The 19th exists to serve women and LGBTQ+ people — particularly those from underrepresented communities — with the information, resources and tools they need to be equal participants in our democracy.
Why do we value community? Because we believe a healthy and representative democracy requires the free and informed exchange of ideas, even when we disagree. As we work to build an organization reflective of the nation’s diversity, we hope our journalism will spur such an exchange of ideas among a diverse readership, with differing perspectives and lived experiences. What we will have in common is a shared set of values and a unified purpose: a greater understanding of the issues and each other.
The 19th aims to be a home for all people affected by the issues we cover. To that end, all members of our community are expected to observe the following guidelines when engaging on our website, newsletters, social channels, events or other platforms.
To help ensure The 19th remains a safe and constructive platform for our community to grow…
We ask that you:
- Honor facts. As with our journalism, our community will be grounded in facts, data and evidence. We encourage community members to bring facts and expertise to the conversation, citing data sources and specific experiences when applicable.
- Be respectful. At The 19th, we engage with our colleagues, readers, sources, speakers, and wider community with kindness and candor. We don’t shy away from tough questions or conversations, but enter them with a sense of empathy and a willingness to afford others the benefit of the doubt.
- Advance equity. At The 19th, we celebrate our differences and actively work against the privileges that inhibit opportunities for all. That means cultivating conversations where diverse viewpoints and voices are welcome, and being aware of bias and privilege.
- Be open, stay curious. At The 19th, there are no dumb questions and no assumptions that may not be challenged. While we hold steadfastly to facts, we also believe there is power in acknowledging what we do not know and embracing dialogue that aims to “get it right” above always “being right.”
- Participate. At The 19th, we encourage participation that promotes understanding. This includes actively listening and bringing questions and comments that advance dialogue and understanding.
We commit to:
- Listening. At The 19th, we strive to listen by asking for your feedback, answering your questions, seeking out your stories and being responsive to your needs.
- Being inclusive. At The 19th, we’re striving to build a newsroom that reflects the racial, ideological, socioeconomic and gender diversity of America. We’ll cultivate a community that reflects that same diversity, bringing our readers into conversation with the people shaping politics and policy as well as those whose voices have been at the margins.
- Being transparent. Equity requires accountability; we will strive to be transparent with readers as these community guidelines evolve. We will own up to mistakes when we make them. And we’ll disclose how our journalism and events are funded.
- Being intentional. At The 19th, we recognize that for our community to thrive, we must honor the lived experiences of all community members. This means remaining open to learning from our community, and convening conversations that reflect the needs and experiences of those we hope to engage.
We won’t tolerate:
- Posting or sharing false or misleading information.
- Patently offensive, racist, bigoted, hateful or harmful behavior of any kind against any group or individual, or ad hominem attacks or harassment against any group or individual.
- Spamming our platforms with self-promotional material or spam content of any kind.
- Doxxing or publicly posting personally identifiable information about another individual without their permission, including passwords, addresses and contact information.
- Anything else that violates our terms of service.
To report violations of these guidelines, please contact [email protected].
Note: The 19th may remove or block users of our website, newsletters, events, social channels or any other 19th platforms at any time, for any reason.