Sacharchiv (sacharchiv.de) takes the welfare and dignity of minors seriously. This policy explains the extra precautions we apply whenever children appear in our reporting, the editorial review process led by Standards Lead Anna Martin, and how you can raise a concern. It supplements our broader Editorial Policy.
Why do we have a dedicated policy for covering minors?
Children are especially vulnerable to harm from media exposure. We recognise that publishing information about a minor can affect their safety, reputation, and development long into adulthood. This policy ensures we balance the public interest against a child’s right to privacy and protection.
Sacharchiv Media Ltd., our parent company registered in Gibraltar (C 92009), requires all editorial staff to follow these safeguards. The policy applies to text, images, audio, video, and any user-generated content we publish.
What specific steps do we take when reporting on children?
We do not identify a minor without a clear public-interest justification. Unless we obtain explicit, informed consent from a parent or guardian, we avoid naming children or showing recognisable images. In criminal, social services, or health contexts we assume anonymity as the default.
Journalists must consult the newsdesk before interviewing or photographing anyone under 18. When consent is given, we confirm it in writing and record the date, purpose, and scope of use. We never pay or incentivise a child for information. We also avoid sensationalising a minor’s story, even when the topic is newsworthy.
Who oversees the review of content involving minors?
Every article that includes a child receives an additional review by Anna Martin, our Ansvarig för faktagranskning (Fact-Checking Lead), before publication. She checks that all safeguards have been applied and that the editorial rationale is documented.
Anna Martin works closely with Chefredaktör Matthias Ziegler and the Standards team. You can view full staff responsibilities on our Our Team page. If an article already published is found to have insufficient protection for a minor, it is corrected or removed immediately under our Corrections Policy.
What you can expect from us
You can expect that any mention or depiction of a minor on Sacharchiv will have been scrutinised for necessity, proportionality, and respect. We clearly label content that involves children to help readers understand the context. No sponsored or commercially influenced content can override these protections.
Our Fact-Checking Policy requires sources involving minors to be verified with particular care. We do not use AI tools to generate quotes or images of children; any AI-assisted drafting is reviewed manually for compliance with this policy.
How do we handle images and personal data of minors?
We only publish images of children when they are essential to the story and blurring or anonymisation is insufficient. Where possible, we use generic or stock images rather than identifiable photographs. Personal data such as school names, addresses, or medical details are stripped unless a compelling public-interest argument is approved by the editor-in-chief.
All data handling follows our Privacy Policy. We never share a minor’s data with third parties for marketing or analytics.
What happens if we make a mistake?
If we inadvertently identify a minor without proper consent or use an image that causes distress, we correct the record promptly. That may mean removing the content, issuing a correction, or publishing a clarification. Readers can alert us directly via complaints@sacharchiv.de.
Our Complaints Procedure explains how we investigate and respond. The Standards Lead, Anna Martin, is copied on all such reports to ensure they are handled sensitively.
Questions or concerns?
If you believe a minor’s welfare has been compromised by something we have published, please contact our complaints desk at complaints@sacharchiv.de or use the general contact address info@sacharchiv.de. For general enquiries about this policy, write to factcheck@sacharchiv.de marked “Minors Policy”.
We take every concern seriously and will respond within two working days. Our full editorial standards are available on the Editorial Policy page.