Editorial Policies

Our Goals

The Convergence Lens is an independent digital publication and a Multi-Stakeholder Worker-Consumer Cooperative LLC. We are jointly owned by the journalists, editors, and media workers who produce our journalism (Worker-Members) and the readers who rely on it (Reader-Members). Every co-owner holds an equal vote.

We chose this cooperative structure deliberately. We believe that journalism should only be accountable to the people who make it and the communities it serves, not to investors, grant committees, or corporate boards. Our fully democratic structure is how we hold ourselves to that commitment.

What This Means:

• The Convergence Lens is a cooperative LLC, not a nonprofit organization.
• Contributions to TCL are not tax-deductible. We are not a 501(c)(3) and have no plans to become one – we believe cooperative ownership is a more effective way of democratizing access to media.
• Reader-Member ownership fees ($45/year) are co-ownership stakes, not donations.
• Voluntary contributions are accepted and deeply appreciated, but they are not charitable gifts.
• We maintain complete editorial independence because our journalists own the cooperative.

Your support enables us to:

• Compensate Worker-Members fairly for their labor.
• Invest in investigative research and in-depth reporting.
• Build sustainable cooperative infrastructure for long-term impact.
• Maintain editorial independence from corporate and investor interests.
• Center marginalized voices in journalism.

Thank you for believing in this vision and supporting us as we grow!

Editorial Independence & Funding

Independence

The Convergence Lens is a 100% independent publication and will always remain that way. We are not owned by any corporation, media conglomerate, or individual investor. We answer to no stockholders, corporate boards, or outside interests.

We maintain a strict firewall between editorial decisions and all sources of revenue. The stories we pursue – their direction, tone, perspective, and sources – are entirely at the discretion of the writer and any collaborating editors. We do not permit our work to be reviewed, influenced, or censored by donors, sponsors, or any external parties.

Funding Transparency

The Convergence Lens operates primarily on Reader-Member co-ownership fees and voluntary supporter contributions. We do not accept corporate funding or paid advertisements that would compromise our editorial independence.

Our funding sources include:
• Reader-Member co-ownership fees ($45/year) – the primary source of cooperative revenue and the foundation of our ownership model.
• Content subscription tiers (The Observer, The Critic, The Insider) – reader-supported platform and content access tiers.
• Voluntary supporter contributions – appreciated but not tax-deductible.
• Occasional honoraria for speaking engagements or panel participation.
• Grants from nonprofits or philanthropist organizations that are free from any requirements that would compromise our values.
• Affiliate links in our Liberation Library, where we share recommended books for our supporters. These are solely our selections, not sponsored in any way.
• Affiliate links on our Ways to Give page, which has a section of our recommended tools, software, websites, etc.
• Video ads on our channel page.
• Sponsored reviews of products, software, etc – these will be rare and clearly marked as such; we would be 100% honest in the review no matter what. 

As a cooperative LLC, our financial records are accessible to our members. We publish annual financial summaries and Worker-Members have full access to our books. We believe transparency about our funding is both an ethical commitment and a structural obligation, therefore we will also publish a condensed public annual report each year.

Any sponsored content, partnerships, or collaborations that involve financial compensation will be clearly disclosed to our audience. We will never compromise our editorial integrity for financial gain.

Code of Ethics

The Convergence Lens adheres to the core principles of journalistic ethics adapted for digital cultural commentary and movement journalism. Our work is rooted in integrity, compassion, and facts.

Truth and Accuracy

• Be honest and truthful. We do not distort, fabricate, or misrepresent facts, data, sources, or context.

• Verify before publishing. We independently verify allegations, claims, and facts before publication whenever possible, and we provide transparency about our verification process when asked.

• Provide accurate context. All reporting and analysis includes appropriate historical, cultural, and political context.

• Avoid false balance. We do not create artificial “both sides” narratives when one side demonstrably contradicts established facts or promotes harm.

• Correct errors quickly and transparently. When we make mistakes, we acknowledge them promptly and visibly.

Independence and Conflicts of Interest

• Maintain editorial independence. We do not skew reporting for sources, organizations, donors, or any other parties under any circumstances.

• Disclose conflicts of interest. If we have personal involvement in the issues or organizations we’re covering, we disclose these connections transparently.

• No financial conflicts. We do not accept gifts from people or organizations we cover. We do not endorse or financially support political candidates in our professional capacity.

•Preserve integrity. We do not change stories as a result of pressure from political, financial, or social interests.

Sources and Attribution

• Never pay sources. We do not pay for interviews or information (though we may compensate for rights to photographs, video, or creative work).

• Attribute properly. We always credit sources by name and link to original sources when material is digital.

• Acknowledge others’ work. When our analysis relies on reporting or research from other journalists or organizations, we credit them in the story itself and through links when available.

• Use confidential sources sparingly. When we grant confidentiality, we disclose the reasons to our audience (with vague statements, such as legitimate safety concerns or employment risks).

• Cite press releases and statements. When using material from press releases, official statements, or organizational communications, we identify them as sources.

Respect and Minimize Harm

• Consider impact. We think carefully about how our work may affect the subjects of our reporting, particularly individuals with less power or privilege.

• Center marginalized voices. We strive to include perspectives from historically marginalized communities who are regularly overlooked by mainstream media and often at the forefront of the movements we cover.

• Protect vulnerable people. We do not publish names of sexual assault survivors without their explicit consent. We seek permission from parents/guardians before interviewing or photographing minors.

• Provide content warnings. We warn readers about sensitive or graphic material when appropriate.

• Respect privacy. We are thoughtful about publishing personal information and consider the potential consequences.

