Frequently Asked Questions

The simplest way is to use the contact form on our website or send an email to hello@flatoutserver.com. Describe the topic, the type of content you need, your timeline and any relevant context. We will review your brief and respond within one business day with a preliminary feasibility assessment and an initial proposal. No commitment, no payment and no obligation at this stage — just a conversation to see whether we are the right fit for your project.

We guarantee a response within one business day for all inquiries received during office hours (Monday-Friday 9 AM-6 PM ET, Saturday 10 AM-3 PM ET). Inquiries received outside of business hours are answered on the next business day. For genuinely urgent matters, you can call us directly at (613) 555-0192 during business hours.

Yes. Once you have decided to proceed and both parties have signed the service agreement, a 40% deposit is required to officially start the mandate. This deposit reserves the team's time and covers initial research and preparation costs. The remaining 60% is invoiced upon delivery of the agreed final deliverables. B2B clients with a credit account receive net-30 payment terms on the balance.

Yes, we typically hold a scoping call or meeting before the service agreement is signed. During this editorial scoping session, we define the journalistic angle, the sources we plan to engage, the format of delivery, the timeline and the final budget. This meeting is free and without obligation. It is also the point at which we decide together whether the mandate is viable, ethical and a good fit for both parties.

Yes. Our newsroom is based in Ottawa, but we serve clients across Canada and, for certain project types such as analysis and commentary or data journalism, internationally. Investigative reporting mandates that require on-the-ground fieldwork outside the National Capital Region may involve travel costs, which will be disclosed and agreed upon before the service agreement is signed.

After the 40% deposit is received, our journalists begin research according to the methodology agreed in the scoping session. You receive progress updates at each key milestone — typically after the research phase, after a first complete draft, and before final delivery. You are never left wondering about the status of your project. The entire process is documented and we retain notes for 24 months.

Yes, for most mandates a lead journalist is assigned and remains the primary contact and main author throughout. For larger or multi-format projects, a small dedicated team may be assembled — for example, a lead investigative journalist and a data specialist for a data-driven investigation. In all cases, you are introduced to the team members involved before work begins.

Three revision rounds are included in all mandates at no additional charge. Each round covers your editorial comments, angle or tone adjustments, and any supplementary fact-checking you request. We take all editorial feedback seriously and apply it thoroughly. If you need more than three rounds of revisions — which is uncommon but can happen on complex or collaborative projects — additional revision time is billed at our media consulting hourly rate of $225 excl. HST ($254.25 incl. HST).

Yes, for standard investigative reporting we offer a rush option with a 72-hour turnaround. The rush rate is $3,600 excl. HST ($4,068 incl. HST). Rush availability depends on current team capacity and must be confirmed at the time of the initial inquiry. Rush mandates follow the same editorial standards as regular mandates — the turnaround is faster because we prioritize the file, not because we cut corners.

Formats are agreed at the scoping stage and depend on the service type. Written content is typically delivered as a Word document and a clean PDF. For data journalism, we provide the final article, interactive files (HTML or embeddable formats), raw cleaned datasets and methodology notes. Multimedia deliverables include original high-resolution files, web-optimized versions, closed captions (SRT files) and transcripts. All deliverables are transferred via a secure file-sharing link.

Under our standard service agreement, you receive a full licence to publish, reproduce and distribute the delivered work for the purpose defined in the agreement, in perpetuity. Flatoutserver retains the moral rights of authorship as required by Canadian copyright law. If you require a full assignment of copyright (transfer of all rights, including the right to modify), this can be arranged and will be reflected in the pricing. Please raise this during the scoping meeting.

All project files — final deliverables, source notes, raw data and correspondence — are archived and accessible to the client for 24 months from the delivery date. After 24 months, you are notified before any deletion takes place. If you need longer-term storage, we can discuss extended archiving arrangements.

Yes. If you require exclusive first publication rights — meaning we will not offer the same story or a substantively similar story to another client for a defined period — this can be arranged. Exclusivity agreements are project-specific and time-limited. Please discuss your requirements during the scoping session; exclusivity arrangements may affect pricing depending on the scope and duration.

Source protection is an absolute principle at Flatoutserver. We never reveal the identity of a confidential source without their explicit consent. We use end-to-end encrypted messaging tools for sensitive communications, practice strict digital hygiene and provide sources with guidance on secure communication channels before they share information. The legal framework governing journalist-source privilege in Canada — including the Canada Evidence Act and relevant case law — is one our team has trained on and applies rigorously.

We follow the editorial standards of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and the principles of the Press Freedom Foundation. Every story undergoes at least a two-source verification rule for factual claims. We offer right of reply to any individual or organization named in a critical context before publication. We correct errors promptly and transparently. Our journalists are committed to accuracy, fairness, independence and minimizing harm.

Yes, we work with private companies, NGOs and government bodies as clients. This does not compromise editorial independence because that independence is written into every contract. Clients commission journalism — they do not direct it. They can specify the topic and the format; they cannot specify the conclusions, influence which sources are used or require facts to be omitted. All client relationships are disclosed in published work. If a mandate were to require us to compromise our editorial standards, we would decline it.

Our editorial independence clause in the service agreement specifies that we will not suppress accurate, verified, newsworthy information at a client's request. If a significant finding arises that was not anticipated in the scoping stage, we notify the client immediately and discuss the editorial options — including scope adjustments, additional investigation or publication timing. However, we will not omit verified facts that are material to the story's accuracy and public interest value.

All published rates are shown in two columns on our Services page: excluding HST (13%) and including HST. HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) applies to all services at 13% under the Ontario HST framework. Our HST Registration Number is 732918456 RT0001. All invoices clearly show the pre-tax amount, HST amount and total. Clients who are HST registrants may claim input tax credits in the normal way.

Yes. Qualified B2B clients can receive net-30 payment terms on the balance of the invoice (the 60% due at delivery). Net-30 eligibility is confirmed at the scoping stage based on the client's credit profile. Consumer clients and first-time engagements with new organizational clients typically pay the balance upon delivery. See our Terms of Service for full payment conditions.

We stand behind our work. If the final deliverable materially fails to meet the specifications agreed in the service agreement, we will revise it at no charge, beyond the three included revision rounds, until it meets those specifications. Refunds are issued only in cases where we are demonstrably unable to fulfil the agreed mandate. Dissatisfaction with factual findings that are accurate and verified does not constitute grounds for a refund, as those findings reflect editorial independence rather than a service failure. Please see our Terms of Service for the full dispute resolution process.

Cancellation is free up to 72 hours before the agreed start date of work. If you cancel within 72 hours of the start date, the 40% deposit is retained to cover the preparation and planning costs already incurred. If you cancel after production has begun, billing is pro-rated to the work already completed, and any deliverable produced to that point is transferred to you upon settlement. Full cancellation terms are set out in the service agreement, in line with our published Terms of Service.

We accept Interac e-Transfer, bank wire transfer (EFT) and cheque. Credit card payments may be accommodated for smaller mandates — please inquire at the scoping stage. All invoices are issued in Canadian dollars and payment must be made in Canadian dollars unless an alternative arrangement is agreed in writing. Wire transfer details and banking information are provided on the invoice.