Her Campus Media’s Editorial Standards
Her Campus Media LLC (“HCM”) is the parent company of lifestyle sites Her Campus, Spoon University, and College Fashionista, as well as brands Generation Hired and InfluenceHer Collective. All HCM writers and editors are expected to follow four pillars of editorial standards: (1) adhering to fair and accurate reporting standards; (2) acting with the utmost sensitivity and prioritizing inclusion; (3) providing relevant disclosures to readers; and (4) continually updating content and monitoring corrections and omissions.
Fairness & Accuracy
It is every HCM writer’s and editor’s responsibility to work with the clear intention of presenting accurate and fair information in content. This means performing due diligence to fact check articles and presenting the full story at the time of publication.
We require writers and editors to provide expert sources on topics in reported pieces that give the reader a full understanding and picture of the topic at hand. Appropriate vetting and linking to experts’ credibilities is required in the fact-checking process, as is abiding by journalistic best practices. Pieces that provide health advice must cite relevant medical journals and/or studies, and must be transparent about sources and experts interviewed in the writing process.
Sensitivity & Inclusion
HCM writers and editors are to work with the utmost sensitivity while handling vulnerable individuals who have been impacted by events such as sexual misconduct, violence, and/or hate crimes. This includes properly handling interviews and requests for comment.
In the interest of journalistic best practices, HCM writers and editors are responsible for providing crisis resources and helpline information within articles that contain mention of suicide, sexual assault/misconduct, drug and alcohol abuse, and more. They are also required to provide appropriate content warnings that may trigger individuals affected by graphic information.
HCM writers and editors understand the importance of words and know that language is constantly evolving. We prioritize staying up-to-date and evolving with it. We also value an individual’s desire for certain words to be used while telling their personal story, and respect those wishes while providing a platform for that story to be told.
Disclosures & Transparencies
HCM’s writers and editors are required to provide clear and transparent disclosures for pieces that include affiliate links and possible revenue gain for HCM, as well as opinion-based stories that have not been vetted by a professional source. Additionally, should there be any conflicts of interest within HCM’s organization and a published piece on any HCM property, an added disclosure will be clearly included.
HCM does not publish stories created by AI. Certain stories created with the purpose of examining AI-generated text will include a disclosure and clearly point to the portions of the text created using AI software.
Updates & Corrections
HCM articles may be updated after the initial publish date to include further relevant information, product inclusion, and sourcing. If a source or development is added to the piece after publication, an update note will be provided to the reader in a clear manner.
Articles that are found to contain misinformation are to be corrected by the editorial team promptly — in a transparent manner — with a correction disclosure made clear to the reader.
Her Campus is constantly in a state of reviewing past content to make sure every piece on an HCM property adheres to these standards and guidelines.
To submit a correction, please email hello@hercampus.com.