Accuracy Standards & Corrections

The Convergence Lens is committed to ensuring the accuracy of everything we publish. We count on our research methodology and editorial processes to produce work grounded in verifiable facts.

Our Process

• All analysis and commentary is research-backed with credible sources.

• We provide direct links to original sources and data whenever possible.

• We clearly distinguish between reported facts and analytical interpretation.

• We identify when we are offering opinion versus presenting factual information.

Corrections Policy

We stand by the accuracy of our work and strive to correct errors quickly and transparently.

For minor corrections (typos, formatting errors, small factual corrections that don’t change the substance of the piece):

• We make the correction within the piece.

• We add a note at the end indicating what was changed and when.

For substantive corrections (errors that meaningfully affect the piece or could have misled readers):

• We make the correction within the piece.

• We add a prominent editor’s note at the top of the article explaining what was changed and why.

• We note the date of the correction.

For errors requiring retraction:

• If content contains an error so significant that correction isn’t sufficient, we will remove the material and publish an explanation of why it was removed.

Readers can report errors or request corrections by contacting us at [email protected] with the subject line “CORRECTION REQUEST.”

 Plagiarism & Copyright

• We do not plagiarize. All work is original or properly attributed.

• We respect copyright. We do not reproduce substantial copyrighted material without permission. We follow fair use principles when quoting or referencing copyrighted work.

• We attribute all sources. Every source of information, whether text, audio, visual, or data, is properly credited.

• We cite previous work. When using material from archives or previously published work, we note that it has been published before.

Author Attribution & Anonymity

• We do not publish anonymous pieces except in extraordinary circumstances where there is a clear and pressing need for anonymity, such as legitimate safety concerns.

• We do not allow pseudonyms except when source safety or privacy is genuinely at risk. Such decisions are made at the sole discretion of editorial leadership.

• All authors have author pages with biographical information appropriate to their work.

Interviewing Standards

• We never pay for interviews. Interviews are conducted without financial compensation to sources.

• We seek diverse voices, especially those directly impacted by the subjects we cover.

• We may fact-check with sources. We may read portions of articles to sources to verify facts or technical accuracy, but we make clear we are only checking facts, not providing an opportunity to change our editorial approach.

• We disclose interview methods when it adds important context (in-person, phone, video, email, etc.).

• We do not conduct undercover reporting except in extraordinary situations with editorial approval and oversight.

Disclosure of Affiliations

When The Convergence Lens or its founder has a relationship with the subject of coverage:

When covering topics, events, organizations, or individuals where we have a personal or professional connection, we disclose that relationship clearly in the article.

Examples of disclosed relationships include:

• Professional affiliations

• Personal friendships with interview subjects

• Prior collaborative work with organizations being covered

• Financial relationships or sponsorships

• Attendance at events as press, guest, or participant

Disclosure does not mean we cannot cover these topics, it means we do so with full transparency so readers can make informed judgments about our work.

Social Media Standards

The Convergence Lens maintains an active social media presence across multiple platforms for engagement, content distribution, and community building.

Our standards:

• We correct inaccuracies on social media quickly and note when posts have been edited or deleted.

• We consider the safety and security of people in our posts, especially those in vulnerable situations.

• We maintain the same ethical standards on social media as in our long-form work.

• The personal social media accounts of our Worker-Members are not our concern and they may express their own opinions freely; we do not control them.

Republishing & Licensing

Our Copyright and Licensing Terms

Unless otherwise noted, all original content published by The Convergence Lens is protected by copyright and owned by The Convergence Lens and its Worker-Members.

We support knowledge sharing and believe in making our work accessible. Almost all of our articles are available for republishing under the Creative Commons 4.0 License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). If you see a button at the bottom of an article that says “Republish This Story,” you may republish it. Clicking that button will provide you with the same guidelines as below and an HTML copy-paste version of the article.  

Guidelines for Republishing Licensed Content

If you wish to republish one of our available articles, you may do so only under the following conditions:

You must:

• Credit The Convergence Lens and the named author.

• Include a line at the top: “This story was originally published by The Convergence Lens” with “The Convergence Lens” hyperlinked to the original article.

• Use canonical metadata pointing to the original URL if possible.

• Retain all original hyperlinks.

• Keep the original language (you may only make changes to reflect time, location, or style. If you would like to translate, please instead reach out to [email protected] for us to partner together).

• Have a prominent way for us to contact your organization.

You may not:

• Edit our content beyond time/location/style adjustments without consent.

• Sell advertisements specifically on behalf of The Convergence Lens.

• Solicit donations on behalf of The Convergence Lens.

• Sell or syndicate our material separately.

• Use our content for SEO manipulation, ad revenue farming, or AI training purposes.

• Republish our content automatically or in bulk – you must select individual pieces.

• Republish accompanying photographs, graphics, or illustrations unless separately licensed.

Images and multimedia:

• You may leave out our images or use your own.

• Do not republish our original graphics, photography, or video without explicit permission.

For content not under Creative Commons license:

• Contact us at [email protected] to request republishing permission.

• We evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis.

Social media sharing:

• You are always welcome to share links to our work on social media.

• Please tag us when sharing.

Changes to These Policies

We are committed to regularly reviewing and updating our editorial policies to ensure they reflect our evolving practices and maintain the highest standards of journalistic integrity.

When we make significant changes to these policies, we will:

• Update this page with the new “Last Updated” date.

• Note major changes in our newsletter and on social media.

• Maintain transparency about why changes were made.

Contact & Accountability

We take accountability seriously. If you have questions about our editorial policies, concerns about our coverage, or feedback about our work, we want to hear from you.

Editorial Inquiries: [email protected]
Corrections Requests: [email protected] (Subject: CORRECTION REQUEST)
Press Inquiries: [email protected]