Last Updated: Jan 10th, 2025
Gizmodo was founded in 2002 as one of the internet’s very first technology news blogs. We practice honest, conversational journalism about stories (whimsical or serious, joyous or grotesque) that matter, or should matter, to our readers. Some stories rely on our own reporting and ideas, and some respond to news generated elsewhere. The same rules apply.
No policy is sufficient to govern the decisions our reporters and editors make on an hourly basis. But this one should serve as a guide, for readers and staff alike, to the kind of stories we aspire to: those that enlighten, challenge, decode, untangle, explain, reveal, and tell the truth.
Our precepts
Honest. We tell our readers what we know, how we know it, and why we believe it matters. We disclose our conflicts, air our biases, and show our work. We don’t pretend to know what we don’t. Our reporting is guided by a desire to help readers understand their world, whether the subject matter is trivial or meaningful. We reject balance as a virtue but embrace fairness, and endeavor to recognize the humanity of those we cover. We aim to write honestly, transparently, and unsentimentally, but also decently. Honest reporting can be painful to its subjects, and both they and our readers are entitled to a reasonable explanation of the purpose and point of a story.
Uncompromised. We are prepared to say what others are too polite, intimidated, or compromised to say. The people and institutions who exercise power — political, cultural, corporate, or technological — do not and should not exercise exclusive control of their public narratives, images, and personae. We will not limit or calibrate our reporting to suit an advertiser, provide an advertiser access to a story prior to publication, or otherwise permit an advertiser to influence a story.
Spontaneous. We listen to our readers, we don’t condescend to them, and we reject the artifice and sanctimony of news delivered from on high. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we tell things as they are. In the pursuit of explanation and understanding, we embrace the full range of rhetorical and writing devices, from mischievous satire to passionate advocacy. As others have described our ethos: if it’s interesting, it’s news.
What follows sets out how those precepts are enforced in practice.
Editorial independence
Our independence is our most valuable asset. Gizmodo is routinely critical of the people and companies we cover, and we are proudest of the work that powerful people would prefer not to see published.
We maintain a strict wall between the Gizmodo newsroom and all commercial functions — advertising, sponsorship, partnerships, and commerce. Commercial teams have no influence over what our newsroom covers, how it covers it, or when it publishes. They do not review editorial stories before publication and they do not see them in advance.
Core rules of our code of conduct:
– We do not accept things of value from the companies we cover or from their PR firms. This includes gifts, meals, discounted services, paid trips, and junkets. Gizmodo pays its own travel, transportation, food, and accommodation costs when our reporters attend events.
– We do not accept preconditions for coverage that require us to say, or avoid saying, certain things.
– We do not give the subjects of our reporting the ability to preview or approve interview questions, and we do not allow them to read our stories before publication.
– We do not allow reporters to cover people or companies where they have a personal or financial conflict.
– We do not make paid endorsements of any kind.
– We do not personally invest in the companies we cover.
– Our editorial team does not produce paid content, ever.
Any exception requires the approval of the editor-in-chief and must be disclosed to readers in the story itself.
Professional conduct
Our reporters follow industry-standard ethical guidelines: seek the truth and report it, protect sources, minimize harm, and be accurate and honest in everything we publish. We use the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics as the baseline for the professional conduct of our editorial staff.
Sourcing standards
Gizmodo maintains clear standards for sourcing. Our reporters will explain these practices to you and will protect your confidentiality where appropriate.
If you are a communications professional, or are speaking to us in an official capacity, the following definitions apply.
On the record. This is the default for every conversation with Gizmodo. You speak, we may record it, and we may report who you are and quote what you said. We expect corporate communications professionals and people speaking in an official capacity to be on the record in almost every case. If you want to change that default, you have to tell us why, every time.
On background. We may use the information but will not identify you by name, instead using a descriptor such as “a company spokesperson.” If you are a communications professional speaking in your official capacity, we will not describe you as “a source familiar with the matter.”
Going on background is an agreement. You may offer; we may accept or decline. If we do not specifically accept, there is no agreement. That means:
1. You cannot email us a statement prefaced with “on background” and assume we will treat it that way.
2. You cannot dictate how a statement will be attributed without asking.
3. We will not accept formulations such as “background, not for attribution.” That is simply off the record. Say what you mean.
Off the record. We agree not to use what we hear in our reporting unless we can obtain it from another source. Like background, this is an agreement — if we have not agreed, you are not off the record. We do not readily agree to off-the-record conversations with communications professionals speaking in their official capacity without a specific reason.
