The Stewardship Report is grounded in the principle of stewardship: the responsible care of democratic values, historical memory, human dignity, and civic truth. The publication favors depth over speed, clarity over provocation, and durability over trend. All editorial and visual decisions should reinforce this mission.
Preface
The Stewardship Report was founded in 2010 on a simple premise: that democracy, human dignity, and historical truth require active care. Journalism, when practiced responsibly, is one form of that care. A form of Stewardship.
This Style Manual exists not to constrain writers or artists, but to protect the integrity of the work they produce. In an era dominated by speed, outrage, and self-branding, restraint has become a radical act. We believe seriousness is not the enemy of accessibility, and that clarity need not come at the expense of moral courage.
Our standards are intentionally rigorous and intentionally modest. We favor depth over spectacle, evidence over assertion, and institutional memory over personal amplification. The goal is not to win the news cycle, but to contribute something durable to the public record.
Every editorial decision—word choice, image selection, tone, and framing—should reflect an awareness that what we publish today may still be read years from now. Stewardship, by definition, requires thinking beyond the moment.
— Jim Luce
Editor-in-Chief, The Stewardship Report
1. Purpose and Editorial Mission
The Stewardship Report Style Manual defines the editorial, visual, and ethical standards governing all content produced and published by The Stewardship Report, including news reporting, feature journalism, opinion essays, visual journalism, contributor biographies, and LucePedia entries. This manual exists to ensure consistency, credibility, and institutional integrity across platforms and over time.
The Stewardship Report is grounded in the principle of stewardship: the responsible care of democratic values, historical memory, human dignity, and civic truth. The publication favors depth over speed, clarity over provocation, and durability over trend. All editorial and visual decisions should reinforce this mission.
2. Editorial Voice and Writing Standards
Tone and Register
All writing should meet college- to graduate-level standards: clear, confident, and intellectually rigorous without unnecessary jargon. The voice of The Stewardship Report is serious, measured, and accessible. Writers should inform, contextualize, and illuminate rather than inflame.
Satire and humor are permitted—and encouraged—when they serve accountability, expose contradiction, or preserve moral memory. Performative outrage, sensationalism, and click-driven framing are discouraged.
Authorial Posture
Writers should adopt the posture of informed stewards rather than personal advocates. Arguments must be grounded in verifiable facts, historical awareness, and ethical reasoning. The goal is not persuasion at all costs, but understanding with consequence.
3. Language, Usage, and Mechanics
The Stewardship Report follows American English conventions with the following requirements:
• Use smart (curly) quotation marks
• No emojis in editorial content, headlines, hashtags, or tags
• Use periods in abbreviations: U.S., U.N., E.U., C.E.O.
• Dates should appear as: August 6, 1945
• Measurements: English/Imperial first, metric in parentheses
• Percentages: numerals with percent symbol (26%)
• Currency: U.S. dollars first, local currency in parentheses (US$1,000 (€920))
• Avoid unnecessary gendered language
• Native spellings and diacritics must be preserved
Footnotes are not used in Stewardship Report articles or LucePedia entries.
4. Headline, Dateline, and Structural Standards
All major articles must follow this structure:
• Location dateline at the top of the story: New York, N.Y.
• Primary headline (H1): 9–10 words, Initial Caps
• Subhead (H2): 18–20 words
• Clear internal subheads (H2 or H3) at regular intervals
The structure should guide readers through complex material with clarity and logical progression.
5. Visual Journalism Philosophy
Visuals at The Stewardship Report exist to serve journalism, not branding. Images should document, contextualize, or clarify—not distract, provoke, or entertain for their own sake.
Across all formats, visuals should reinforce institutional credibility, restraint, and seriousness. Color should be used sparingly. Black-and-white or grayscale imagery is preferred, especially for permanent or evergreen content.
6. Contributor Bio Images (Mandatory Standard)
Contributor bio images must adhere to a Wall Street Journal–style hedcut standard.
