Hauptreport uses artificial intelligence and automated tools only to support the editorial process, never to replace it. Every article published on hauptreport.de is written, reviewed and approved by a human journalist. Our policy sets out clearly how digital tools may assist our team and where their use is strictly forbidden.
How does Hauptreport use AI and automation?
AI-assisted tools may be used for research, editing, formatting, translation, metadata generation, headline suggestions, summarisation and transcription. These tasks help our reporters work more efficiently and consistently, especially when handling large datasets or translating sources from Swedish to German.
For example, a tool might suggest an alternative headline or generate a summary for a newsletter preview. A translator might support reading Swedish government documents. Editors remain responsible for every final choice, and no automated output is published without human review.
What is the human guarantee?
Every article published by Hauptreport is drafted by a named writer, reviewed by an editor and fact-checked before publication. Our editorial mission, overseen by Chefredaktör Michael Schulte, ensures that human judgement always comes first.
No piece of content — whether a news story, analysis, sponsored article or newsletter — goes live unless a human editor has read and approved it. The editor checks for accuracy, tone, clarity and adherence to our editorial policy. Automated drafting or formatting may suggest wording, but only a person decides what stays.
What are the strict prohibitions?
AI must never fabricate quotes, sources, interviews, bylines, author experience or expert profiles. Any output that invents a name, attribution or piece of evidence is discarded immediately. The same rule applies to automated generation of images or audio that falsely claim to be real recordings.
Our fact-checking policy requires that all claims, numbers and attributions are verified against original sources. AI tools may help locate those sources but cannot substitute for them. Staff are trained to identify AI-generated hallucinations and instructed to flag any suspicious output before it reaches an editor.
- No AI-generated bylines or author biographies.
- No fabricated interviews or quotes.
- No automated creation of expert profiles or sources.
- No publication of AI-generated content without explicit human sign-off.
What you can expect from us
You can expect transparent disclosure of how we use technology, a clear human chain of responsibility, and a commitment to correct any errors quickly. Our tagline — “Nachrichten, Analysen und Hintergründe für Deutschland” — reflects a promise of trustworthy Swedish journalism.
If a piece of content was aided by an AI tool, we may note that in the article footer or metadata. Sponsored or commercial material remains clearly labelled, and affiliate links are disclosed in line with our advertising and affiliate disclosure policy. Commercial relationships never determine editorial conclusions, and automation never changes that principle.
How does fact-checking work alongside AI?
Our fact-checking team, led by Melanie Winter (Ansvarig för faktagranskning), reviews every article before publication. AI may assist in flagging potential inconsistencies or suggesting source links, but the final verification is done by a human fact-checker who consults primary documents.
Corrections are handled through our corrections policy. When an error is identified — whether introduced by a human or a tool — we update the article and add a clear correction notice. Readers can report issues via our contact page or directly to the fact-checking team at factcheck@hauptreport.de.
Questions or concerns?
If you have a question about how Hauptreport uses AI or automation, or if you believe a published piece may not meet our standards, please get in touch. For editorial concerns, contact Chefredaktör Michael Schulte at anders.lindqvist@hauptreport.de. For fact-checking issues, email Melanie Winter at emma.sandberg@hauptreport.de. You can also use our complaints procedure or visit /about-us/contact/ for all contact details.
Our full editorial team is listed on our team page. Every named editor, reporter and fact-checker is accountable for their work. Technology supports them, but responsibility remains with people.