Editorial Guidelines | NeuralWired

NeuralWired

Frontier Intelligence. Decoded for a Neural-Wired World

These Editorial Guidelines establish the standards, values, and principles that govern all content published by NeuralWired. They apply to articles, newsletters, social media posts, podcasts, and any other editorial content produced by our team or commissioned from external contributors.

Adherence to these guidelines is mandatory for all staff writers, editors, contributors, and freelancers. They ensure that NeuralWired maintains the highest standards of journalistic integrity, earns reader trust, and fulfills our mission to decode frontier intelligence with rigor, transparency, and independence.

I. Core Editorial Values

NeuralWired’s editorial identity rests on four foundational values that guide all editorial decisions, content development, and stakeholder relationships:

1. Intellectual Rigor

We approach frontier technology with the seriousness it deserves. Our content distinguishes between hype and substance, marketing claims and technical reality, correlation and causation.

This means:

Citing primary sources (research papers, patents, technical documentation) whenever possible
Interrogating assumptions and questioning consensus narratives
Distinguishing between what is technically possible and what is commercially viable
Providing sufficient technical context for professional readers to verify our analysis
Admitting uncertainty when evidence is inconclusive

2. Radical Transparency

Trust is earned through transparency. We disclose our methods, limitations, conflicts of interest, and the use of AI tools in our editorial process.

This means:

Disclosing when we use AI tools for research, drafting, or data analysis
Acknowledging when sources request anonymity and explaining why we granted it
Correcting errors prominently and explaining what went wrong
Declaring potential conflicts of interest (financial holdings, personal relationships, institutional affiliations)
Separating editorial content from advertising clearly and unambiguously

3. Human-Centric Integrity

Technology serves humanity, not vice versa. We examine not only what is technically possible, but what is ethically appropriate, socially beneficial, and democratically accountable.

This means:

Addressing implications for privacy, equity, labor, and democratic governance
Amplifying underrepresented voices in technology discourse
Challenging power structures and holding institutions accountable
Examining both intended and unintended consequences of frontier technologies
Protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation or harm

4. Future-Proof Thinking

We analyze second-order effects and long-term trajectories, not just immediate outcomes. Our editorial lens extends beyond quarterly earnings cycles to decode structural shifts.

This means:

Examining systemic implications, not just individual events
Tracking technological trends across 5-10 year horizons
Identifying inflection points before they become consensus
Connecting technological developments to broader economic, social, and geopolitical forces

II. Accuracy and Fact-Checking

Accuracy is non-negotiable. All factual claims must be verifiable, sourced appropriately, and subjected to rigorous fact-checking before publication.

Standards for Factual Claims

Two-Source Rule: Material facts must be confirmed by at least two independent, credible sources unless the information comes from an official, on-the-record statement or publicly available documentation.
Technical Verification: Claims about technical specifications, performance benchmarks, or scientific findings must be verified against primary sources (research papers, technical documentation, patents).
Financial Data: All funding amounts, valuations, revenue figures, and market data must be sourced from official announcements, SEC filings, or credible financial databases (PitchBook, Crunchbase, Bloomberg).
Statistical Claims: Statistics, percentages, and quantitative claims require citation to peer-reviewed research, government databases, or industry reports from established research firms.

Corrections Policy

When errors occur, we correct them promptly, transparently, and prominently:

Immediate Correction: Factual errors are corrected as soon as they are identified, regardless of time elapsed since publication.
Transparent Disclosure: All corrections include a timestamped note explaining what was corrected and why.
Prominent Placement: Material corrections are noted at the top of the article and, when appropriate, announced via social media.
No Stealth Edits: We do not silently change content without disclosure. Minor corrections (typos, formatting) may be made without announcement.

Source Attribution

Proper attribution is required for all non-original information:

Direct Quotes: Must be exact transcriptions with quotation marks and attribution to the speaker.
Paraphrasing: When summarizing others’ work, credit the original source explicitly.
Hyperlinks: Link to primary sources, original reporting, and referenced materials whenever possible.
No Plagiarism: Copying substantial portions of another publication’s work, even with attribution, is prohibited. We produce original analysis and reporting.

III. Editorial Independence

NeuralWired’s editorial integrity depends on complete independence from commercial, political, and personal interests. Coverage decisions are made solely on the basis of newsworthiness, public interest, and editorial merit.

