The Voice of San Francisco is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our journalism exists to serve the public – not our donors, sponsors, advertisers, or any political interest.
Editorial Independence
All editorial decisions — what we cover, how we cover it, and what we publish — are made solely by our editors and reporters. No donor, sponsor, board member, or outside party has any influence over our news coverage. Financial support of any kind does not buy favorable coverage or silence.
Conflicts of Interest
Staff, contributors, and board members are required to disclose any potential conflict of interest to the Editorial Director before reporting on or participating in decisions related to that conflict. This includes financial relationships, personal relationships, outside employment, and organizational memberships. When a conflict cannot be resolved, the individual will be recused from the relevant coverage or decision.
Staff may not accept gifts, meals, travel, or other items of value from sources, subjects of coverage, or organizations we cover, beyond token items of nominal value.
Transparency
All published content carries a byline identifying the author. When anonymous sources are used, editors must approve their use in advance, and the reason for granting anonymity will be noted in the story. We publicly disclose our major donors and funding sources on our website. We do not accept funding that comes with conditions attached to our editorial content.
Separation of News and Opinion
News reporting and opinion content are clearly labeled and editorially separate. Sponsored content, if published, is prominently identified as such and produced independently of our news operation.