Respect testimony
Contributors should be treated with dignity and taken seriously.
Research phase · Sources and first-hand accounts are being reviewedRead the research framework
Research Centre / Methodology
A transparent standard for accountable reporting.
The methodology governs collection, assessment, publication, correction and right of reply. It recognises testimony as evidence without treating every story as automatically proven.
Core standards
Ten rules guide the work.
Assess claims
Respect does not remove the need to assess factual claims.
Separate direct knowledge from hearsay
Ask whether the contributor experienced, witnessed or heard about the event.
Seek corroboration
Consider independent accounts, records and witnesses.
Record contradictions
Document conflicting accounts and alternative explanations.
Protect identity
Minimise public details that could identify contributors.
Avoid overclaiming
Do not extend findings beyond available evidence.
Provide right of reply
Give relevant parties a fair summary and reasonable time to respond.
Publish limitations
Disclose important weaknesses, gaps and uncertainties.
Correct errors
Correct material factual errors clearly and promptly.
Reporting threshold
A claim is not a finding.
Log
The source or account is preserved with date, origin, access conditions and known limitations.
Assess
Direct knowledge, authenticity, scope, consistency, relevance and possible conflicting evidence are considered.
Corroborate
Material parts are compared with independent accounts, contemporary records or primary documents where available.
Seek response
A person or organisation materially affected receives the substance of proposed findings, reasonable time and a practical way to respond.
Review
Accuracy, fairness, privacy, source safety, legal risk and the limits of the evidence are checked before publication.
Publish or hold
A finding is published only when its wording is proportionate to the evidence. Otherwise it remains under review, is narrowed or is not published.
There is no automatic numerical threshold. The decision depends on source independence, direct knowledge, documentary support, seriousness, public interest, contradictory material and the precision of the proposed wording.
Definitions
Visible evidence labels.
Supported by an identified primary record whose relevant content has been checked. This label does not validate broader conclusions.
A statement published by or attributed to MECCA Brands Pty Ltd. It records what the company said, not whether the statement was implemented in every workplace.
Information reported by an identified news publisher. It is attributed to that publisher and is not treated as a primary finding.
A claim that has not been established as fact. Allegations remain clearly attributed, qualified and subject to response.
A document supplied as an internal MECCA material. Content may be reviewed while provenance, currency or publication clearance remains unresolved.
General information about Australian workplace law. It is not legal advice and does not determine whether any law was breached.
A question that the available material does not answer, or a source that has not yet been obtained or authenticated.
Right of reply
Meaningful, specific and recorded.
What is sent
The substance of proposed criticism, the factual basis that can safely be disclosed and clear questions for response.
Time to respond
A reasonable period reflecting complexity, urgency and any agreed extension. The period and contact attempts are recorded.
How responses appear
Relevant responses, denials, context and supporting material are considered before publication and represented fairly where appropriate.
Corrections
Substantive changes remain visible.
Accuracy concerns can be sent through the project contact channel. Corrections identify the affected page, original publication date, correction date, what changed and why.
Privacy and security
Controls under development, without overclaiming.
The project intends to use restricted access, data minimisation, redaction, retention review and secure transfer practices appropriate to the sensitivity of material. Detailed retention periods, storage locations, access roles, deletion procedures and incident response steps are not yet published and must not be assumed.
No digital system can guarantee absolute anonymity or security.