DarkRecord uses cinematic language, but atmosphere never gives permission to invent evidence. These standards govern documented cases, personal testimony, reader submissions, paranormal accounts, editorial analysis and fiction.
Every story begins with a clear label
Readers should understand what kind of material they are entering before the first scene unfolds. A documented case is built from identifiable public information. A personal account or reader submission preserves a witness’s experience but is not presented as independently verified proof. Fiction is labelled as fiction. Editorial analysis identifies interpretation and competing explanations.
Labels are not decorative. They protect readers, sources and the people named in a story. They also prevent a compelling narrative voice from blurring the difference between a record, a claim and an invention.
Sources and verification
Important factual claims should be checked against primary material where it is lawfully available: court records, official reports, public statements, historical archives, direct interviews or original documents. Reputable reporting and specialist research can provide context, but circular sources and anonymous summaries should not be treated as independent confirmation.
External references are added when they help a reader verify a material claim or continue responsible research. Links are chosen for relevance and authority, not merely to satisfy a numerical SEO checklist. Source notes should identify what a reference supports and should not imply that a source endorses the article’s interpretation.
Uncertainty stays visible
Words such as “reported”, “alleged”, “according to”, “the witness recalled” and “the available record does not establish” are used deliberately. When accounts conflict, the disagreement is explained. When the evidence is incomplete, the conclusion remains open. Paranormal testimony is presented as testimony unless reliable evidence establishes more.
Headlines, introductions, image captions and metadata must not make a stronger claim than the article can support. Search visibility is never a reason to exaggerate certainty.
Human editing and original work
Published writing should sound natural, specific and appropriate to the material. Stories are reviewed for grammar, structure, repetition, privacy, labelling and factual clarity. Rewritten public material must add genuine original reporting, analysis or creative authorship; simple copying, spinning or close imitation is not acceptable.
Images should be relevant, accurately described and free from misleading captions. Decorative images use empty alternative text. Informative featured images receive concise alt text that describes the visible scene without forced keyword repetition.
Victims, families and vulnerable people
Real suffering is not a prop. Articles involving death, violence, disappearance, children, trauma or private allegations are edited with restraint. Graphic detail appears only when it is essential to understanding the record. The archive avoids unnecessary speculation about a person’s motives, health, identity or private life.
Names and identifying details may be withheld when publication would create disproportionate harm, breach a reasonable expectation of privacy or expose a reader-submitter without informed consent.
Reader submissions
A submitted story may be edited for clarity, grammar, chronology and privacy while preserving the core account. The editorial team may request clarification, combine repetitive passages or remove details that identify uninvolved people. Submission does not guarantee publication.
Before sending sensitive material, read the Privacy Policy and the guidance on the Submit a Story page. Anonymous and alias-based submissions are welcome, but fabricated accusations and impersonation are not.
Corrections, updates and transparency
Material factual errors are corrected promptly when reliable evidence supports a change. Updates that alter the meaning, evidence or conclusion should be acknowledged in an editorial note. Minor spelling, formatting and broken-link repairs may be made silently when they do not change meaning.
The complete process appears in the Corrections Policy. Readers can submit evidence through the contact and source-enquiry page.
Independence, sponsorship and links
Editorial conclusions are not sold. Sponsorship, affiliate relationships or supplied products should be disclosed close to the relevant content. Paid links use appropriate sponsored attributes. User-generated links and untrusted destinations are treated cautiously. Ordinary citations to credible sources remain normal crawlable links because they help readers understand and verify the work.
Responsibility for the archive
The archive is written and curated by DarkRecord Editorial Team. Its purpose, categories and relationship to the Swedish site are explained on the About page. These standards are reviewed as the archive grows and should evolve when a better method of verification, privacy protection or reader guidance becomes available.
The broader principles of accuracy, minimising harm and accountability are consistent with the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, while the archive remains an independent editorial project.
Source hierarchy and anonymous material
Primary records, original documents and direct attributable interviews carry more evidential weight than summaries or repeated online claims. Anonymous material may provide a lead, but it does not become verified merely because it is detailed or widely repeated.
Images, reconstruction and dramatization
Illustrations and atmospheric images must not be presented as documentary photographs. Reconstructed dialogue, composite scenes and dramatized passages are disclosed. Image captions must distinguish a real location, representative artwork and an editorial reconstruction.
Conflicts, funding and review
Relevant personal, commercial or affiliate relationships are disclosed close to the affected content. These standards are reviewed at least annually and whenever a material change is made to sourcing, privacy, corrections or publication workflow.