A hedcut is a black-and-white, stippled or engraved portrait composed of dots and short lines, typically head-and-shoulders, with a neutral background and calm expression. This style emphasizes role, credibility, and institutional authority over personality or self-branding.
Requirements
• Black-and-white only
• WSJ-style hedcut (stipple/engraved) illustration preferred
• Head-and-shoulders framing
• Neutral background
• Calm, composed expression
• No props, symbols, dramatic lighting, or visual metaphors
• No social-media-style photography
If a compliant image is unavailable, omission is preferable to inconsistency.
7. Visual Hierarchy and Consistency
Visual consistency must be maintained within contributor tiers:
• Editors and senior staff: strict hedcut standard
• Artists and cartoonists: slight stylistic latitude, but still monochrome and restrained
• Guest contributors: grayscale portraits permitted; no color or stylization
Mixing visual styles within the same tier is prohibited.
8. LucePedia™ and Luce Index™ Standards
LucePedia™
LucePedia™ entries function as an internal wiki and public reference archive. Writing should be college-level, neutral in tone, and explanatory rather than argumentative. Topics and linkable terms must be bolded consistently.
Luce Index™
For individuals of note, a Luce Index™ score must be included immediately after the first mention of the individual’s name in articles and at the end of the first paragraph in LucePedia entries.
Scores are based on ten criteria totaling 100 points:
Thought Leadership, Social Justice, Human Rights, Interfaith Engagement, Specific Talent, Moral Character, Speaking Clarity, Writing Clarity, Audience Reach, and Video Presence.
9. Ethics, Accessibility, and Representation
The Stewardship Report is committed to inclusive representation without tokenism. Language and visuals should avoid stereotypes, unnecessary identity labeling, or assumptions about gender, religion, ethnicity, or ability.
Personal attributes such as disability, immigration status, or sexual orientation should be referenced only when editorially relevant and respectfully contextualized.
Algorithmic moderation concerns should not dictate editorial decisions, though visual framing may be adjusted to preserve reach while maintaining integrity.
10. Longevity Principle
All editorial and visual decisions should pass the longevity test:
Will this still feel credible, serious, and appropriate in ten years?
If the answer is uncertain, simplify.
11. Editorial Maxim
At The Stewardship Report, authority is earned through clarity, restraint, and consistency. The work must always speak louder than the presentation.
Our Standards
A Commitment to Serious Journalism
The Stewardship Report is a nonprofit publication dedicated to responsible journalism, visual storytelling, and civic accountability. Our standards exist to ensure that our reporting, analysis, and commentary remain credible, ethical, and worthy of public trust.
We publish with the understanding that journalism shapes historical memory. For that reason, we privilege accuracy, context, and restraint over speed, outrage, or spectacle.
How We Write
Our writing is intended for an informed general audience. Articles are edited to college- and graduate-level standards: clear, precise, and grounded in evidence. We avoid sensationalism, unnecessary jargon, and performative rhetoric.
Satire and humor are part of our tradition, but they are used in service of truth and accountability—not ridicule for its own sake.
How We Use Images
Visuals at The Stewardship Report are journalistic tools, not branding devices. Images are selected or created to inform, document, and clarify. Permanent images—such as contributor bios—are intentionally restrained, typically rendered in black-and-white or WSJ-style hedcut illustrations, to emphasize credibility and longevity.
We avoid imagery that is gratuitously provocative, emotionally manipulative, or designed primarily to attract attention rather than understanding.
Ethics and Representation
We are committed to inclusive, responsible representation. We avoid stereotypes, unnecessary identity labeling, and reductive framing. Personal attributes such as disability, immigration status, or sexual orientation are included only when editorially relevant and respectfully contextualized.
We correct errors transparently and welcome good-faith engagement from readers.
Independence and Accountability
The Stewardship Report maintains editorial independence from political parties, governments, and corporate interests. Our loyalty is to facts, democratic values, and the public record.
We recognize that trust is earned slowly and lost quickly. Our standards exist to protect that trust.
Our Guiding Principle
Stewardship means thinking beyond the moment. Every story we publish is an act of care—for readers today, and for the historical record tomorrow.