We believe that access to trustworthy information is foundational to constructive public discourse and a healthy democracy. The following principles guide the editorial content created by REI Co-op that appears in print and digital articles, audio and video formats across REI’s ecosystem, in the interest of transparency for our audiences. These principles are inspired by the Society for Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and Online News Association Ethics Code. Learn more about REI Co-op at REI.com/about-rei. Contact the REI editorial team at stories@rei.com. Contact the media relations team at prrequests@rei.com.
Journalism Biases: We believe a life outdoors is a life well lived. People should have a mutually beneficial relationship with the outdoors. Our journalism serves the best interests of the co-op, including its businesses, employees, members and partners. Our editorial decisions are driven by the values of the co-op and by our impact priorities, which are reflected in our annual stewardship report.
Business: Our editorial content is financially supported by our retail business. While we may occasionally write about products and services REI does not sell, the scope of our coverage starts with what we offer in our stores and online.
Self-Reporting: We recognize that we cannot objectively cover some stories about our organization and partners. We will report on the progress that REI and our community makes against the priorities we identify as important to the future of the co-op and the outdoors. If we feel that objective coverage is not possible on a topic, given our biases, we will refrain from coverage, knowing that other news organizations will do so more effectively.
Advertising: We accept select advertising that appears next to our editorial content. We do not let external advertisers participate in our editorial process.
Staff and Contributors: Our editorial content is produced by REI employees and freelance contributors, who we pay at a fair market rate. We do not pay sources. We will disclose when our journalists are personally involved in the issues we cover.
Diversity: We are committed to growing coverage and representation of age, women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. We seek out journalists and sources with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to tell stories about their communities.
Accountability: We seek to minimize harm in our reporting. We follow publishing industry standards for basic facts and attribution. We strive to create and report factual and accurate information for our audiences. We strive to correct factual errors quickly, completely and visibly.