Editorial standards

How we report. Who we name. What we will not do.

Sourcing

Every profile is reported. Subjects are interviewed in person where possible. Facts are checked against public records (Assessor, Secretary of State, court filings, BPLA). Quotations are verbatim unless marked otherwise.

Naming

We name a landlord, a chain, a public official, or a corporate party when their action is the public-interest hinge of the story and we can independently verify the claim. We do not name a subject's family member, employer, or address without their consent unless that information is already public and material.

Conflicts of interest

Sponsored entries on Best Of lists carry a labeled badge. Sponsors do not pick stories or entries. The editor who names a list is named on the list. We do not run affiliate links. We do not accept gifts above $25 from subjects.

AI

No SF Times byline is AI-generated. No SF Times article is partially or substantially written by AI. Editing tools (spell check, grammar suggestions) are allowed. Generation tools are not.

Corrections

Errors are corrected on the article page with a dated note. All corrections are also logged at /corrections.