Editorial Standards

Afghanistan Spiegel is committed to accurate, independent and responsible reporting on Afghanistan and human rights.

Accuracy

Accuracy takes priority over speed. Titles, images, quotations, dates and factual claims should reflect the available evidence and must not intentionally mislead readers.

Independence

Editorial decisions should not be controlled by political parties, governments, armed groups, donors, advertisers or personal interests. Financial or organisational relationships that could reasonably affect a reader’s assessment of a publication should be disclosed.

Financial Transparency

Afghanistan Spiegel currently receives no external financial sponsorship or institutional donor funding. Our activities are financed through membership fees and voluntary financial contributions from our members.

These contributions do not grant any member the right to control individual publications, investigations or editorial decisions. Editorial judgments are made independently and must remain separate from financial contributions.

If our funding structure changes or we receive material support from an external donor, institution or sponsor in the future, we will disclose that support transparently and assess any potential conflict of interest.

Types of Content

We clearly distinguish between:

• News;
• Investigation;
• Analysis;
• Statement;
• External Report.

News reporting should separate verified facts from allegations and opinion. Analysis may include interpretation but must remain grounded in identifiable evidence. Statements represent the position of Afghanistan Spiegel. External Reports summarise, translate or discuss material produced by another organisation and must identify the original source.

Sources and Attribution

Information taken from other publications must be appropriately credited. Direct quotations must be accurate and presented in context. Anonymous sources may be used when the information is important, the source has credible knowledge and identification could create a meaningful risk.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors and editors should disclose relevant personal, financial, organisational or political interests. Where a serious conflict exists, another qualified person should handle the reporting or the conflict should be disclosed to readers.

Right of Reply

Individuals and institutions facing serious criticism or allegations should normally be given a fair opportunity to respond before publication, when contact is possible and doing so would not create an unreasonable security risk.

Dignity and Non-Discrimination

Coverage must respect human dignity. We do not promote hatred or discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, gender, language, disability or other protected characteristics. Descriptions of identity should only be included when relevant to the public interest.

Children and Vulnerable People

Extra care is required when reporting about children, survivors of violence and people in situations of dependency or danger. Identification should be avoided when it could expose them to harm.

Accountability

Errors should be corrected transparently. Readers and affected individuals may contact Afghanistan Spiegel to raise concerns about accuracy, fairness or safety.