At Wirtschaftsquelle (wirtschaftsquelle.de), we recognise the particular responsibility that comes with covering the lives of children and young people. Our Safeguarding & Minors Policy sets out the strict editorial and ethical standards we apply when reporting on or involving minors in our journalism, and the additional oversight provided by our Standards Lead, Christina Scholz.
Why do you have a separate policy for covering children?
Children and adolescents are inherently more vulnerable than adults in a news context. Their long-term wellbeing, privacy, and dignity must be weighed carefully against the public interest in a story. A default of caution protects both the minor and the integrity of our reporting. This policy makes our approach concrete and enforceable.
Any article that references, quotes, or images a person under the age of 18 triggers an extra stage of review. The responsible journalist flags the piece to the desk editor, who then consults our fact-checking and standards lead, Christina Scholz (emma.sandberg@wirtschaftsquelle.de), before the story can be scheduled. This applies to both text and visual content, including photographs, video, and user-generated material.
We do not publish the full name of a minor involved in a sensitive story — such as abuse, crime, or family court proceedings — unless there is an overriding public interest and explicit consent from a parent or guardian, and then only after senior editorial sign-off. Where appropriate, we use first names only, or pseudonyms, and avoid excessive detail that could lead to identification.
What criteria do you use before publishing anything about a minor?
Our editors apply a four-point test before any story involving a minor proceeds to the final review stage. First: Is the story of genuine and substantial public interest, or could it be told in another way without directly involving the child? Second: Have we obtained meaningful consent from a parent or guardian, and where the child is old enough to understand, from the child themselves? Third: Will the publication expose the child to foreseeable harm, bullying, or long-term stigmatisation? Fourth: Could the same information be conveyed without naming or identifying the minor?
If the answer to the first question is negative, and the answer to the third or fourth is positive, the story is not published in that form. If the piece remains necessary, the journalist and editor work together to find the least intrusive way to report the facts. This internal balancing process is documented and logged in our editorial system.
Who reviews content involving children before publication?
EVERY article that touches on a minor — whether as a subject, a source, or a bystander — must be reviewed by Christina Scholz, our Ansvarig för faktagranskning (Fact-Checking and Standards Lead). She examines the draft for compliance with this policy, flags any consent or anonymity issues, and advises the Redaktionschef (Sandra Groß) on necessary edits. No story about a minor is published without both the desk editor and the standards lead signing off.
This extra layer sits on top of our standard editorial process, which already includes a named journalist, a reviewing editor, and a fact-check pass. For any story where the child is the central figure — for example, a profile of a young activist or an interview with a teenage witness — the legal desk is consulted as well, and the article is sent to the publisher for final approval.
What is your approach to images and video of children?
Visual content featuring minors receives the highest level of scrutiny. We do not use close-up, identifiable images of children in contentious or sensitive contexts without the explicit, written consent of a parent. Where consent is given, the image is used once and then archived; it is not repurposed for later articles. In news-gathering situations, any photograph or video that includes a recognisable child where the child is not the subject of the story will be cropped, blurred, or the background will be composed to minimise the focus on that child.
User-generated content that shows children is handled case by case. We do not repost or embed content from social media that includes a child unless we have independently verified the identity of the poster and confirmed that the parent is aware of and consents to our use of that material.
How do you handle mistakes or complaints about coverage of a minor?
If you believe we have published content about a child that breaches this policy, or that places a minor at risk, we have a clear process for raising that concern. Complaints should be directed to complaints@wirtschaftsquelle.de, marked „Safeguarding & Minors“ in the subject line. The email goes directly to Christina Scholz and the Redaktionschef, who together triage the issue within one working day.
Where a complaint is upheld, we will remove or amend the content within two working days, and publish a correction notice on the relevant article page and in our next scheduled newsletter. Where the complaint relates to an image, the visual is taken down immediately pending investigation. Every safeguarding complaint is logged and reviewed quarterly by the editorial board as part of our continuous standards improvement.
What you can expect from us
You can expect that any story involving a minor at Wirtschaftsquelle has been considered through a lens of vulnerability, privacy, and long-term consequence. The default is not to identify, not to sensationalise, and not to burden a child with the weight of a news narrative. Where we do publish, you can be sure that a line of accountability runs from the reporter, through the desk editor, and to Christina Scholz, who holds final sign-off under the authority of our Chefredaktör, Daniel Simon.
This policy applies to all formats — news articles, features, sponsored content, newsletters, and social media posts published under the Wirtschaftsquelle brand. Our full team structure is listed on the Our Team page, and our overall Editorial Policy governs the standards that apply to every story. For our approach to sources and verification, see Sources & Standards.
Questions or concerns?
If you have a specific concern about a story involving a minor, or if you wish to raise a general question about how we handle children in our journalism, contact our fact-checking and standards team directly at complaints@wirtschaftsquelle.de. For all other editorial enquiries, our Contact page lists the best address for your query. You may also wish to read our Accessibility Statement if you need information in an alternative format. Your concern will be handled promptly and confidentially by Christina Scholz and the editorial leadership.