Standards and disclosures
The lines are part of the work.
The ClawFiles publishes independent journalism, accepts limited paid research assignments, and develops community environmental-monitoring projects. Those functions share research discipline—not funding control, purpose, or publication rights.
Three functions
One site, three different promises.
- Independent journalism.Coverage is selected, researched, written, and published independently. No client, donor, sponsor, source, or subject receives editorial control or advance approval.
- Paid research services.Client work operates under a written scope and is not presented as independent journalism. A potential engagement that overlaps coverage is declined, narrowed, or disclosed.
- Community environmental monitoring.Each project has its own question, methods, budget, participant rules, limitations, and report. Donors do not purchase a result.
Editorial independence
What money cannot buy.
- Favorable coverage or removal of accurate reporting
- A predetermined finding or conclusion
- Advance approval of independent journalism
- Access to source identities or unpublished reporting
- Control over monitoring sites, analysis, or publication
Funding
Follow the purpose of the money.
- Journalism.Any material financial or organizational relationship bearing on published coverage is disclosed with that coverage. If it cannot be managed credibly, the assignment or coverage is declined.
- Client work.Scope, fee, confidentiality, ownership, revision limits, and publication rights are agreed in writing before work begins.
- Monitoring.Before donations open, the project publishes the budget, equipment ownership, compensation, payment fees, unused-funds policy, and whether contributions are tax-deductible.
- Restricted purpose.Money raised for an air project does not become a well-testing fund or general operating money without a new, clearly disclosed decision.
Corrections and response
The record can be challenged.
If a published item contains an error, The ClawFiles corrects it, identifies the material change, and dates the correction.
Anyone named or materially described in the reporting may submit a factual response. Responses are evaluated against the same source standards as the original work.
Republication
The license follows the journalism—not every file.
Eligible ClawFiles articles may be republished under the Creative Commons attribution terms stated on the site. Cite the original URL and do not materially alter the reporting. Client deliverables, private research materials, monitoring datasets, and project documents are not automatically covered by that article license.