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Code of Ethics

Effective September 27th, 2024

TL;DR

1. Preamble

In the interest of combatting misinformation, for the sake of transparency, and (paramount to all else) to build trust with our audience and customers, Heavy Element has published our Code of Ethics. (Updated September 27th, 2024)

Heavy Element, the Gardiner Bryant channels, our other Brands and Employees (collectively "Brands," "Employees," "we," "us," "our") shall adhere to this Code of Ethics.

2. Integrity

Heavy Element is committed to truth. Our job as an organization is to foster trust and remain fidelitous to honesty and factuality.

2.a - Journalism

We often report on the news. We pledge to do our best to research and report factual information. We take this job seriously.

We believe that "impartiality" is an affectatious pursuit and it is actually harmful to journalism as a whole. In fact, we believe the inclusion of our informed opinions enhances the value of our reporting.

Therefore, our Employees are encouraged to include their point of view and commentary alongside their reports. We trust you're smart enough to know the difference.

Errors

From time to time, we may make a mistake. Where possible, we shall amend the production with an "Edit" or "Update" section.

If it's not possible to effectively modify the work directly, we will include an "Edit" or "Update" section in the metadata of the production.

Depending on the severity of the error, it may be necessary to issue a retraction or de-list production. Retractions shall be issued in the same medium as the error was made.

In the event of high-severity errors and de-listing is deemed necessary, de-listings shall be accompanied by a post in our News section along with an explanation for the production's removal.

2.b - Product Reviews

Productions falls under the definition of a "Product Review" if:

  1. We have bought a product with our own money, OR
  2. The vendor gives us a product to review regardless of if we get to keep the product after the production is created, AND
  3. The vendor has not compensated us to create the production, AND
  4. The vendor gets no editorial input

We believe that trust is paramount in our reviews. Therefore we pledge that:

  • We will disclose when we've received a product for free from a vendor according to FTC guidelines
  • We will make a good faith effort to thoroughly review any products we buy or that are given to us
  • We will not allow the fact that a product was gifted to us to influence our review
  • We DO NOT give vendors preview copies of our reviews before they go live to the general public
  • Vendors get NO EDITORIAL INPUT as we are producing a reviews for their product, however:
    • We may use marketing copy, press releases, spec sheets, etc. created by the vendor at our discretion
    • If needed, we may contact the vendor for guidance on usage, clarification, or troubleshooting assistance. This will be disclosed in the review.
NOTE: As of September 2024, the Gardiner Bryant YouTube Channel no longer accepts Integrations of any kind. Therefore, review-style production create after that date shall always conform to the criteria laid out in this clause.

We often incorporate links to purchasable items in our productions. Some of these links may be “Affiliate Links” and may result in us earning a commission at no additional cost to you.

Affiliate links shall be clearly disclaimed as such.

2.d - Integrations

NOTE: As of September 2024, the Gardiner Bryant YouTube Channel no longer accepts Integrations of any kind. Previously, we accepted paid Integrations as defined below but never Sponsored Content.

Heavy Element defines Integrations as follows:

  • A paid advertisement integrated into the body of a work (i.e. a YouTube video). This may be (but is not limited to):
    1. Product placement in the body of a work in exchange for money
    2. An edited video segment provided to us by a sponsor
    3. An ad read performed by one of our staff
    4. Making a video for the explicit purpose of being an advertisment (this is also called Sponsored Content)

We will never make this kind of production, but we wanted to offer our definition so you can be confident in the content we produce.

Paid Integrations may also include our creation of "Sponsored Content." To meet our definition of "Sponsored Content," a production must meet the following criteria:

  1. a vendor gives us a sample of their product, AND
  2. the vendor compensates us for the creation of the content, AND
  3. the vendor has editorial control over the content

3. Artificial Intelligence

From time to time, we may use so-called "Generative AI" tools including, but not limited to, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, etc. Whenever AI output is included in our productions, every instance of use shall be clearly marked, except for in the following circumstances:

  • The AI output does not substantively differ from the input. Non-exhaustive examples include:
    • AI rewords human-written input without changing the meaning, OR
    • AI is used to reformat a human-written document
  • The AI output is not used in the body of the work, for example
    • The metadata of a post

Brands and Employees are strictly prohibited from knowingly posting, sharing, or distributing (nor causing the posting, sharing or distribution) of AI-generated work, in whole or in part, without the clear and obvious declaration that such content was generated by an AI.

For more information on Heavy Element's use of AI with respect to our productions, please read our Authorial Integrity License.

4. Community Interaction

Heavy Element, our Brands and Employees are pledged to prevent the spread of extremism and bigotry. We are therefore bound by our conscience to enforce our Community Guidelines and Code of Conduct across our services and platforms.

NOTE: Content produced before the effective date of this document may or may not be in compliance with these updated guidelines.