EDITORIAL POLICY

EDITORIAL POLICY OF THE PUBLIC ORGANISATION “DEATH DOULA”

Approved by decision of the Council of the Death Doula Organisation

1. General Provisions and Mission

1.1.

This Editorial Policy (the “Policy”) establishes the principles, standards and procedures for creating, editing, reviewing, publishing and updating all informational materials published on the official resources of the Public Organisation “Death Doula” (the “Organisation”), including its website, social media, educational materials and methodological resources.

1.2.

The mission of the Organisation’s editorial activity is to:

• foster a culture of conscious engagement with death, the end of life and the experience of loss;
• provide the wider public with responsible, reliable, ethically reviewed and safe information on non-medical support;
• carry out educational work aimed at destigmatising death and grief;
• inform the public about the professional standards and values of the Death Doula profession.

1.3.

The ethical and normative basis of this Policy consists of the Organisation’s Statute, the International Charter of the Death Doula Profession, the Ethical Code of the Death Doula and other applicable documents of the Organisation’s Unified Professional Regulation System (UPRS). The UPRS is an open system of normative documents, and this Policy applies in accordance with the Charter as the highest internal normative document of the UPRS.

2. Target Audience and Communication Principles

2.1.

The Organisation’s materials are intended for:

• people experiencing loss or facing the end of life;
• their relatives, loved ones and carers;
• specialists qualified as Death Doulas, including those who hold Active Specialist Status, as well as professionals in related helping professions;
• members of the wider public interested in these subjects.

2.2.

All materials must be created and published with due regard to the potential emotional vulnerability of readers. The following communication principles are mandatory:

• Respect and dignity: recognising the uniqueness of each person’s experience.
• Empathy and support: using clear, supportive and non-judgmental language.
• Professionalism and calm: avoiding sensationalism, pathos, mystification and cold cynicism.
• Confidentiality: no information that could identify a Supported Person may be published without that person’s explicit written consent. Even where consent has been given, the use of composite cases is recommended.

3. Organisational Structure and Responsibility

3.1.

Responsibility for the content, tone and accuracy of published materials lies with the Editorial Council, a collegial body.

3.2.

Editorial decisions are made collegially with mandatory regard to the ethical, professional and humanitarian standards set out in the Charter, the Ethical Code of the Death Doula and other applicable UPRS documents.

3.3.

The Organisation retains final editorial control over all materials published under its brand.

4. Scope of Activity and Legal Disclaimers

4.1.

The Organisation provides non-medical and non-therapeutic support. All materials are for general informational purposes and are accompanied by clear disclaimers:

• Medical disclaimer: materials do not constitute medical, psychiatric or psychological care, do not contain diagnostic or treatment recommendations, and do not replace consultation with licensed healthcare professionals.
• Legal disclaimer: the information does not constitute legal advice. Matters involving legal documents (including wills, powers of attorney and similar documents) require consultation with a notary or lawyer.
• Crisis disclaimer: materials concerning acute grief, suicidal thoughts, active suicide risk or other acute crisis states must include current contact information for emergency and crisis services in the relevant country or region and/or information on seeking help from appropriate specialist professionals.

4.2.

The Organisation is not responsible for the consequences of using published information to make decisions concerning health or legal matters.

5. Content Preparation Process and Quality Standards

5.1.

The standard publication process includes: topic selection, drafting, editorial review, fact and terminology checking, ethical review, publication and regular review.

5.2.

Information sources include official guidance from international and national health organisations, scientific publications, professional standards and the practical experience of the Organisation’s team.

5.3.

Factual statements must be based on verified sources. The Organisation’s own methods are identified as practices of the Organisation.

6. Working with Sensitive Topics

6.1.

Materials addressing particularly sensitive topics, including suicide, the loss of a child, trauma, violence and religious practices, are subject to enhanced review standards.

6.2.

The romanticisation of suffering and sensationalised portrayals of death are prohibited.

6.3.

Visual content must be dignified and respectful. Shocking images, scenes of agony or any content that violates a person’s privacy or dignity must not be published.

7. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

7.1.

The Organisation may use AI tools as an auxiliary means of generating ideas, structuring, translating or technically formatting materials.

7.2.

Automatic publication of AI-generated content without human involvement is strictly prohibited.

7.3.

All content created or processed with the assistance of AI must undergo mandatory review, factual verification and substantive editing by an Organisation specialist who has appropriate qualifications and competence in the subject matter. Responsibility for the final content rests with the human editor or author.

7.4.

Referring to an “AI error” does not provide grounds for exemption from responsibility for a breach of standards.

8. Separation of Editorial and Commercial Activities

8.1.

The Organisation’s editorial activity is independent of financial interests.

8.2.

The existence of paid programmes, courses or services does not influence the content of informational materials.

8.3.

The Organisation does not publish undisclosed advertising or native advertising disguised as editorial material.

9. Copyright and Quotation

9.1.

Methodological guides, checklists, document templates and educational programmes created by the Organisation are protected by copyright. Exclusive proprietary rights belong to the Public Organisation “Death Doula”.

9.2.

Reposting and quotation of materials, in an amount not exceeding 30% of the original text, are permitted provided that authorship is clearly attributed and a hyperlink to the Organisation’s official resource is included. This rule applies unless otherwise provided by a separate normative document of the Organisation, the terms of use of the specific material, or applicable law.

9.3.

Commercial use of the materials by third parties is prohibited without the Organisation’s written permission.

10. Updates, Corrections and Feedback

10.1.

Materials are reviewed and updated regularly. The date of the latest revision is stated on the publication page.

10.2.

The Organisation promptly corrects identified factual errors.

10.3.

The Organisation is open to constructive dialogue. Suggestions, comments and enquiries concerning content may be sent to the official email address: [email protected].

11. APPLICABILITY AND LEGAL BOUNDARIES

11.1.

This Policy establishes the editorial standards of the Public Organisation “Death Doula” and applies to informational materials created or published by the Organisation. It is not the terms of use of the digital platform and does not, by itself, create contractual relations between a user of the digital platform and the Organisation.

11.2.

The approval, application and internal implementation of this Policy by the Public Organisation “Death Doula” are governed by the laws of Ukraine. Use of the digital platform, purchase of digital products and other relations with the operator of the digital platform are governed by the separate legal documents of the relevant operator.