The RABAGAS Standard

How we try to create a magazine worthy of our readers' time.

RABAGAS believes in journalism.

Not because journalism is always right.

But because honest journalism is one of the most important things a society can have.

We also believe journalism can have personality. It can be curious, humorous, reflective and occasionally self-deprecating without ever giving up its commitment to the truth.

We will make mistakes.

When we do, we will correct them.

And when we are uncertain, we will say so.

This is not a rulebook.

It is the compass we try to navigate by.

1. The truth is always more interesting than a good story.

If reality seems dull, we need to become better writers.

We do not embellish facts.

We do not invent.

We never let a headline win over the truth.

2. We never pretend to know.

Curiosity is one of our greatest strengths.

That means asking questions.

If we do not know something, we say so.

There is nothing wrong with uncertainty.

Pretending certainty is another matter.

3. Our sources deserve respect.

We do our best to verify information.

We try to understand more than one side of every story.

We quote people accurately.

And if we get something wrong, we make it right.

4. Criticism should target actions.

Not human dignity.

RABAGAS may be sharp.

We may disagree.

We may even be a little annoying from time to time.

But we never aim to be unkind simply because we can.

5. Readers deserve to know what they are reading.

An essay is not a news report.

A column is not an investigation.

Satire is not journalism.

If those lines become blurred, that is our responsibility.

6. Mistakes happen.

We correct them.

Preferably before anyone notices.

If not, as soon as possible afterwards.

Admitting an error does not weaken journalism.

It strengthens trust.

7. We owe our readers context.

The world is rarely as simple as a headline.

We would rather explain than oversimplify.

Sometimes that means an article becomes a little longer.

We're perfectly fine with that.

8. No story is so important that it has to be published five minutes too early.

Being first is satisfying.

Being right is better.

9. We write because we are curious.

Not because we have already decided what the answer should be.

If the conclusion is written before the reporting begins, we have probably started in the wrong place.

10. Our readers owe us nothing.

Every click is voluntary.

Every article should earn the time it takes to read it.

We are not competing for attention.

We are competing for trust.

Finally

If you ever find yourself wondering whether a story should be published, ask yourself one simple question:

Would I be comfortable reading this aloud to the person it is about?

If the answer is yes, you are probably heading in the right direction.

If the answer is no, the story may need a little more work.

And one final thing:

Journalism rarely improves by shouting.

It almost always improves with another cup of coffee.

— The Editorial Team at RABAGAS

We do not promise to be flawless.

We promise to be honest.