The Boston Report is an independent, ad-supported news site covering Boston, New England and the world. This page explains who is responsible for what we publish, how our stories are produced, and the standards we hold them to.
Who is responsible
Peter Klausz is the Founder and Writer of The Boston Report and is responsible for all content on this site. He sets our editorial standards, decides what we cover, and is accountable for every story we publish, whatever byline it carries. See our About page for details.
How our stories are produced (AI use)
We use artificial intelligence (AI) tools openly, and we want readers to know exactly how:
- We start from published reporting and official sources. Stories are built from information that is already public: reporting by established news organizations and official sources such as government agencies, police and court records, public meetings and documents, team and company announcements, weather services and published research.
- AI assists with research and drafting. AI tools help us gather and summarize that material and write drafts in our house style.
- Stories are reviewed and published under editorial direction. Drafts are checked against their sources for names, numbers, dates, places and quotes, and anything we cannot support with a source is cut. Stories are published under the editorial direction of Peter Klausz, Founder and Writer.
- We do not claim reporting we did not do. We do not do independent on-the-ground reporting unless a story says so. We do not claim to have attended events, interviewed people or visited places. Quotes come from the cited source, public record or official statement, and we say where they came from.
Bylines
Peter Klausz, our founder and writer, also writes under his own name. All other stories are published under AI reporter bylines, each covering one beat: Avery Quest (Geopolitics & Warfare); Michael Haverford (Business & Tech); Thomas Redfield (Boston Sports); Jenna Caldwell (Boston Local News & Politics); Olivia Westbrook (Restaurants & Food). These AI reporter names are pen names, not individual human reporters, and each covers stories produced through the AI-assisted process described above. Each AI reporter’s author page says so. Stories under any byline, including Peter Klausz’s, are produced with the same AI-assisted process. The Boston Report and its Founder and Writer stand behind every story, whatever byline it carries.
Sourcing and attribution
- We link to our sources. When a fact comes from another news organization, we credit that organization by name and link to its original story. When information comes from an official source, we link to it when it is online.
- Primary sources first. We prefer agency statements, court filings, public data and official announcements over secondhand accounts.
- Confirmed versus claimed. We make clear whether something is officially confirmed, reported by other outlets, or claimed by one side. Casualty figures and allegations are attributed to whoever made them.
- No invented details. We do not make up quotes, sources, statistics or scenes.
- Crime coverage. People charged with crimes are presumed innocent. Arrests and charges are reported as allegations.
News and opinion are kept separate
Our news coverage aims to be accurate and neutral. Some business stories end with a section headed “Our Take”, which is labeled as analysis and opinion from The Boston Report. Opinion appears only in those labeled sections. Our politics, government and city coverage is written to be neutral and does not include “Our Take” sections.
Images
Unless a credit says otherwise, featured images on The Boston Report are original computer-generated illustrations made for the story. They illustrate a story’s topic. They are not photographs of real events, people or places in the news, and should not be read as such. When we use a photo from a third party, we credit it.
Restaurant coverage
Our restaurant spotlights are based on public information, such as the restaurant’s own website and menus, published reviews and news coverage. They are not first-hand reviews. Restaurants do not pay to be featured.
Independence and conflicts of interest
- The Boston Report is independently owned by its publisher and is not affiliated with any political party, campaign, government agency or advocacy group.
- The site is supported by advertising served by third-party networks. Advertisers have no say over what we cover or how.
- We do not accept payment for news coverage, and no one we write about gets to approve a story before it is published.
- Some pages may include affiliate links, which may earn us a commission. Any sponsored content will be clearly labeled as sponsored.
- If The Boston Report or its Founder and Writer has a financial or personal connection to the subject of a story, we will disclose it in that story.
How we label sources
Some claims we report come from outlets that are controlled by a government, a military or an armed group, or from accounts we cannot identify. When a claim in our reporting rests on one of these sources, we place a visible label next to it, for example: Unverified claim, Tasnim (IRGC-affiliated). The label names the source and its affiliation and says whether the claim has been independently confirmed. Select any label to return to this explanation.
What the labels mean
- Unverified claim: the claim comes only from the named source. We have not found confirmation from independent outlets, official records of other parties, or verifiable evidence such as imagery. It may be true or false; we report it as a claim, not a fact.
- Confirmed by [outlet]: the claim first came from a labeled source, and at least one independent, reliable outlet or party has since confirmed it. We name who confirmed it.
- Disputed claim: another party or independent reporting contradicts the claim. We name who disputes it.
Definitions
- State-controlled media: outlets owned, funded or editorially directed by a government, including defense ministries speaking through their own channels.
- Military- or militia-affiliated outlets: outlets run by or closely tied to an armed force or armed group, such as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Houthis or Hamas.
- Anonymous social media accounts: accounts whose operators we cannot identify or verify.
- Independently confirmed: corroborated by a source with no stake in the claim, such as a major independent news organization, a neutral monitor, or verifiable public evidence.
Sources we label
- IRGC-affiliated: Tasnim News Agency, Fars News Agency, Sepah News, and statements from the IRGC itself.
- Iranian state media: IRNA, Press TV, IRIB.
- Russian state media and Ministry of Defense: TASS, RIA Novosti, RT, and Russian Defense Ministry statements.
- Chinese state media: Xinhua, Global Times, CGTN, People’s Daily, China Daily.
- Houthi-controlled: Saba (Houthi-run), Al-Masirah, and Houthi military spokesmen.
- Hamas-run: Hamas statements and outlets, including the Hamas-run Gaza government media office and Al-Aqsa media.
- Anonymous social media accounts and unattributed channels.
Statements from governments and militaries that are parties to a conflict, including the United States, Israel, Ukraine and their adversaries, are always attributed by name. A label does not mean a claim is false; it tells readers where the claim came from and whether anyone independent has backed it up.
Corrections
We correct errors promptly and note what changed. See our Corrections Policy for how to report a mistake.
Contact
News tips and corrections: contact@thebostonreport.com. Advertising: contact@thebostonreport.com. Everything else: contact@thebostonreport.com or our Contact page.
See also: About · Corrections · Disclaimer · Privacy Policy
See also: News Sources Guide: fact vs. opinion ratings, independent journalism worth supporting, and creators by political lean.