Editorial Standards
The rules that govern every datum, every headline, every pixel. Non-negotiable.
“The standard is the standard. There are no exceptions, no shortcuts, no editorial conveniences that override the protocol.”
TANGISON Editorial Board
I. Verification Protocol
Every datum published by Times of Namibia undergoes a mandatory 3-point source verification before it reaches the reader. This is not aspirational — it is structural. The Times OS engine validates each data point against three independent sources: the primary government portal, a secondary official record, and a tertiary cross-reference. If any point in the triangle fails, the datum is flagged as unverified, never buried or silently corrected.
Scraped timestamps serve as proof of verification. When a reader sees a timestamp reading “Scraped 6s ago,” they are witnessing the output of a verification chain that began at the source portal and ended on their screen in under six seconds. The timestamp is the receipt. The verification badge is the seal.
3-Point Verification Matrix
Primary government portal (NIEIS, Gazette, CRAN)
Secondary official record or agency confirmation
Tertiary cross-reference or verified wire service
If any point fails → Flagged as Unverified. Never buried.
II. The 6-Second Rule
All technical data is refreshed within 6-second cycles. The scraping engine operates continuously, ensuring that no figure displayed to the reader is older than six seconds unless explicitly marked as archival.
If a feature cannot load on a 3G connection in Oshakati within 6 seconds, it does not ship. The platform is CSS-heavy and image-light by design. Every byte must earn its place on the page.
The physical Broadside is designed to be read in 90 seconds. Every story on the sheet must be graspable in under 6 seconds of scanning. Headlines, timestamps, and source badges do the heavy lifting.
6 seconds. No exceptions. No excuses.
If the reader cannot verify that the data is current within 6 seconds of looking at the screen, the system has failed.
III. Regional Accuracy
The spelling of Namibian regions is non-negotiable. We do not anglicise, simplify, or approximate. The click consonant in //Kharas is not decorative — it is the name. Our editorial system enforces correct spelling programmatically, with a regional name validator built into the Times OS pipeline.
Includes the click consonant. Never 'Kharas' without the //.
Used in specific anthropological and historical contexts. Not interchangeable.
Not 'Oshanaa'. The double-a is incorrect.
Full spelling required. No abbreviations in editorial copy.
Always with directional suffix. 'Kavango' alone is insufficient.
Not 'Caprivi'. The region was renamed in 2013. This is enforced.
IV. Source Attribution
Every datum carries its source, its timestamp, and its verification status. This is not optional metadata — it is the structural integrity of the publication. A datum without a source is not information; it is noise. A timestamp that is not visible is not proof; it is decoration.
Source
The primary portal, agency, or wire from which the datum was scraped. Displayed in JetBrains Mono. Example: NIEIS or Gov. Gazette
Timestamp
ISO-8601 format with CAT timezone. The exact moment the data was scraped. Displayed as “Scraped Xs ago” for reader-facing copy, and full timestamp in metadata view. Example: 2026-05-15T14:32:07+02:00
Verification
The verification badge indicates whether the 3-point matrix has been satisfied. Statuses: Verified (3/3), Partial (2/3), Unverified(<2/3).
V. No Engagement Bait
We do not optimise for engagement. We optimise for understanding. There are no clickbait headlines, no inflated urgency, no artificial scarcity. A headline is a summary of fact, not a promise of revelation. If the reader must click to discover what the headline should have told them, the headline has failed.
Information density is the metric. Every headline must convey the essential truth. Every data point must serve the reader, not the analytics dashboard. We measure success by comprehension, not by clicks.
