Ethics & Sensitivity

Athletes are people before they are subjects. Words written about them have real consequences, and we take that seriously in every story we publish.

Athletes and public figures

Athletes who compete professionally have accepted a degree of public scrutiny over their professional conduct, performance, and public statements. They have not surrendered privacy over their families, medical history, personal relationships, or private life. We draw a clear line between the professional and the personal, and we respect it.

Young and academy athletes

We apply heightened care to everyone under 18 in our coverage. Transfer speculation about minors is limited to what has been disclosed officially or attributed clearly to named adult representatives. We do not publish images, personal details, or family information about young athletes beyond what is necessary for the story. Youth football produces enormous pressure on individuals who have not yet had the chance to consent to public life. We take that seriously.

Injury and health

We report on injuries and health only as far as clubs, federations, and athletes themselves disclose. We do not speculate about the nature, severity, or prognosis of injuries beyond what has been confirmed. We never publish leaked medical records or images. Mental health is covered with particular care: we follow the guidelines of leading mental health organisations and avoid language that stigmatises or sensationalises.

Betting and gambling

SCN’s editorial output is entirely independent of the betting industry. We do not frame news coverage in ways designed to influence odds. We do not accept payment to discuss, recommend, or link to betting operators within our editorial content. Where gambling is relevant to a story, whether match fixing, corruption, or the business of sports betting, we cover it with the same rigour as any other subject, including context about its harms.

Identity, race, and community

Ethnicity, religion, nationality, and other identity characteristics appear in our coverage only when they are genuinely material to the story. We do not describe someone’s background as a default shorthand. We are precise with language around race, nationality, and community, and we update our vocabulary as usage and understanding evolve. Online harassment directed at athletes because of their identity is a story we cover. It is not a comment section we tolerate.

Fans and private individuals

Supporters who attend matches, participate in fan culture, or appear in crowd images have not sought public life. We identify private individuals by name only when there is clear public interest and the identification adds something that the story cannot do without. We do not publish images of individuals in distress, including injured supporters, without editorial justification.

Commercial independence

No advertiser, sponsor, or commercial partner has editorial influence over SCN’s coverage. Clubs and individuals we cover commercially, through sponsorship, events, or other arrangements, receive no editorial favours. Where a potential conflict of interest exists, we disclose it.