Ethics Policy
Our solemn (mostly) commitment to journalistic integrity, fairness, and occasionally questionable taste in pickleball coverage.
A Note from Our Editor-in-Chief
At Topspin Press, we take our role as the fourth estate of pickleball journalism very seriously. Well, semi-seriously. Okay, maybe not that seriously, but we do have standards. Sort of.
This document outlines our commitment to truth, fairness, and the occasional dramatic retelling of what was probably just a regular Tuesday night match at the community center.
Truth & Accuracy
We strive to get the facts right. Scores, player names, and match outcomes are verified to the best of our ability. Everything else is artistic license.
Fairness & Balance
We give all players a fair shake, even the ones who call every ball "out" when it's clearly in. Everyone gets their moment in the spotlight.
Transparency
We clearly label AI-generated content and always disclose when we're making stuff up for dramatic effect. Honesty is our policy (mostly).
Community First
We prioritize local leagues, tournaments, and players who make pickleball accessible to everyone. No elitism here—just good old-fashioned community spirit.
Specific Guidelines
Player Privacy
We respect player privacy and will not publish personal information without consent. However, if you're making a scene on Court 3, that's fair game. You're in public, after all.
Conflict of Interest
Our reporters are required to disclose any personal relationships with players they cover. This includes being married to them, dating them, or owing them money from last week's doubles match.
Corrections
When we make mistakes, we correct them promptly and prominently. We're not above admitting we were wrong, especially when it comes to line calls we incorrectly reported as "controversial."
AI Content
We use AI to generate match recaps, but all content is reviewed by human editors before publication. The AI might be smart, but it doesn't know the difference between a dink and a drive.
What We Won't Do (Probably)
Fabricate Scores: We won't make up match results, even if it would make for a better story. The truth is usually stranger than fiction anyway.
Defame Players: We won't publish false accusations or unsubstantiated rumors. Unless they're really funny and we can verify them.
Accept Bribes: We won't accept payment in exchange for favorable coverage. But we will accept free coffee if you're offering.
Ignore Controversies: We won't shy away from covering legitimate disputes, but we'll always try to get both sides of the story.
Reporting Ethics Violations
If you believe we've violated our own ethics policy (which would be embarrassing for us), please contact us immediately. We take these things seriously, even if we don't always act like it.
You can report violations through our contact formor by emailing ethics@topspinpress.com (yes, that's a real email address).
Note: All ethics violation reports are reviewed by our Ethics Committee, which consists of our editor, our fact-checker, and the barista at the coffee shop where we write most of our articles.
In Conclusion
We're not perfect, but we're trying. Our commitment to ethical journalism is as serious as a pickleball player arguing about a line call. Which is to say, very serious indeed.
This policy was last updated when we remembered we should probably have one. We'll update it again when we think of something else to add.