The Mission of the Tripod
The Trinity Tripod is the sole student newspaper at Trinity College. We strive to cover the issues that matter most to the campus community and to do so with accuracy, integrity and purpose. We believe in the truth and the fundamental importance of journalistic practice to a free and democratic society. Moreover, we believe that the bedrock of a civil society is affording an opportunity for the free interchange of ideas and resolve that it is our duty to do so.
The truth needs to be heard and it is the solemn charge of the Tripod, for better or worse, to bear that burden. Accordingly, we will not stifle beliefs and opinions in our Opinion Section merely because they are unpopular, nor will we pursue coverage of individuals and stories in our News Section with animosity or malice. We do not believe in emendations or retractions when the issue at hand is one of interpretation.
Newsroom Policies
Website & Social Media Policy
The Tripod encourages a spirited and open debate on our website. Comments that engender conversation or provide critiques are welcome, so long as they stand within the bounds of civil discourse. Comments will be moderated by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Managing Editor(s). Decisions on the approval of comments are not appealable. We ask that visitors act respectfully and with grace when engaging with our website and social media pages. We encourage civil discourse in our comment sections, but will not tolerate bigotry or hatred against writers, staff, subjects of articles, or other commenters.
Once submitted, comments become the property of the Tripod. The Tripod maintains the right to ensure the identity of the stated author and redistribute or republish comments as it sees fit. Further, the views expressed in comments are solely those of the commenter. They are not endorsed or promoted by the Tripod or Trinity College.
The Tripod may collect information on website access and usage and catalog such information in its analytic database. This information will be maintained and may be accessible by members of the Tripod staff and may include IP addresses, emails and comments. The Tripod will not disclose that information to Trinity College or any of its constituent organizations and will not disclose that information to the state or federal government except as required by applicable law or a court-issued subpoena.
The Tripod maintains social media accounts across multiple platforms. The Tripod‘s policies on comments and data collection, as applicable, apply to those platforms as well. The Tripod may create and add additional platforms not mentioned here and, when such action is taken, those platforms will be governed under the same rules.
The Tripod‘s policies on comments and data collection may be applied to other platforms for the following Tripod email account (tripod@trincoll.edu.) Use of the Tripod email account and website are in accordance with Trinity College’s Acceptable Use Policy and may also be subject to Trinity College’s Privacy Policy under certain conditions.
Anonymity Policy
The Tripod will permit anonymous opinions under a very limited set of circumstances, determined on a case-by-case basis. Simply not wishing to subscribe your name to an opinion for political purposes or for fear of ridicule from students are not sufficient grounds for anonymity. This is consistent with the anonymity policies of major newspapers and student newspapers across the country, among them the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.
Such anonymous articles will be published when the veracity of their content is believed to be of significant importance or value to the public interest and when the health, safety or welfare of the author are determined to be in serious danger of harm or retaliation. In cases where the Tripod has determined that anonymity is not necessary for an article, an explanation will be provided to the writer at which time the writer will decide whether or not they would like to proceed with publication under their name or not at all.
Questions or concerns regarding the Tripod‘s anonymous opinion policy may be directed to tripod@trincoll.edu.
Correction and Retraction Policy
The Tripod strives to be a record of Trinity College’s history and we work hard to ensure that all editions are preserved in the College archives and that their content is incorporated as part of the digital record on our website. We are also committed to the truth and to the accurate depiction of information. The Tripod avers that alterations of the historical record of the community are contrary to our mission as a College newspaper.
That being said, the Tripod recognizes that the Trump administration has targeted and revoked the visas of students as a result of the political views they express. The Tripod senior staff will therefore, on a case-by-case basis, consider writers’ requests to take down op-eds authored before May 2025. They are also willing to remove articles or bylines from the website on a case-by-case basis if an author believes that they could be in physical or political danger for writing the article. However, realistically, the Tripod cannot alter the print record.
The Tripod will recognize corrections to people’s names upon request. Corrections will appear on page two of the next regular print edition and the inaccuracy will be included with the article on the Tripod website.
Requests for retractions or major emendations to content are more serious and the Tripod will not alter or remove content from our archives except under the following conditions:
- The content is factually incorrect, with such factual inaccuracy proved to the editor of the Tripod by the introduction of evidence or a detailed refutation of the inaccuracy; or
- The content has been deemed libelous, dangerous or otherwise illegal by a court of law or by legal counsel with supporting evidence.
- The continued existence of an article causes demonstrable and unjust harm to a group of individuals.
If an error is determined and proved satisfactorily, the Tripod may issue a correction, and/or in exceptional cases, may retract the story. Cases that fall under the above criteria will be addressed on a case-by-case basis by the Editor-in-Chief.
Articles that are removed from the Tripod‘s website or search engine results are not removed from PDF versions of the paper, nor are they deleted from the College’s archives. The Tripod will not alter, amend, or remove PDF versions of the paper under any circumstances or for any reasons. Those who wish to have their articles removed from the website or search engine results should email their requests, with supporting evidence, to tripod@trincoll.edu.