Advertising and branded content
Advertising on Gizmodo is sold by a dedicated commercial team that operates entirely outside the newsroom. All discussions with advertisers take place outside our editorial operation and have no bearing on our coverage. Advertisements do not reflect the views of Gizmodo or its editorial team.
Branded content produced on behalf of partners is clearly labeled as such and is visually distinguished from editorial content. It is not written by the reporters and editors who cover the relevant beat.
Where editorial content is made possible by the support of a sponsor, it is clearly marked as sponsored. A sponsor may choose which category of content it wishes to support, but neither the sponsor nor our commercial team has any influence over the content itself, and neither reviews it before publication.
Commerce, deals, and affiliate content
Gizmodo publishes deals coverage, buying guides, and service comparisons that contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission when a reader buys a product or subscribes to a service through those links.
This content is not produced by the Gizmodo newsroom. It is created by a separate commerce team, is labeled to make that distinction visible to readers, and carries a clear disclosure of the affiliate relationship on every page where such links appear. Our reporters and editors do not write it, and affiliate revenue plays no part in news assignments or editorial coverage decisions.
Separation from the newsroom is not a lower standard of accuracy. Our commerce content is held to the following rules:
– Commission rates never determine rankings, recommendations, or the order in which products appear. A product that pays us nothing can and does win our recommendations.
– Affiliate partners do not review commerce content before publication and cannot request changes to a ranking or verdict after publication.
– Pricing, plan details, and availability are verified at the time of writing and dated in the article, so readers know when the information was last checked.
– Where a product or service has not been independently tested, we say so.
– Factual errors in commerce content are corrected under the same policy as errors in our reporting.
Reviews and product testing
Advising our audience on how to spend their time and money is one of our most important responsibilities. Our reviews contain the honest, independent assessment of our editorial team. There are no paid-for reviews on Gizmodo, of any kind.
Companies may loan products to our editors for a limited period so that we can evaluate them and decide whether to review them. We may keep a review unit longer in order to assess software updates over time, and we may agree to an embargo that allows us to test a product before its release. Neither a loan nor an embargo entitles a company to influence our verdict.
Artificial intelligence
Gizmodo does not publish articles written by generative AI systems under a human byline, and does not publish AI-generated articles presented as the work of our newsroom.
Our staff may use AI tools for supporting tasks such as transcription, translation, research, or data processing. In every case a human writer or editor verifies the output and is accountable for what is published.
Any image, audio, or video generated or materially altered by AI is clearly labeled as such where it appears. We do not use synthetic media to depict real people or real events in ways that could mislead readers.
Corrections and updates
We make every effort to be accurate, and sometimes we still get something wrong. When we discover a mistake, our editors promptly correct the inaccurate information and add a note explaining the error. Where an error appears in a video or another format that cannot be edited in place, we may remove the original and replace it with a corrected version.
Where new information continues or clarifies a story without correcting it, we note the update at the foot of the article, with the time of the change and a description of what changed.
We may remove content that we believe infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party, otherwise violates third-party rights, or breaches applicable law.
If you believe something we have published is inaccurate, contact us at [email protected].
Outside employment and conflicts of interest
Members of the Gizmodo editorial team may not be employed by, receive compensation from, or hold an advisory role — paid or unpaid — at companies they are likely to cover. Writers and editors may not undertake journalism for other publications without the express permission of the editor-in-chief.
Any real or perceived conflict of interest, financial or personal, must be disclosed to an editor before an assignment begins, and to readers in the story where it is relevant.
Contributors and freelancers
Contributors are held to the same standards as staff. They are required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest to their editor and to our audience in every story they write. We do not work with contributors who cannot deliver impartial, independent coverage.
Ownership and funding
Gizmodo is published by Gizmodo USA LLC. Our revenue comes from advertising, sponsorship, and affiliate commissions.
Where our coverage touches on our owners, our investors, or businesses in which they hold an interest, that content is produced with full editorial independence, and we disclose the relationship in the article.
Distributed platforms
Gizmodo is distributed across many platforms in addition to our own site, including social networks, syndication partners, and news aggregators. Our editorial standards apply everywhere our work appears. Sponsored and branded content distributed through these platforms is labeled using the disclosure tools each platform provides.
Feedback
We want to hear from you if you have a concern about our ethical standards or about something we have published.
– General contact and story tips: [email protected]
– Corrections and factual disputes: [email protected]
*This policy supersedes the Gizmodo Media Group Editorial Code published on April 26, 2016.*