How we report.
The rules we work by. Short version: on the record by default, corrections in 24 hours, every financial conflict disclosed, and no AI bylines — ever.
Sourcing
Our default is on the record. Sources who speak to us are named unless they are exposing themselves to genuine professional or legal risk — in which case the reporter must explain in the story (not in a note to the editor) why the source's identity is being withheld and why the information could not be verified through on-record means.
Off-record background — information that shapes reporting but does not appear as quoted material — requires two independent corroborating sources before we treat it as established fact. Background from a single source is noted in our working file and does not drive conclusions in print.
We do not pay sources for information. We do not accept exclusives conditional on editorial approval. A source who asks to see the story before publication will be told no, but we will read them any quotes attributed to them.
Corrections
When we publish something incorrect, we correct it. Within 24 hours of being notified, we either publish a correction at the top of the affected article or explain to the person who flagged it why we believe the original reporting is accurate.
Corrections are logged permanently. We do not silently edit copy — if a sentence changes post-publication, the change log notes the original language and the date of correction. Major factual errors carry a dated correction label above the headline.
To flag an error, email info@theentrepreneurstory.com with the URL, the sentence in question, and what you believe is incorrect. We investigate and respond to every submission.
Conflicts of interest
Writers disclose any equity stake, employment, board seat, or close personal relationship with any company or person covered in their work. Disclosure happens before commission, not after. If a writer holds equity in a company they want to cover, the default answer is no — the exception requires editor-in-chief approval and prominent disclosure in the published piece.
Editors who own positions in public companies do not assign, edit, or influence coverage of those companies. This is logged in our internal conflict register, reviewed quarterly.
For a full log of commercial relationships between the publication and outside parties, see our transparency page.
Generative AI
We use AI agents internally — for research assistance, background research aggregation, and fact-checking support. These tools are part of our editorial infrastructure, not our editorial voice.
Every sentence published under our bylines was written by a person and reviewed by an editor. No article, section, caption, or headline is generated and published without human review. We do not byline AI-authored work. If a passage is AI-assisted (structured from notes, rough draft), it is rewritten to editorial standard — it does not ship as drafted.
We do not use AI to fabricate quotes, invent sources, or generate statistics we cannot verify. If we discover that any published material was generated in violation of this policy, we remove it and publish a correction.