Outdoor Life Editorial Standards
Mission
Outdoor Life is for diehard hunters, anglers, shooters, and conservationists. Since 1898 our mission has been to deliver stories about success in the field, cutting-edge gear, and adventures in far-off wildernesses and close-to-home woodlots. We inspire America’s outdoorsmen and women to chase the critter’s they’re passionate about and fight for the wild places they love. Outdoor Life is part of Recurrent Ventures.
Editorial Independence
At Recurrent Ventures, we believe our “audience first, revenue second” ethos cannot function without editorial independence driving everything we do. Our platforms are built on a foundation of audience trust.
Consequently, editorial decisions are made free of interference from anyone outside editorial and content management. Our editors, writers, video producers, content leads, and social-media managers have explicit control over our content.
Any other employees, such as those in product, HR, advertising, business development, or senior stakeholders, such as company owners and investors, cannot mandate—through either direct conversation or other influence—the content we publish. Advertisers, direct or otherwise, have no sway over editorial content. We work to adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics.
Transparency, Disclosures, and Conflicts of Interest
Our “audience first, revenue second” principle means we act in our readers’ and viewers’ best interests above all else; operate transparently with our methods; avoid conflicts of interest and disclose business relationships; and make sure our audiences know exactly what they’re getting from us.
Our teams are required to be clear about any relationships we have that might appear to influence our coverage. No staff member shall have financial interests in an area they cover, including shares in a company relevant to their subject matter.
Products we test are used for content creation, and we always offer to return products to manufacturers after testing. Staff members and regular contributors are forbidden from accepting compensation from entities they cover. Likewise, staff members and contributors are forbidden from selling any products they obtain for reviews.
Recurrent earns commissions through our product review links, which we disclose in each story that contains affiliate links. Our product reviews and recommendations are solely guided by our expertise, research, and experience; any “sponsored reviews” or deals will be clearly marked as such.
Furthermore, any branded or sponsored content will be clearly labeled. Recurrent’s various publications may engage editorial staff members with this content in different ways, but transparency will never be in question.
Accuracy & Accountability
Our editors are committed to delivering the most accurate and up-to-date news, features, analysis, and recommendations possible to our audiences. Every story we publish—from the quickest blog to the most in-depth feature—passes through at least one editor, who is responsible for ensuring the quality and accuracy of the content. In some instances, an independent fact-checker will verify all statements in the story.
We also show our work. Whenever we make a statement, cite a statistic, republish a quote, or otherwise tap an outside source for information, we will name it and, whenever possible, link back to the original source. Our journalists are responsible for verifying the quality and trustworthiness of the sources that appear in our stories.
We recognize that errors do happen—and we take them seriously. When a reader or source raises an issue with a story we’ve published, an editor will review the proposed change against our sourcing, consult additional resources as needed, and determine if it’s necessary to issue a correction. If a correction is warranted, we’ll update the relevant passages in the text and insert a note disclosing the error in the story itself.
Our Editorial Team
Outdoor Life is led by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson and an ace team of editors who live in every region of the country and specialize in a variety of outdoor pursuits. Our staff members have won National Magazine Awards, shooting matches, archery competitions, and bass fishing tournaments (and we’ve brought home middle-of-the-pack finishes in ultra-marathons).
Masthead
Editor-in-Chief Alex Robinson
Executive Editor Natalie Krebs
Shooting Editor, Senior Deputy Editor John B. Snow
Staff Writer Tyler Freel
News Editor Dac Collins
Engagement Editor Derek Horner
Executive Gear Editor Scott Einsmann
Assistant Gear Editor Ashley Thess
Staff Writer Laura Lancaster
Hunting and Conservation Editor Andrew McKean
Fishing Editor Joe Cermele
Sustainable Creativity
At Recurrent, we love journalism, and we love journalists. That’s why we’re committed to building, growing, and improving a workplace culture that supports the careers, health, and well-being of the people who create our articles, videos, podcasts, tweets, and everything in between. To us, that manifests in two ways:
Prioritizing compassion. Media is a tough business, and the internet is an especially grueling place to work. Our managers run newsrooms based on the idea that a climate of dignity and respect produces the best work. At the same time, our leave, vacation, and holiday schedules are designed to give journalists the time they need to unplug and reboot.
Building a community of journalists. We’re all as dedicated to the success of each individual brand as we are to the growth and development of individual journalists. Editors and writers at our various publications celebrate one another’s wins as much as they support one another through challenges. This means our brands are committed to regularly collaborating, exchanging tips and ideas, and pushing one another to do our best work.