The Washington Times really really wants to improve its reputation. In an effort to make that a reality, the publication announced Tuesday that it’s willingly bringing in a third-party auditor to verify its circulation numbers.

“BPA will audit The Washington Times to verify its circulation numbers for customers and advertisers,” a release on the matter states.

The initial audit will purportedly take a year.

The purpose of this bold action? To improve their reputation, which hasn’t always been so pristine.

“For 35 years, the Washington Times has given its readers the real story about what’s happening in our nation’s capital,” said The Washington Times’ president and CEO Larry Beasley, who staffers nicknamed “Evil Santa” for his penchant for laying off employees around Christmas time.

For instance, in 2013, execs running the paper owned by the Moonies laid off 11 staffers and disguised it in a hiring spree. In 2012, as the sleigh bells were ringing, higher-ups told the staff that a quarter of them was getting pink slips. Translation: 20 people in the newsroom lost their jobs.

Merry fucking Christmas, folks!

The Unification Church’s leader Sun Myung Mooon founded the newspaper in 1982.

“We have evolved from an inside-the-Beltway publication to an online media organization with a broad national and international audience,” Beasley continued in Tuesday’s release. “We pride ourselves on the credibility we have built with our audience and are excited about establishing this relationship with BPA Worldwide. It will further enhance our credibility across all facets of our growing businesses. We expect the results to enhance our reputation with future advertisers and customers.”

Really, this all seems like a step in a positive direction.

So let’s root for their success.