Any requests to change content will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The Tripod reminds those with concerns about retraction that the paper retains full editorial responsibility and such editorial authority is recognized by the College. While the Office of the Dean of Students may hear your concerns and seek to mediate them, they cannot mandate that the Tripod remove or retract content. Requests for corrections or retractions can be submitted on this form.
Policies Related to Overall Coverage
Reporting and Quotation Standards/Policy
The Tripod assumes that all of its staff and contributing writers will verify the accuracy of the articles they submit in the arts, news, features and sports sections. The Tripod does its best to verify the authenticity of this information and understands that violations undermine the trust and credibility of the Tripod. In accordance with our peer institutions, such as the Williams Record, and major news organizations such as the New York Times, the Tripod assumes that all quotations in quotation marks (“”) are verbatim and attributed to the named source. If quotation marks are invoked, the content must reflect exactly what a source said. The Tripod also incorporates into its policies the New York Times’ Guidelines on Integrity and Ethical Journalism, except when such provisions conflict with those explicitly stated here.
Further, the Tripod does not tolerate plagiarism. Writers who engage in plagiarism will be removed from the staff of the Tripod and will not be permitted to continue to write. The Tripod will also retract the relevant story and make a note of the reasons for such a retraction on its editorial page.
The Tripod expects that conversations with sources, including those conducted via email, telephone or other electronic mediums, are “on the record” unless otherwise specified. If statements are indicated as “off the record,” “private”, etc, the writers may not cite to that content in any story nor disclose it to other writers or editors without the source’s express permission.
The Tripod also recognizes that a promise made to a source is an enforceable agreement, as decided in Cohen v. Cowles, 501 U.S. 663 (1991), and that, accordingly, such promises will be observed and respected by the editors of the Tripod.
The Tripod expects that if specific content is requested to be “off the record,” the writer will treat the information as confidential and not disclose or incorporate it into the article. The only exception to this is when the shared information or evidence directly involves an action that would qualify as criminal or would otherwise endanger the physical safety or well-being of an individual.
The Tripod prefers in-person interviews and also recognizes telephonic interviews, face-to-face communication and email as secondary reporting methods. The Tripod encourages the use of interview recording with the assent of the parties involved. Neutral tones (as written in the neutrality guidelines) are expected for impartial journalism.
Op-ed Policy
Op-eds can be written by anyone in the Trinity community (students, faculty, Alumni). Op-eds should be 600-1200 words and discuss something happening in the news or make an argument on a subject of your choice. Op-eds must be timely, well-researched and based in fact. They should add to the discourse around the central topic of the piece. Writers are expected to fact-check prior to publication.
To submit an Op-ed, email tripod@trincoll.edu. Every Op-ed Pitch must have a title. If an Op-Ed is found to be demonstrably false, see the retraction policy.
Editorial Policy
Tripod editorials are signed by the individual authors with their initials or, in the case of an all-staff editorial, with “The Trinity Tripod.” The right to pen editorials rests solely with the editors of the Tripod and may not be utilized as a platform for other undergraduate students or administrators. The views of editorials do not reflect the views of Trinity College or its constituent organizations unless explicitly stated otherwise.
As the Tripod notes on its masthead, “the opinions expressed in Tripod editorials represent the views of the Tripod Editorial Board, unless otherwise signed. Those opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of all contributors to the Tripod.”
The Tripod reserves the right to comment in its editorials on matters of public opinion and reserves the commensurate right to endorse candidates for political office at the local, state and national level.
Letter to the Editor Policy
The Tripod welcomes letters to the editor on any topic from all undergraduate and graduate members of the Trinity College campus. The Tripod also welcomes letters from faculty, staff and administrators. Letters from third-parties or individuals outside of the community will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The views of letters to the editor do not represent the views of Trinity College or its constituent organizations unless explicitly stated otherwise.
The Tripod limits letters to the editor to 750 words. Depending on the constraints of space, the Tripod may limit the length of letters or permit their extension.
The Tripod will generally publish all letters it receives, including those which criticize its editorial policies or direction, subject to the following exceptions:
- The information contained within the letter is an ad hominem or otherwise personal attack directed at a member of the staff or the campus community more broadly;
- The information contained within the letter is demonstrably false, meaning that it can be contradicted by two individuals or multiple public sources or privately held sources made available to the Tripod;
- The information contained within the letter would incite violence, criminal acts, or otherwise endanger the health, safety or welfare of the campus community.
The right to deny publication rests solely with the Tripod. Decisions on the status of letters to the editor are final and may not be appealed. Letters to the editor must be timely and will not be published if commentary is older than two weeks.
Letters to the editor will not be published anonymously. The Tripod reserves the right to include an editor’s note with the publication of a letter to the editor at the dissension of the Opinion Editors in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief. To submit a letter to the editor, please fill out this form.
Obituary Policy
The Tripod will record the deaths of community members, including current or recent students, faculty, staff and alumni/alumnae at its discretion and when it determines that coverage is warranted and appropriate. The Tripod may also cover the deaths of emeritus and emerita faculty. Every effort will be made to respect the solemn nature of this responsibility and the Tripod will not permit any ad hominem or other inappropriate content to appear in conjunction with an individual.
