Editorial Guidelines

1. Overview & Purpose

Ferox Times is an independent digital news platform committed to factual, responsible, and ethical journalism. These Editorial Guidelines exist to:

• Protect writers, our platform, and the public from legal, reputational, and safety risks.
• Maintain journalistic integrity and accuracy in every published article.
• Ensure all claims — especially sensitive or investigative ones — are backed by verifiable evidence.
• Create a clear framework of shared responsibility between the writer and Ferox Times.

2. Who Can Submit Articles

Article submission is restricted to verified contributors only. The following roles may submit:

If you are not in one of the above categories, please apply to become a verified writer from your profile.

3. Mandatory Evidence / Document Requirement

What Is NOT Acceptable as Evidence

• Your own personal opinion or belief
• Unverified social media posts without archived/source links
• Anonymous tips without any corroborating material
• Content from known misinformation sources
• Personal identity documents (Aadhar, Passport, etc.) — we do not require identity documents

Confidential Sources

If your evidence involves a confidential source, you must still upload a document. You may redact personally identifying information from the document, but must include enough context to verify the claim. Write a brief note in the article submission form explaining the source's nature and why full disclosure is not possible.

File Requirements

• Accepted formats: PDF, JPG, PNG, DOCX, MP4, MP3, ZIP
• Maximum file size: 20 MB
• All documents are stored securely and are never publicly visible
• Documents are accessible only to the editorial team and, if legally required, authorized authorities

4. Content Standards & Quality

Accuracy

All factual claims must be verifiable. If you are not 100% certain of a fact, do not state it as fact. Use qualifying language such as "reportedly," "according to sources," or "alleged."

Fairness

When a story involves criticism or allegations against a person or organization, you must make a reasonable attempt to seek their response before submission. Note this attempt — and the response (or lack thereof) — in your article or submission notes.

Attribution

• Always attribute quotes directly and accurately.
• Do not fabricate or paraphrase quotes in a way that changes their meaning.
• Clearly indicate when a quote is from a second-hand source.

Originality

All submitted content must be original. Plagiarism — including copying from other publications without attribution, or self-plagiarism from previously published work — is a serious violation. Our editorial team runs plagiarism checks on all submissions.

Minimum Length

Articles must be a minimum of 300 words for standard news pieces and 600 words for investigative or opinion pieces. Very short submissions will be returned for expansion.

5. Sensitive, Investigative & Controversial Content

Ferox Times supports responsible investigative journalism. We believe the public has a right to know — but that right must be exercised responsibly. If your article falls into any of the following categories, stricter evidence and review standards apply:

6. Legal Disclaimer & Liability

Platform Liability

Ferox Times operates as an intermediary platform under applicable Information Technology laws. Our liability is limited when:

• The content was submitted by an independent verified writer (not our staff journalist)
• The article was published in good faith based on the evidence provided
• We promptly act on valid legal takedown requests

However, Ferox Times may share the liability if we knowingly published false or harmful content, or failed to conduct basic editorial due diligence.

Editorial Review Does Not Transfer All Responsibility

Our editorial team performs SEO optimization, formatting, and a basic accuracy check — but is not a full legal or investigative review. The editorial review does not transfer the writer's legal responsibility to Ferox Times.

Right to Refuse or Modify

Ferox Times reserves the right to:

• Refuse to publish any article without providing a reason
• Modify headlines, descriptions, or SEO elements without changing the substance
• Add editor's notes, corrections, or clarifications to published articles
• Unpublish any article at any time if legal or accuracy concerns arise

7. Editorial Review Process

After you submit your article, it goes through the following stages:

1. Initial Check (automated): Length, format, and document upload verification.
2. Evidence Review: An editor reviews your uploaded document(s) to confirm they support the article's claims.
3. Content Review: Checking for accuracy, fairness, plagiarism, and policy compliance.
4. SEO & Formatting: Our team optimizes the headline, adds meta description, formats paragraphs, and adds relevant tags and images.
5. Legal Check (if applicable): High-sensitivity articles may be referred to our legal counsel before publication.
6. Publication or Return: Article is published, or returned to you with specific feedback for revision.

8. Prohibited Content

The following types of content will never be published on Ferox Times, regardless of the evidence provided:

• Hate Speech: Content that dehumanizes, threatens, or incites violence against any group based on race, religion, gender, caste, nationality, sexual orientation, or disability.
• Child Exploitation: Any content involving the sexual or physical exploitation of minors.
• Doxxing: Publishing private personal information (home addresses, phone numbers, etc.) of individuals without their consent.
• Fabricated Content: Deliberately false news, fake quotes, or manipulated images/videos presented as real.
• Incitement to Violence: Content that directly calls for or encourages violence against any individual or group.
• Sedition / National Security Threats: Content that could directly compromise national security or is classified as seditious under applicable law.
• Commercial Disguised as Editorial: Sponsored or paid content presented as independent journalism without disclosure.
• Graphic Violence / Gore: Disturbing images or descriptions without clear editorial justification and appropriate warnings.

9. Violations & Consequences

Violation	Severity	Consequence
Minor inaccuracy (correctable)	Low	Article returned for revision with feedback
Missing or weak evidence document	Medium	Article rejected; resubmission allowed with proper evidence
Plagiarism	Medium	Immediate rejection; 30-day submission ban
Fabricated content / fake quotes	High	Permanent account ban; legal action if harm caused
Hate speech / incitement	High	Immediate permanent ban; reported to authorities if required
Publishing confidential data unlawfully	High	Account suspended; legal proceedings initiated
Repeated minor violations (3+)	Medium	Writer status downgraded or revoked

10. Contact the Editorial Team

If you have any questions about these guidelines before submitting, or if you want to discuss a sensitive story with us before writing it, please reach out:

• Editorial Queries: editorial@feroxtimes.com
• Legal Concerns: legal@feroxtimes.com
• Tip / Leak Securely: Use our secure contact form