What does this policy mean for you?
This policy tells you exactly how Trendlogik handles reporting that involves children, and what you can do if you see a concern. You can use this page to understand our safeguards, check who is responsible, and know where to send feedback if something feels wrong.
We treat every mention of a minor with the same care we would want for our own families. That means additional review, tighter editorial checks, and a default preference for not identifying children unless the public interest clearly justifies it. If you are a parent, guardian, educator or young reader, this policy is your reference for how we approach this area.
How do we approach coverage involving children?
We cover children only when the story genuinely needs their voice or image, and never for sensational reasons. Every piece that names or shows a minor goes through an extra layer of review before publication, led by our Standards Lead Miriam Bergmann.
Our editorial team asks three questions before including a child in any story: Is the child’s participation essential to the reporting? Can we tell the story without naming them or showing their face? And does the public interest outweigh the child’s right to privacy? If the answer to the last question is no, we anonymise or remove the reference. We also avoid asking children for comment on sensitive topics unless a parent or guardian has given explicit, informed consent and the child clearly understands what the conversation is for. When we do use a child’s words or image, we explain in the article why that decision was made. Our editorial policy sets out the wider standards that guide these judgements.
We never publish images of children taken without a parent’s or guardian’s knowledge, and we do not use minors as sources in investigative pieces about crime, family breakdown, or trauma without independent legal advice. The same care applies to user-generated content: if a reader submits a photo or video that shows a child, we verify consent before using it. Our fact-checking policy includes source verification checks that cover these steps.
How this works in practice
Here is a concrete example. Suppose a reporter is writing about a new school policy in Stockholm that affects lunch breaks. The reporter wants to include a quote from a 12-year-old pupil to show how the change feels from a student’s perspective. Before any interview takes place, the reporter contacts the child’s parent, explains the angle, the outlet, and how the quote would be used, and asks for written consent. The parent and child both agree. The reporter then conducts the interview in a school setting with a teacher present. The draft is flagged for the Standards Lead Miriam Bergmann, who reviews whether naming the child is necessary. In this case, because the story is about a universal policy and the quote is positive and non-sensitive, the team decides a first name and age are appropriate. The article is published with an editor’s note explaining that consent was obtained. If the quote had been critical or personal, the team would have anonymised it. This same process applies to all stories, whether they are about politics, economy, culture or society.
Who oversees this policy and how to raise concerns
Our Standards Lead Miriam Bergmann is responsible for enforcing this policy and reviewing every article that touches on a minor. She reports directly to the Chefredaktör Andreas Klein and has the authority to halt publication if she is not satisfied with the safeguards. Trendlogik is published by Trendlogik Media Ltd., a private company registered in Gibraltar (company number C 92009, Malta Business Registry). The registered office is at Office 9, Business Centre, Valletta, 0000. Our funding comes from display advertising, affiliate links, commercial partnerships, sponsored content, newsletter sponsorships and content licensing, as set out in our ownership and funding disclosure. None of these relationships influence editorial decisions about children.
If you see a story on our site that you think does not meet these standards, or if you are a parent or guardian with a specific concern, please email complaints@trendlogik.de. Your message will go directly to the complaints team and be escalated to Miriam Bergmann if it involves a minor. We acknowledge every complaint within two working days and explain what action we have taken. You can also learn more about how we handle feedback in our complaints procedure and read about the wider team behind our coverage on our team page.
In short
Every child who appears in our reporting is protected by an extra layer of review, a default preference for anonymity, and a clear consent process that puts their wellbeing first. If you ever have a doubt about how we have handled a story involving a minor, we want to hear from you at complaints@trendlogik.de so we can put it right.