Our standards and values

Why we exist

Our founder, Abdusselam “Mocha” Bezirgan, concluded by the end of 2022 that most news outlets had become partisan, so he founded his own. Media Bezirgan has no corporate owner, no government grant and no party behind it. It is primarily funded by its readers. How we’re funded →

Nonpartisan by design

Our reporting is not driven by politics. It is driven by the public interest, and we follow the evidence wherever it leads, whether that is uncomfortable for Liberals, Conservatives or anyone else.

We have covered Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats and the UCP with the same scrutiny, because the evidence decides and party doesn’t. A premier and a private citizen get the same standard.

How we verify

We read the file, go to the source, ask the question on the record and publish what can be shown.

• Documents and records. Court rulings, bail orders, regulator decisions and council minutes are where the story usually is. We check claims against them.
• On-the-record sources. We put our questions to people on the record and say who told us what.
• What can be shown. We publish what the records and our sources support.

Anonymous sources. We rarely rely on anonymous sources. When we do, we follow established, widely accepted journalism principles on their use.

Allegations and the right of reply

We report allegations as allegations. We say who is making them, and we don’t present them as proven.

Fairness is fundamental to our work, and it starts with keeping an open mind. We go above and beyond to give the people we report on a fair chance to respond. For us, that isn’t a box to tick for legal reasons. It’s how we bring the public a balanced report, because the public interest comes first. If someone responds after a story is published, we add their response to our reporting.

Corrections

Accuracy matters a great deal to us. We take pride in our record and in a verification and review process built over years of experience. That experience also keeps us humble: mistakes are still possible, and when they happen we make them right.

To report an error, email pr@mediabezirgan.com with the link to the story, what you believe is wrong and, if you have it, a document or record that shows the correct information.

How corrections appear. When we notice a mistake, or someone points one out, we correct it and add a note marked CORRECTION: in bold where readers will see it.

How quickly. We make corrections as soon as possible, usually within an hour when no further verification is needed.

Reporting under pressure

Our reporting has taken us undercover in South Africa and into the Coutts trial, where we were often the only accredited journalist in the courtroom. Some of it has brought legal demands, a hospital ban and threats. The reports are still published. Reporting Under Pressure →