How The Match Journal approaches editorial work.

The Match Journal aims to publish football coverage that is accurate, independent, thoughtful, and useful to readers. Our editorial decisions are guided by relevance, evidence, context, originality, and respect for the game and the people within it.

01 / Our Standards

How we approach editorial work.

Principle / 01

Editorial independence

Editorial decisions are made according to what we believe is relevant and valuable to readers. Advertising, sponsorships, partnerships, or commercial relationships should not determine our factual conclusions or editorial judgment.

Principle / 02

Accuracy and verification

We aim to verify factual claims, statistics, records, dates, quotations, and historical information using reliable sources. Our detailed approach to verification and corrections is explained in our Fact-Checking & Corrections Policy.

Principle / 03

Context matters

Football stories are rarely just numbers or isolated events. We aim to explain the wider context around records, results, players, tactical ideas, historical moments, and developing stories so readers can understand why they matter.

Principle / 04

Fact, analysis, and opinion

Rankings, tactical assessments, prospect evaluations, match verdicts, and historical interpretation may involve editorial judgment. We aim to distinguish those conclusions from verifiable factual claims and support them with evidence where possible.

Principle / 05

Originality and attribution

We aim to produce original editorial work and credit external reporting, research, quotations, statistics, images, and other sources where appropriate. We do not present another publisher’s reporting or ideas as our own.

02 / Sources

Reliable evidence comes first.

Where possible, we prioritise official football organisations, competitions, clubs, federations, direct statements, recognised statistical databases, credible archives, and established journalism. The strength of the source should match the importance of the claim being made.

03 / Developing Coverage

When information is still changing.

Transfers, injuries, team news, tournament developments, and breaking stories can evolve quickly. We aim to identify what is confirmed, distinguish credible reporting from speculation, and update coverage when meaningful new information becomes available.

04 / Transparency

Commercial relationships.

Sponsored or commercially supported material should be clearly identifiable where applicable. Commercial relationships should not override our responsibility to present information honestly or mislead readers about the nature of the content they are viewing.

05 / Contributors

Responsibility of our writers.

Writers are expected to work within The Match Journal’s editorial standards, verify their work carefully, identify uncertainty when necessary, respect intellectual property, and avoid knowingly publishing false or misleading information.

06 / Editorial Tools

Technology and AI assistance.

Digital tools, including AI-assisted tools, may support parts of the editorial workflow such as research organisation, drafting support, formatting, or quality checks. Editorial responsibility remains with The Match Journal, and factual claims should still be reviewed and verified before publication.

07 / Accountability

Corrections and reader feedback.

If we identify a material factual error, we aim to correct it promptly. Readers who believe a story contains inaccurate or misleading information can contact us at hello.tmj@proton.me.

The Match Journal

Stories. Truth. Legacy.

The Match Journal is an independent football publication built for readers who want to understand the game, remember its history, and keep discovering what comes next.