Separation from Commercial Interests

No Pay-for-Play: We do not accept payment, equity, or other consideration in exchange for coverage. All editorial content is produced independently.
Advertising Firewall: Advertisers have no influence over editorial content. The editorial and commercial teams operate independently.
Sponsored Content Disclosure: All sponsored content, native advertising, or paid partnerships are clearly labeled as such.
Review Units: Product review units provided by manufacturers do not obligate positive coverage. We reserve the right to publish critical reviews.

Conflicts of Interest

Staff and contributors must disclose potential conflicts of interest to editors. These include:

Financial holdings in companies covered (stocks, options, tokens)
Personal relationships with sources or subjects (family, friends, romantic partners)
Professional affiliations (advisory roles, consulting relationships, speaking fees)
Institutional connections (employment history, academic affiliations)

When conflicts exist, they must be disclosed in the article or the writer must recuse themselves from coverage.

IV. Sourcing and Attribution

On-the-Record vs. Anonymous Sources

We prioritize on-the-record attribution. Anonymous sourcing is permitted only when:

The information is newsworthy and cannot be obtained on the record
The source faces legitimate risk of retaliation (employment termination, legal action, physical harm)
The source’s identity is known to the editor and writer

When using anonymous sources, we provide sufficient context for readers to assess credibility (e.g., “a senior executive familiar with the company’s AI strategy” rather than “sources say”).

Source Diversity

We strive to represent diverse perspectives in our reporting:

Seek sources from underrepresented groups in technology (women, people of color, non-Western perspectives)
Balance industry insiders with independent researchers, critics, and affected communities
Avoid over-relying on the same expert voices across multiple articles

V. AI Usage and Disclosure

As a publication covering frontier AI, NeuralWired is committed to transparency about our own use of AI tools. All editorial content is subject to human judgment, editing, and verification—regardless of whether AI tools were used in the research or drafting process.

Permitted AI Uses

Research Assistance: AI tools may be used to summarize research papers, analyze datasets, or identify relevant sources.
Draft Generation: AI tools may assist with initial drafts, outlines, or structure, but final content must be substantially rewritten and verified by human editors.
Data Analysis: AI tools may be used to process large datasets, generate visualizations, or identify patterns, subject to human verification.
Editing Support: AI grammar and style tools (e.g., Grammarly) may be used as aids, but editorial decisions remain with human editors.

Prohibited AI Uses

No Auto-Publishing: AI-generated content may not be published without substantial human review, editing, and fact-checking.
No Attribution Replacement: AI tools may not be used to replace human reporting, interviewing, or source verification.
No Fabrication: AI-generated quotes, statistics, or facts are prohibited. All factual claims must be independently verified.

Disclosure Requirements

When AI tools play a substantial role in content creation (beyond basic editing assistance), we disclose this in the article with a brief note such as: “AI tools were used to assist with research and data analysis for this article. All content was reviewed and verified by human editors.”

VI. Opinion and Analysis

NeuralWired publishes both news reporting and analytical commentary. The distinction must be clear to readers.

News vs. Analysis

News Articles: Report events, announcements, and developments objectively. Avoid editorializing in the headline or lead paragraph.
Analysis Articles: Provide interpretation, context, and reasoned argumentation. Clearly signal analytical framing in headlines and structure.
Opinion Pieces: Reserved for explicitly labeled commentary where writers may advocate for specific positions.

Balancing Perspectives

While NeuralWired takes clear editorial positions on some issues (e.g., transparency in AI governance, protection of user privacy), we provide fair representation of opposing viewpoints in our reporting. We do not create false equivalences between well-supported positions and fringe theories, but we acknowledge legitimate debate where it exists.

VII. Privacy and Consent

Interviewing and Recording

Informed Consent: Sources must know they are speaking to a journalist for publication unless operating undercover is justified by public interest.
Recording Disclosure: Inform subjects if conversations are being recorded. Comply with applicable consent laws (one-party vs. two-party consent jurisdictions).
Off-the-Record Agreements: Respect off-the-record agreements. Clarify ground rules (on-the-record, background, deep background) before sensitive conversations.

Protecting Privacy

Do not publish private personal information (home addresses, phone numbers, financial details) unless clearly newsworthy
Protect whistleblowers and vulnerable sources by using encrypted communication (Signal, ProtonMail)
Consider impact on individuals’ privacy when reporting on public records or leaked data

VIII. Fairness and Right of Reply

When publishing material that is critical of individuals or organizations, we provide them reasonable opportunity to respond before publication.

