Wochenbriefing takes the protection of minors seriously and has implemented specific editorial safeguards to ensure that all content involving children is handled with care, respect, and legal compliance. This policy applies to every article, image, and multimedia element published on wochenbriefing.de.
Who is responsible for safeguarding at Wochenbriefing?
Vanessa Engels, Ansvarig för faktagranskning (Head of Fact-Checking and Standards), serves as the designated Standards Lead for all content involving minors. She reviews every piece that names, quotes, or depicts a person under 18 before publication. Vanessa Engels can be reached at complaints@wochenbriefing.de for any safeguarding concerns.
Wochenbriefing is owned and operated by Wochenbriefi Media Ltd., a private company registered in Gibraltar (company number C 92009, Malta Business Registry). The editorial team operates independently under the leadership of Chefredaktör Benjamin Richter, but safeguarding decisions are escalated to Vanessa Engels as the final authority on minor-related content.
How does Wochenbriefing ensure care when covering children?
Every article that references a minor undergoes an additional review by Vanessa Engels before it can be published. This review checks for necessity of including the child’s identity, adherence to data protection principles, and avoidance of stigmatisation or harm.
The standard editorial process — drafting by a named writer, editing by a section editor, and fact-checking — is followed by a specific safeguarding check. If AI-assisted tools are used for research or drafting, they never generate content involving minors without human approval. The Editorial Policy and Fact-Checking Policy apply fully, with the additional layer of review by the Standards Lead.
What principles guide our reporting on minors?
Wochenbriefing follows strict principles: we do not identify minors without explicit, verifiable consent from a parent or guardian, unless the child is a public figure in an official capacity (e.g., a young climate activist) and the public interest clearly outweighs the privacy risk. We avoid sensational language and never exploit a child’s vulnerability for clickbait.
Our reporters receive internal guidance on interviewing children, including the right to withdraw at any time and the use of age-appropriate language. Any image of a minor must be approved by the Standards Lead and, where possible, obtained from reliable sources with documented permission. For further details on how we handle corrections or complaints, see our Complaints Procedure.
How can readers report concerns about content involving minors?
Readers who believe that Wochenbriefing has published content that fails to protect a minor’s welfare can contact the Standards Lead directly at complaints@wochenbriefing.de. All such reports are acknowledged within 48 hours and investigated by an independent editor not involved in the original piece.
If the concern involves a legal or ethical breach, we will remove or correct the content promptly and notify the complainant. We also encourage readers to consult our Contact page for other channels. The safeguarding policy is reviewed annually by the editorial leadership team and updated as laws or best practices evolve.
Our commitments
- Every article mentioning a minor undergoes a mandatory safeguarding review by Vanessa Engels before publication.
- We obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent before identifying any non-public child in a story or image.
- We never use AI to generate quotes, interviews, or portrayals of minors without full human editorial oversight.
- We respond to all safeguarding complaints within 48 hours and escalate to independent review if needed.
- We train all editorial staff annually on child protection, data privacy, and trauma-informed interviewing.