Editorial Standards

Ethics & Independence

Vikings Intel is an independent sports publication. We are not affiliated with the Minnesota Vikings, the National Football League, any team property, or any sports agency. No team, player, agent, or advertiser has editorial input on our coverage.

We do not accept payment for coverage. If Vikings Intel ever runs sponsored content or paid partnerships, they will be clearly labeled as such and separated from editorial content. As of this writing, we have no sponsors or advertising partners.

What We Publish

Our coverage focuses exclusively on the Minnesota Vikings and the NFC North. We publish news, analysis, roster breakdowns, salary cap reporting, and NFL Draft coverage. Every article is grounded in sourced reporting — we cite the original reporting outlet for every factual claim.

What We Don't Publish

We don't publish rumors without attribution. We don't present speculation as fact. When an article includes analysis or projection, it is clearly framed as such. We do not publish content about players' personal lives unless it has a direct, documented impact on the team.

Sourcing Standards

Our coverage pipeline monitors seven dedicated sources around the clock:

Vikings-dedicated sources (full coverage): PFF Vikings, Vikings Territory, PurplePTSD, and Daily Norseman.

NFL-wide sources (Vikings-filtered): ESPN NFL, ProFootballTalk, and The Cold Wire.

When we report a transaction, trade, or injury, we trace the claim to the original reporting outlet and cite it in the article. If multiple sources conflict, we note the discrepancy rather than choosing one version.

Statistical claims reference PFF grades, official NFL statistics, or contract data from Over The Cap. We don't invent numbers or cite unverifiable sources.

Content Methodology

How Articles Are Created

Here is how our editorial pipeline works:

1. Monitoring. Our automated pipeline scans seven RSS feeds every 30 minutes for new Vikings-relevant reporting. Headlines are matched against a keyword set covering the current roster, coaching staff, and divisional rivals. Matching stories are logged as source material.

2. Drafting. When significant source material is identified, it is synthesized into a comprehensive article draft that incorporates current roster context, salary cap data, and divisional standings. Drafts target 800+ words with inline statistics, source citations, and clear section structure.

3. Editorial review. Every draft is reviewed and edited by Stephen Swazee, Founding Editor, before publication. No article is auto-published. The editor verifies factual claims against the cited sources, adjusts framing and tone, and makes the final publish decision. Articles that don't meet our standards are rejected.

4. Publication. Approved articles are published with the editor's byline. The published_at timestamp reflects the actual moment of publication, not the draft creation time.

Data Integrity

Statistical data on the site — player stats, salary cap figures, schedule information, and standings — comes from structured data sources and is verified against official records. We do not fabricate or estimate statistics. When data is preliminary or unverified (such as a pre-release schedule), it is clearly labeled as such on the page.

Corrections Policy

We take accuracy seriously. When we get something wrong, we fix it openly.

How to Report an Error

If you spot a factual error, outdated information, or misleading framing in any Vikings Intel article, contact Stephen Swazee directly. We review every report and respond within 48 hours.

How Corrections Work

When a factual error is confirmed:

1. The article is updated with the correct information.

2. A correction note is appended to the article stating what was changed and when.

3. The article's "Updated" timestamp reflects the correction date.

4. Significant corrections are logged below for transparency.

We do not silently edit published articles. If the substance of a claim changes, readers will see the correction.

Corrections Log

Every published correction, clarification, update, and retraction is recorded on our public corrections log.

View the full corrections log →

Contact

Stephen Swazee, Founding Editor
Vikings Intel — covering the Minnesota Vikings since March 2026

For corrections, tips, feedback, or coverage suggestions, reach out via the methods listed on our About page.

This page was last reviewed on April 11, 2026. We review and update our editorial standards at least once per quarter.