The Trinity Tripod has a responsibility to wait until the school has publicly confirmed a student’s death before releasing any statements or stories.
The Tripod has a responsibility to be sensitive to the passed student, the student’s family, and the student body. To ensure this is enacted, the entire Executive Editorial board must review the article and submit a unanimous vote for publication.
The Tripod has a responsibility to the student body to share mental health resources with the release of a report of death, regardless of the manner of death of the individual.
Requests for the printing of obituaries or reports of the deaths of significant community members may be made to the Tripod by emailing tripod@trincoll.edu.
The Tripod recognizes that this is a difficult time for the family and loved ones of the deceased and will never contact a decedent’s immediate family without an express invitation to do so from those family members.
Editing Policy
The Tripod Section editors do their best to work with writers to make their pieces ready for publication. This may include edits to structure, grammar, clarity, or adherence to AP and Tripod publication style. Edits to a piece help make the paper the best it can be and assist students with their writing as a journalistic education.
Writers have the opportunity to approve or deny these edits if they communicate within 36 hours of the publication deadline (36 hours before Monday at 6 pm). While editing an Op-Ed, Editors will work to ensure the integrity of the piece and maintain the voice of the writer throughout the editing process.
Error Policy
The Tripod acknowledges that errors will appear in its content and knows that mistakes may occur. To report corrections, please fill out this form. Please bear in mind that the Tripod only accepts corrections of factual errors and, as a matter of course, will not change articles because of concerns over depiction or portrayal.
Relevant corrections of factual information will appear on page two of the next regular print edition and the inaccuracy will be included with the article on the Tripod website.
Policy on Satire
Satire appears every other week in the Bits & Pieces section and once a year will be in the April Fools Edition of the Tripod: or, the Liepod. The Liepod is not intended for readers under the age of 18 as it may contain vulgar remarks or other inappropriate content. The Liepod uses invented names in all of its stories, except in cases where public figures or organizations are being satirized, adopting the policy of satirical publications such as the Onion as to who constitutes a public figure. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental.
Satire has been recognized as a form of free speech and expression under the First Amendment, according to Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, 485 U.S. 46 (1988).
Satirists interested in submitting their content may contact the Tripod directly at tripod@trincoll.edu.
Style Policy
The Tripod generally adheres to Associated Press Stylebook (AP Style) and Briefing on Media Law (2019). The Tripod also relies, for guidance on legal issues, competent counsel (see note on counsel below) and Frank D. LoMonte and the Student Press Law Center’s Law of the Student Press, 4th ed. (2014). The Tripod also maintains a house style on certain matters, including dates, and in all matters when that house style comes into conflict with the Associated Press style, the house style shall prevail. Our style guide is linked HERE.
Conflict of Interest Policy
A conflict of interest in this context can be defined as when a student’s personal interests (friends, family, involvement on campus) has the potential to compromise their ability or judgement as an unbiased writer at the Trinity Tripod.
Conflicts of interest can damage the integrity of the Tripod and therefore, every effort is made to avoid potential conflicts. The Tripod requires that, whenever possible, writers who are concurrently involved in the events of news or features stories withdraw from the assignment. The Tripod also determines whether conflicts exist on a case-by-case basis for other sections.
The Tripod, in accordance with our peer institution the Williams Record, recognizes that a conflict of interest exists when a member of the Editorial Board simultaneously holds an elected office in the SGA. Due to Trinity’s small size, members of the Editorial Board can hold an elected office in the SGA, but they must act responsibly and in accordance with our conflict of interest policy.
The Tripod will not permit promotional coverage or sponsored content, but does allow advertisements in accordance with its rates and other restrictions described here. Writers should address and make known their concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest to the Editor-in-Chief.
Gifts or monetary disbursements to editors with a value of over $50.00 and given to influence or otherwise restrict the ability of the Tripod to freely report the truth are considered conflicts of interest. When such propositions are made, writers or editors should bring such instances to the attention of the Editor-in-Chief.
Breaking News Policy
News is considered Breaking if it is urgent, unplanned, or has an immediate impact on the campus community.
When breaking news occurs, the Editor(s) in Chief have executive responsibility for the story, and the story must be approved by the entirety of the Executive Editorial board and at least one News Editor before it is published.
While breaking news should be timely, the Tripod must always prioritize publishing verified information over the speed of publication. Thus, the breaking article in question may be published in increments and expanded upon several times to keep the student body up to date with relevant information as it is verified.
Editing Accountability Policy
The Trinity Tripod is committed to publishing quality articles. In order to minimize the risk of error, each article should be proofread by the writer, applicable section editor, and at least two members of the Executive Editorial board before it is published in print or online.
The Tripod has adopted its editorial policies, in part, from its peer institutions the Wesleyan Argus, the Williams Record, the Bowdoin Orient and the Yale Daily News. When such policies have been adapted substantially or in part from these institutions, credit is attributed accordingly.
These policies are effective as of Aug. 20, 2025 and were approved by the Tripod.