About the newsroom
Iowa government, on the record.
The Des Moines Sentinel is an independent public-records newsroom. We turn government documents into reporting readers can understand—and preserve the source trail so they can check our work.
01
Evidence before inference
Factual claims in our investigations resolve to a declared finding in the evidence record. Context and analysis are identified separately. A compelling narrative is never a reason to make a claim stronger than its sources.
02
Uncertainty stays visible
Verified findings and open questions are labeled differently. When records do not establish intent, chronology, cause, or legal consequence, our reporting says so directly.
03
Readers can inspect the record
Stories link to atomic findings, source descriptions, public data, and a SHA-256 integrity manifest. The source library is part of the journalism—not an appendix hidden from readers.
04
Corrections are append-only
Material corrections and updates appear on the affected story with a date and explanation. We do not silently erase a published error or preserve a dramatic claim after it stops reproducing.