Editorial Standards
First principles
Osage Media is the editorial and broadcast arm of the Osage diaspora. Our standing posture: the record matters more than the headline. We publish what we can stand behind in writing. We do not run engagement loops, attention auctions, or opinion-as-news.
Verification
- Every factual claim is traced to at least one primary or near-primary source. The source list is appended to the published piece.
- Numerical claims (dates, dollar amounts, headcounts) carry the source citation inline.
- Photographs and footage are dated and attributed; original-rights provenance is verified before publication.
- Quotations are verified with the speaker before publication where the speaker is contactable.
Corrections
Material corrections are appended to the published piece with the date of correction and a one-sentence summary of what changed. We do not silently edit the archive. Where a correction is material enough to alter the headline, the prior headline is preserved in strikethrough alongside the new one.
Conflicts of interest
Where Osage Media reports on a property in the Osage ecosystem — the operating companies, the Foundation, the Network — the affiliation is disclosed in the first paragraph. Editors and reporters with personal interests in the subject of a piece recuse from the assignment.
Ceremonial protocol
Sacred materials of the Osage Nation or any allied tribal nation — songs, dances, regalia, ceremonial objects — are not depicted, licensed, or commercialised by Osage Media without the express consent of the relevant tribal authority. Materials disclosed in confidence are held in confidence in perpetuity. The Tinker Memorial Song, sung at the In-lon-shka, belongs to the people; coverage involving the song proceeds through the Wah-Zha-Zhe Diaspora Council.
Anonymous sources
Anonymous sources are used sparingly and only where the information cannot reasonably be obtained on the record. The editor of the piece must be told the source’s identity and standing before publication. Anonymous sources are not used for personal accusations or character claims.
What we will not publish
- Material we cannot trace to a verifiable source.
- Personal information about private citizens beyond what is necessary to tell the story.
- Content depicting or commercialising ceremonial materials without consent.
- Engagement-driven listicles, partisan-loaded framings, or AI-generated copy presented as journalism.
- Anything our compliance committee or general counsel will not put a name to in writing.
Bylines and authorship
Every published piece carries a human byline. Where AI tools are used in research or transcription, the use is disclosed in a footnote at the foot of the piece.
Engagement
Editorial inquiries and feedback: [email protected]. Corrections: [email protected]. Press and broadcast partnerships: [email protected].