At Politikstudio, safeguarding minors is a core editorial responsibility. As a Swedish digital news publisher owned by Politikstudi Media Ltd. (registered in Gibraltar, company number C 92009, Malta Business Registry), we are committed to protecting the privacy and dignity of children and young people in our journalism. This policy governs how we cover individuals under the age of 18 and applies to all content published on politikstudio.de.
Who is responsible for safeguarding minors at Politikstudio?
Birgit Schmitt, our Ansvarig för faktagranskning (Head of Fact-Checking), serves as the Standards Lead for safeguarding minors. She reviews every piece of content that involves or references a minor before publication and is the final authority on whether such content meets our ethical and legal obligations.
Schmitt works directly with the editorial team and can be reached at emma.sandberg@politikstudio.de or via the complaints address. Her role is outlined on our Our Team page, and she reports to the Chefredaktör, Oliver Keller. No story featuring a minor may be published without her explicit approval.
How do we approach coverage of children and young people?
We cover minors only when there is a clear public interest or when their story is essential to the news value, and we do so with the utmost care to avoid harm. We never use a minor’s identity or image simply to attract attention or generate emotional impact.
Before publishing any identifying information about a minor, we obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent. Where possible, we anonymise or blur details such as names, faces, school names, and precise locations. We also consider the long-term consequences for the child and avoid stereotypes or labelling that could cause stigma. Our approach is informed by the principles set out in our Editorial Policy.
What editorial safeguards are in place for content involving minors?
All articles mentioning minors undergo an additional review by Birgit Schmitt, beyond the standard process of writer, editor, and fact-checker. This layered oversight ensures that every decision about a minor’s inclusion is deliberate, justified, and consistent with our values.
Our Fact-Checking Policy requires that any sources involving or describing minors be independently verified. AI-assisted tools may be used for research or formatting, but under no circumstances may they generate quotes, interviews, or personal details about minors. Human editorial judgment remains final. Any sponsored or commercial content that mentions minors is also subject to the same review and is clearly labelled as such.
How can readers raise concerns about content involving minors?
Any concerns about content involving minors can be sent directly to complaints@politikstudio.de. We take such reports seriously and follow our formal complaints procedure, which includes a commitment to acknowledge receipt within 24 hours and to investigate fully within five working days.
If a correction is needed, we will issue it promptly and transparently in line with our Complaints Procedure. Readers may also contact our privacy team at privacy@politikstudio.de for questions about data protection relating to minors. We encourage anyone who believes a child has been harmed by our reporting to get in touch immediately.
Our commitments
- We will always prioritise the welfare of minors over any other editorial consideration, including speed, public interest, or commercial relationships.
- We will obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent before publishing any identifying information about a minor, and we will document that consent.
- We will anonymise or blur identifying details unless a compelling public interest justifies identification, and we will reassess that justification as the minor matures.
- Every article involving a minor will be reviewed by our Standards Lead before publication, with no exceptions for brevity or urgency.
- We will respond promptly to complaints regarding content involving minors, acknowledge receipt within 24 hours, and issue corrections or deletions without delay where warranted.