Morgenbericht.de takes the safety and dignity of minors seriously. Our Safeguarding & Minors Policy sets out the extra care we take when covering children and young people in our journalism. Every story that features or affects a minor receives additional scrutiny from our Standards Lead, Helena Jäger, before publication. This policy applies to all content, including text, images, video and audio, across the news site and associated platforms.
What additional safeguards apply to content involving minors?
Helena Jäger, our Ansvarig för faktagranskning (fact-checking lead), reviews every article that names, depicts or substantially discusses a person under 18. This review happens after the standard editorial process and ensures the piece meets our heightened standards for consent, anonymity and potential harm. No story featuring a minor goes live without her sign-off.
We generally avoid naming minors unless the story is demonstrably in the public interest – for example, a missing-child alert or a significant legal case where identification is unavoidable. Even then, we assess whether anonymity would reduce the risk of stigma or harassment. Our editorial policy requires a clear justification for any exception.
Who reviews stories featuring children?
The review chain for minor-related content includes the drafting journalist, the section editor and then Helena Jäger as final gatekeeper. Christina Hoffmann, our Redaktionschef, may also be consulted for sensitive decisions. Helena Jäger can be contacted directly via our team page or through the editorial office.
All staff and freelance contributors receive training on safeguarding principles at induction and annually. This includes recognising power imbalances, avoiding sensationalism and respecting family privacy during interviews or photo shoots.
What you can expect from us
When we report on stories that affect young people, we prioritise their long-term wellbeing over short-term news impact. We obtain informed consent from a parent or legal guardian before interviewing a minor in any depth, and we anonymise personal details such as school, village or family name unless there is a compelling public-interest reason to do otherwise. Images of minors are used sparingly and only when they add essential context – never for decoration or click appeal. All commercial content featuring minors, including sponsored pieces or affiliate mentions, is flagged and rejected unless it meets our child-protection criteria.
How do we handle concerns or complaints about minors?
If you believe a story, image or any content on Morgenbericht.de breaches this policy or puts a minor at risk, please contact us immediately. Send details to complaints@morgenbericht.de – this mailbox is monitored by Helena Jäger and our legal team. We acknowledge every complaint within two working days and investigate fully. Where a correction or removal is warranted, we act promptly and append a notice to the article. For further steps, see our complaints procedure.
Where can I learn more about our editorial standards?
Our editorial policy explains the broader principles that govern all our journalism, including accuracy, impartiality and transparency. The fact-checking policy outlines how we verify sources, and the AI & automation policy describes the role of digital tools in our newsroom – which never replace human judgment, especially in stories involving minors.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any query about this policy or wish to report a specific issue, contact Helena Jäger at complaints@morgenbericht.de or use the general info@morgenbericht.de address. We treat all concerns seriously and will respond within three working days. For more information about Morgenbericht’s governance, see ownership and funding or our team.