True North Brief takes seriously its responsibility when covering minors in its journalism. This Safeguarding & Minors Policy outlines the additional care and scrutiny applied to any story involving children or young people, consistent with our commitment to trustworthy Canadian journalism published by Great Lakes Press Ltd. The policy forms part of our broader Editorial Policy and applies to every article, image, video and audio piece we publish.
What is True North Brief’s approach to covering minors?
True North Brief applies a presumption against identifying minors in its reporting unless there is a clear and demonstrable public-interest justification. We assess each story involving children or young people individually, balancing the public’s right to know against the minor’s right to privacy, safety and long-term wellbeing.
When identification is necessary, we limit details to what is strictly relevant to the story. We avoid sensational language, gratuitous description of trauma and any framing that could stigmatise a minor. Our Fact-Checking Policy requires extra source verification for any claim about a child.
Who oversees content involving minors?
Every story involving a minor receives additional review from Standards & Fact-Checking Lead Rachel Miller before publication. This requirement applies regardless of the story’s length, format or section, and supplements the standard editorial review conducted by the assigning editor.
Rachel Miller works with the editorial team to ensure each piece meets our safeguarding standards. She has the authority to require changes, delay publication or, in limited cases, veto a story that does not satisfy this policy. Questions about a minor’s involvement in a story can be directed to her at rachel.miller@truenorthbrief.com.
What you can expect from us
Readers can expect True North Brief to apply heightened scrutiny to any story involving a minor, including verification of ages, relationships and consent where relevant. We will not publish identifying information about a minor without a compelling public-interest reason and senior editorial approval.
We do not interview minors without a guardian’s informed consent except in exceptional circumstances approved by the Editor-in-Chief and Standards Lead. Where consent is obtained, we explain the nature and scope of the story, how the minor’s information will be used and their right to withdraw at any stage. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal data of all subjects, including minors.
How do we handle sensitive stories about children?
For stories involving sensitive topics such as abuse, trauma, family court or health, True North Brief takes additional precautions including the use of pseudonyms, altered identifying details or omitting names entirely. We consult with child-protection experts where appropriate and obtain informed consent from guardians before proceeding.
We do not publish images of minors without explicit, verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian, and we assess the context of every image to ensure it does not place the child at risk. Any exception to these safeguards requires written approval from the Editor-in-Chief and Standards Lead, and the rationale is documented in our editorial records. Our approach is informed by Canadian law and journalistic best practices as outlined in our Complaints Procedure.
Questions or concerns?
If you have a concern about how True North Brief has covered or plans to cover a minor, please contact us at complaints@truenorthbrief.com. Our editorial team and Standards Lead Rachel Miller will review the matter promptly and respond. For more on our standards, see our Editorial Policy and Fact-Checking Policy.