Our rules

Kind to people. Hard on unfair rules.

You do not have to agree with every claim. You do have to stand for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), treat people with care, check facts and say no to pile-ons.

Why Jason Arday matters here

Jason Arday was unable to speak as a child, defied the odds and became a Black Cambridge professor — deservedly so.

This tells you which way we face. A person's start in life must not set their worth. Race, class or disability must not shut the door.

We still check facts. We do not use Jason Arday as a mascot or ask him to speak for us.

Cambridge backs the main facts in its news story and staff page. “Deservedly so” is what we believe.

You must

Stand for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and for each person's worth.
Listen. Do not make people show their pain.
Say what you know and what you do not know.
Test a claim without shaming the person.
Fix the record when new facts come in.
Share praise and make room for quiet ways to help.

You must not

Bring hate based on who someone is.
Bully, gang up on, expose or set a crowd on someone.
Treat likes, fame, money or a job title as proof.
Post private facts or names without a check and clear say-so.
Let AI decide who is right or who gets banned.
Use the work to sell, recruit or build a following.

When people disagree

Ask for proof. Do not start a pile-on.

You do not have to swallow a news story whole. Ask for a source. Say why you think a claim is wrong. Let others answer. Fix the page if the facts change.

Race, class, sex and disability can all hit one person at once. Some call this intersectionality. We look at how the harms stack up, and we still check each claim.

Who can help

Anyone can read. To help with the work, you must keep these rules.

If we turn you down, we must say which rule we used. You may ask someone else to check our choice. We never turn someone away because of who they are.

UK law also sets rules on unfair treatment. Read the government guide and get legal help before using this page as a formal policy.

See how a review will work