and if the story would otherwise not be told. We make best efforts to confirm the veracity of the information provided by anonymous sources prior to publication. We will clearly explain why anonymity was granted. Pseudonyms can be used in certain instances, and will be clearly indicated when something is a pseudonym and why (e.g., for the safety of the source). It is our policy not to pay sources.