Last updated: 20 August 2026
What we hold ourselves to
zBrandCo follows the standards that define the best independent technology journalism. Our work is guided by seven principles:
1. Open with something specific
Never with an abstraction. Our stories open with a person, place, moment, or thing — something a reader can picture.
2. Use character as entry point
Specific named people, not abstract entities. Readers connect with humans, not forces.
3. Present complexity
Contradictory emotions, multiple perspectives, unresolved tension. Real life is messy — our journalism reflects that.
4. Show, don’t tell
Scene → meaning. A specific scene with sensory details, then the zoom-out to explain what it represents.
5. Direct quotes with personality
Quotes that reveal character, not press releases. A good quote sounds like a real person talking.
6. Forward momentum
Every paragraph makes the reader want the next. Tension, contrast, questions, revelation.
7. Kicker opens outward
A forward-looking thought, powerful image, or unresolved tension — never a summary.
Sourcing standards
Every factual claim in our reporting is attributed to a primary source. We do not cite other media as proof of a factual claim — we go to the original document, announcement, or data. When we quote, we quote exactly and in context.
Corrections
When we get it wrong, we say so publicly. See our Corrections Policy.