Editorial Policy

This is how the desk works. It is a description of our practice, and we hold ourselves to it.

What we aim at

Satire here targets power, money, institutions and the incentives that reward harmful behaviour. People who are vulnerable, whether through poverty, illness, age, status or circumstance, are never the joke.

Real and invented

Most pieces use invented countries, companies, institutions and public figures. Real names appear only when a piece is based on a documented real event, and then it is labelled as satire based on real events and links to its source. We do not invent allegations of crimes, corruption, abuse, illness or financial misconduct about real people or organisations.

Review before publication

Every piece is read by an editor before it goes live. Our publishing desk flags sensitive situations, such as real names, allegations, missing labels or missing sources. These are prompts for judgement, not legal clearance. When an editor publishes despite a flag, the decision and the reason are recorded internally.