Prohibited Practices
- ✗Clickbait headlines that withhold essential information
- ✗Artificial urgency or countdown-based framing
- ✗Engagement metrics as editorial KPIs
- ✗Emojis in headlines or push notifications
- ✗Infinite scroll designed to maximise session duration
- ✗Pop-ups, interstitials, or attention-capture mechanisms
- ✗A/B tested headlines optimised for clicks over accuracy
VI. The Stoic Observer — Editorial Voice
The editorial voice of Times of Namibia is the Stoic Observer: intellectual, precise, and deeply rooted in Namibian soil. It does not emote. It does not speculate. It observes, verifies, and presents. The voice is the same whether reporting a tender award in Windhoek or a community development initiative in Kavango West — measured, factual, and stripped of performative urgency.
The Stoic Observer does not tell the reader how to feel. It tells the reader what is. Opinion is clearly separated from fact. When editorial judgment is exercised, it is disclosed. When a story requires context, it is provided — not as commentary, but as the scaffolding of understanding.
Voice Attributes
- Intellectual
Assumes the reader's capacity. Does not simplify. Provides depth.
- Precise
Every word is deliberate. No hedging, no vagueness, no filler.
- Rooted
Namibian context is not added — it is foundational. //Kharas is spelled with the click.
- Stoic
No emotive language. No performative urgency. The fact is sufficient.
VII. Contributor Standards
Every contributor to Times of Namibia operates within the same verification framework as the core editorial pipeline. There are no exceptions for external wires, freelance correspondents, or partner publications. If the datum appears on TON, it carries the same source attribution, the same timestamp, and the same verification badge.
Verified correspondents receive a verification badge that is displayed alongside their bylines. This badge is not decorative — it indicates that the contributor has passed the TON verification protocol and their submissions flow through the same 3-point validation as scraped data.
- Verified Wires Only
Only wire services that pass the TON verification matrix are integrated. Unverified wires are excluded.
- Source Attribution
Every contributor submission must include primary source, timestamp, and verification chain.
- Verification Badges
Contributors who pass the protocol receive a visible badge. No badge, no byline.
- Regional Expertise
Contributors are assigned to regions they have verified knowledge of. No generalists.
VIII. Correction Policy
Errors are corrected transparently. There are no silent edits. When a correction is issued, it is appended to the original article with a JetBrains Mono timestamp, the nature of the error, and the corrected datum. The original text remains visible, struck through, with the correction immediately below.
Every correction is visible. The original error is preserved, struck through, and the correction is appended with a monospaced timestamp. The reader sees both the error and the fix.
Corrections are issued within the same 6-second cycle when possible. System-detected errors trigger automatic flags. Editorial corrections are appended within one scraping cycle of confirmation.
A public correction log is maintained. The frequency and nature of corrections are themselves data points, visible to any reader who wishes to assess the reliability of the system.
IX. Imagery Standards
All photography must be high-contrast grayscale. No stock photography. If it is not Namibia, it is not Times of Namibia. Every image must carry a GPS coordinate watermark and a JetBrains Mono timestamp in a black rectangular box. No rounded corners on overlay elements. Images displayed grayscale by default; colour on hover (digital only).
Print imagery is always grayscale — no hover state in print. All images must be shot with Namibian content: landscapes, infrastructure, people, commerce. No artificial lighting in outdoor shots. Natural light only.
- High-contrast grayscale — no exceptions
- No stock photography. Namibian content only
- GPS coordinate watermark in black rectangular box
- JetBrains Mono timestamp in the same black box
- Sharp corners on all overlay elements
- Grayscale default; colour on hover (digital only)
- 16:9 for hero images, 4:3 for inline, 1:1 for portraits
- Natural light only for outdoor shots
[ Image Area ]
WINDHOEK CBD // 22.57 S, 17.08 E
2026-04-28 14:32:07 CAT
X. Print Standards
Pure White or Cream stock, minimum 120gsm. No gloss. Matte finish only. The texture must feel like authority — thick, unyielding, and archival.
All type aligned to a baseline grid. Headlines in Playfair Display 900, body in Inter 400, data in JetBrains Mono. The grid is non-negotiable.
Brutalist minimalism. Sharp corners only. No soft textures. No rounded edges. The physical form must convey the same authority as the editorial content it carries.