Editorial Policy

At The Valedictory, our calling is simple and sacred: to help people navigate funeral care with clarity, compassion, and truth. Loss is complicated. Answers shouldn’t be. We publish guidance you can trust—because when families are grieving, accuracy is not optional. It’s essential. This policy outlines the ethics, standards, and processes that guide every word we publish.

1. Independence and Integrity

Editorial Firewall

Our editorial team operates independently from advertising, partnerships, and affiliates. Full stop. Advertisers and sponsors have no right to review, approve, or alter our content prior to publication. We do not sell editorial placement. We do not trade favorable coverage for access. Our loyalty is to our readers and to the truth, especially when decisions involve cost, dignity, and care at life’s most vulnerable moments.

Gift & Sample Policy

We do not accept cash gifts—ever. When evaluating funeral products (such as urns, caskets, vaults, keepsakes) or services (such as cremation, green burial, shipping, memorial technology), we may receive temporary review units solely for testing. They are returned, donated, or responsibly discarded after evaluation. Acceptance of a sample does not guarantee coverage or a positive review. We do not accept complimentary funeral services in exchange for coverage. If travel or site access is necessary for reporting, we pay our own way whenever possible; if not possible, any support is disclosed transparently in the article.

Affiliate Transparency

Some of our product guides may include affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, we may earn a commission—at no additional cost to you. We disclose this clearly at the top of the article and/or via a site-wide disclosure. Crucially, our recommendations are driven by independent research, expert evaluation, and real-world testing—not by commission rates. If a piece is sponsored, it will be labeled “Sponsored” and produced under standards that preserve editorial control and reader trust.

2. Fact-Checking and Accuracy

Families deserve precision. We employ a rigorous, multi-step verification process to ensure our content is correct, current, and actionable.

  • Primary Sourcing: We prioritize original, authoritative sources: the FTC’s Funeral Rule, state licensing boards and statutes, vital records offices, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, FEMA Funeral Assistance guidance, and official manufacturer specifications.
  • Verification: All costs, timelines, legal requirements, statistics, and product specifications are cross-referenced against official documentation or direct confirmations from licensed professionals or manufacturers.
  • Expert Review: When applicable, articles are reviewed by subject-matter experts—licensed funeral directors, certified grief professionals, or estate and consumer protection advisors—to validate accuracy and context.
  • Local Variations: Funeral law and practice vary by state and locality. We clearly note when rules differ by jurisdiction and provide pointers to relevant state resources to help you confirm details in your area.
  • Updates & Revisions: Time-sensitive pages (pricing, benefits, legal forms) are reviewed on a scheduled basis and updated when policies or market conditions change.
  • Correction Policy: We do not “stealth edit.” If a substantive error is found, we correct it and append a dated Correction Log at the bottom of the article indicating what changed and why. To report an issue, please contact us at https://thevaledictory.com/contact-us/.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Grief demands human nuance. Technology can assist, but it cannot care. We keep the human voice at the center of everything we publish.

  1. Drafting & Writing: All final articles are written by human authors and edited by human editors. We do not publish articles that are entirely generated by AI.
  2. Assistance: We may use AI tools for outlining, idea generation, fact-flagging, formatting, or proofreading—but never as a substitute for expert reporting, verification, or judgment.
  3. Disclosure: If any part of a visual asset (e.g., illustrations) or a structured dataset was generated or materially assisted by AI, we will disclose that in a caption or note.
  4. No Synthetic Testimony: We do not fabricate quotes, testimonials, interviews, or case studies—human experiences are represented truthfully and with consent.
  5. Human Oversight: Every AI-assisted step is reviewed by a human editor for accuracy, sensitivity, and context, consistent with our standards for funeral care content.

4. Conflict of Interest

Trust is earned. To safeguard it, all contributors sign a conflict-of-interest statement. If a writer, editor, or reviewer has a financial interest in—or a personal relationship with—a funeral home, crematory, cemetery, vendor, or service mentioned in an article, they must disclose it and recuse themselves from that assignment. We disclose any unavoidable relationships clearly within the relevant content.

We also disclose speaking fees, consulting engagements, or paid educational activities involving industry organizations if they relate to covered topics. Donations or underwriting that support our educational mission do not buy influence. Editorial decisions remain independent, fact-based, and reader-first.

Our Expertise & Accountability: The Valedictory’s editorial leadership brings practical, real-world experience from funeral service, consumer advocacy, grief education, and regulatory reporting. We combine that experience with rigorous research and plain-language explanations. If you believe we can do better—or you’ve spotted an error—please let us know at https://thevaledictory.com/contact-us/. Your trust is the measure that matters.