Pre-Publication Outreach: Contact subjects of critical coverage sufficiently in advance of publication to allow meaningful response.
Include Responses: When subjects provide substantive responses, include them fairly in the article.
Note Non-Responses: If subjects decline to comment or do not respond, note this in the article (e.g., “Company X did not respond to requests for comment”).
No Quote Approval: We do not grant sources approval over quotes or final copy, except for complex technical or scientific statements where accuracy verification is necessary.

IX. Social Media and Engagement

NeuralWired staff represent the publication on social media. Personal accounts used for professional purposes should maintain the same editorial standards as our published content.

Social Media Standards

Professional Conduct: Maintain professionalism in public social media interactions. Avoid inflammatory language or personal attacks.
Factual Accuracy: Social media posts must meet the same accuracy standards as published articles. Correct errors promptly.
Source Attribution: Credit original reporting and link to sources when sharing information on social media.
Editorial Independence: Do not engage in promotional activities for companies or products on professional social media accounts.

X. Headlines and Presentation

Headlines, subheadlines, and social media captions must accurately reflect article content. Clickbait, sensationalism, and misleading framing are prohibited.

Accuracy Over Drama: Headlines must not overstate findings, misrepresent conclusions, or create false urgency.
Question Headlines: Avoid question headlines unless the article genuinely explores both yes and no answers (Betteridge’s Law: “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word ‘no'”).
Technical Precision: Use technically accurate terminology. Do not conflate distinct concepts (e.g., AI vs. machine learning vs. neural networks).

XI. Images and Multimedia

Rights and Permissions: Only use images we have rights to (owned, licensed, Creative Commons, fair use). Always credit photographers/sources.
No Manipulation: Do not alter news photos in ways that change their meaning. Basic adjustments (brightness, contrast, crop) are acceptable. Disclose any significant alterations.
AI-Generated Images: Clearly label AI-generated images. Do not use AI imagery in news articles without explicit disclosure.
Stock Photos: Use stock photography responsibly. Ensure images accurately represent article subject matter.

XII. Sensitive Topics

Suicide and Self-Harm

When reporting on suicide or self-harm, we follow evidence-based guidelines to avoid contagion effects:

Avoid graphic descriptions of methods
Include crisis helpline information (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988)
Focus on systemic issues rather than individual tragedies unless clearly newsworthy

Violence and Graphic Content

Provide content warnings for graphic descriptions of violence
Balance public interest with potential harm to victims, families, and readers

XIII. Legal and Ethical Compliance

Defamation: Ensure all damaging statements about individuals or organizations are accurate, fairly presented, and defensible.
Copyright: Respect intellectual property. Do not reproduce substantial portions of copyrighted work without permission or fair use justification.
Embargo Agreements: Honor embargo agreements when accepting confidential information under embargo terms.
Legal Review: Consult legal counsel before publishing potentially libelous content, using leaked classified information, or facing legal threats.

XIV. Guest Contributors and External Content

NeuralWired does not accept unsolicited guest posts or contributed articles. All content is commissioned by our editorial team or produced by staff writers.

No Guest Posts: We do not publish externally written articles that have not been commissioned by our editors.
Expert Contributions: Subject matter experts may be commissioned to write analysis pieces, subject to the same editorial standards as staff content.
No Promotional Content: We do not publish promotional material disguised as editorial content, regardless of source.

XV. Accountability and Governance

Editorial Oversight

All articles undergo editorial review before publication:

Staff Articles: Reviewed by at least one editor before publication
Pillar Articles: Long-form investigative pieces reviewed by senior editor and fact-checked independently
Sensitive Content: Legal, ethical, or potentially controversial material reviewed by Editor-in-Chief

Reader Feedback and Complaints

Readers may submit corrections, complaints, or feedback to editorial@neuralwired.com
All correction requests are reviewed promptly and corrected if substantiated
Significant complaints are escalated to senior editorial leadership

XVI. Ongoing Training and Improvement

NeuralWired is committed to continuous improvement of our editorial standards and practices:

Regular editorial meetings to review guidelines and discuss ethical dilemmas
Periodic review and updating of these guidelines to reflect evolving best practices
Training on new technologies, legal developments, and journalistic ethics
Post-publication reviews of major investigations or controversial coverage

Conclusion

These Editorial Guidelines represent NeuralWired’s commitment to journalistic excellence, ethical integrity, and reader trust. They are living documents, subject to periodic review and refinement as our publication evolves and the media landscape changes. Questions about interpretation or application of these guidelines should be directed to editorial@neuralwired.com.

NeuralWired Editorial Guidelines

Version 1.0 | February 14, 2026

For questions: editorial@neuralwired.com