Mission & Editorial Policy

Effective: November 14, 2025

Mission Statement

Uyghur News Network (UNN) is an independent, public-interest media organization dedicated to restoring free Uyghur-language journalism, strengthening the global reach of Uyghur voices, and exposing atrocities committed against Uyghurs by the Chinese state through factual, evidence-based, and transparent reporting.

UNN documents mass detention, enforced disappearances, cultural erasure, surveillance, and other human rights violations using verified, multi-source information. We deliver multilingual news, investigations, and community-focused content designed to inform, empower, and protect Uyghurs worldwide.

Our mission is to ensure that Uyghur truth, identity, and lived experiences cannot be suppressed, erased, or distorted by censorship or propaganda.

Editorial Policy

1. Editorial Independence

UNN maintains full editorial autonomy.
No government, political entity, corporation, donor, or interest group may influence or direct our journalism.
Funding does not grant editorial control of any kind.
Editorial judgment rests solely with UNN’s newsroom leadership.
All staff and contributors must avoid conflicts of interest and uphold independent, nonpartisan journalism.

2. Evidence-Based, Ethical Journalism

UNN adheres to international standards of accuracy, fairness, and integrity.
We commit to rigorous fact-checking, balanced sourcing, transparent editorial decisions, and minimizing harm.

UNN’s investigative mandate includes exposing Chinese state abuses and atrocities against Uyghurs through:

  • primary testimony
  • open-source intelligence (OSINT)
  • satellite imagery
  • authenticated documents
  • chain-of-custody verification
  • expert opinion

All major investigations include methodology or transparency notes.

3. Exposing Atrocities With Verified Evidence

UNN documents human rights violations—including mass arbitrary detention, torture reports, forced labor, family separation, and suppression of cultural and religious life—with precision and transparency.

We counter Chinese propaganda by maintaining a public corrections page, publishing sourcing standards, producing fact-checks, and debunking disinformation with verifiable evidence.
UNN aims to provide an authoritative, evidence-based record trusted by policymakers, NGOs, journalists, and researchers.

4. Accuracy, Corrections & Accountability

UNN strives for the highest accuracy and maintains a correction rate below 0.5%.

When errors occur, we will:

  1. review the issue promptly
  2. correct it across all platforms
  3. add a clear correction note
  4. timestamp substantive changes

Readers may request corrections at uyghurnewsnetwork@gmail.com
UNN retracts stories only when necessary, with a full public explanation.

5. Transparency With Audiences

UNN is committed to openness in its methods, including:

  • explaining anonymous sourcing when necessary for safety
  • clarifying methodological constraints due to censorship
  • disclosing how evidence was verified
  • publicly listing major donors while affirming donors have zero editorial influence

When safety risks exist, identifying details or operational information may be withheld.

6. Protection of Sources & At-Risk Communities

Due to severe repression, UNN applies enhanced protections:

  • encrypted communications
  • secure handling of materials
  • anonymity for high-risk sources
  • trauma-informed interviewing
  • strict chain-of-custody protocols

Human safety always comes before publication speed.

7. Countering Propaganda & Disinformation

UNN systematically confronts state-driven propaganda through:

  • evidence-based investigations
  • OSINT verification
  • transparency notes
  • collaboration with independent researchers
  • secure investigative practices

UNN seeks to be the global reference point for credible Uyghur-related reporting.

8. Monitoring & Editorial Review

UNN conducts regular:

  • editorial audits
  • accuracy reviews
  • cybersecurity assessments
  • performance evaluations
  • audience trust surveys
  • tracking of media and NGO citations

These processes strengthen credibility, impact, and alignment with UNN’s mission.

Statement of Commitment

UNN exists to defend truth, preserve Uyghur identity, and document atrocities that others attempt to hide.
We pledge to uphold independence, accuracy, transparency, and integrity in every piece of journalism we produce.
Our mission and editorial principles guide all decisions in service of the Uyghur people and the global public.