Nothing is more sacred to us than the readers' trust in us to tell the truth and to be accurate, fair and impartial. We must be free of conflicts of interest. We must avoid the perception of conflicts of interest. As journalists, we cannot simply use these standards as slogans; they must be a living truth evident in everything we say, do and publish. Any failure by any one of us to follow these journalistic truths undermines the credibility of our newspaper as an entity, of each of us as individuals and of our craft.
What follows is a guide - a way of helping you determine what you should do as you go about your job. It does not foresee every action or situation. It simply gives guidance along the way. Every time you find yourself wondering what the correct thing to do is: check this policy and talk to the senior newsroom editor. Seek advice.
Gathering the news
• Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent errors. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
• Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to allow them to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.
• Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources’ reliability.
• Always question sources' motives before the senior newsroom editor grants anonymity and clarifies the conditions.
• Make certain that headlines, news teases, promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
• Check for unflattering pictures. Are they fair? Never distort the content of news photos or videos. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.
• Avoid misleading reenactments or staged news events. If reenactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.
• Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information.
• Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience, even when it is unpopular.
• Examine our own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others.
• Avoid stereotyping by race, gender identity, age, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, physical appearance or social status.
• Support the open exchange of views, even views you find objectionable.
• Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
• Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent facts or context.
• Distinguish news from advertising. Paid content should always be differentiated from news content, and readers need to be informed about any content that has been paid for by another party.
• Recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.
• Anything that is a matter of public record should be reportable in the newspaper or on our website. Subscribers pay us a monthly subscription fee so we will gather all this public information for them.
• Correct errors immediately, both in the newspaper and online.
Plagiarism
It’s a simple policy: Don’t.
If respecting the intellectual property of your fellow journalists isn't a strong enough reason to stop you from stealing their work, consider this: If you thought a sentence was funny, clever, or cute enough to steal, someone else probably thought it was pretty good, too. In the Google age, catching you stealing work can take just seconds.
Sometimes, when a reporter is "matching" a story from another source, they can accidentally copy a sentence or phrase without realizing it. To prevent this problem, add the appropriate attribution. For example, the Chattanooga Times Free Press attributes information from another source at the point in the story where the information is used. Therefore, they would add "XXXXXX," the Associated Press reported," or “XXXXXX," according to the Associated Press." It takes only seconds and helps cover any inadvertent copying you may have done. However, remember never to copy an entire sentence from another news source.
Impartiality means reporting, editing, and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively, and without personal opinion or bias.
Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is the greatest source of credibility.
To provide the most complete report, a news organization must not just cover the news, but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, regardless of any preconceived ideas on what might be most newsworthy.
The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. Journalists' roles are therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and reveal only that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth.
When a newspaper delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.
"A newspaper has five constituencies, including first its readers, then advertisers, then employees, then creditors, then shareholders. As long as the newspaper keeps those constituencies in that order, especially its readers first, all constituencies will be well served." (Walter Hussman, 1906-1988)
Paying our way
If the "public's right to know" is truly the highest and only interest journalists at our newspaper strive to serve, then journalists must reject all gifts, services and food offered by sources or organizations in the community that are not available to the general public. The only exception is at sporting events; working press may consume food and drinks in areas set aside for journalists.
No Freebies
Otherwise, turning down free bags and meals should be obvious. Refusing complimentary rounds of golf during a course review or rejecting meals on the house during a restaurant review should be standard practice. "I don't know how many times I've heard from journalists that 'I can't be bought for a meal.' Which begs the question: What could you be bought for, "said Aly Colon of the John S. and James L. Knight Chair in Journalism Ethics at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. "A Mercedes-Benz? An all-expense paid trip to Disney World? A free trip to Tuscany? Or even a wine company-sponsored trip to the California vineyards?"
Private Citizens
Things get more complicated, however, when private citizens offer gifts. Is it better to accept a cup of coffee from a source during an interview at their home and not appear rude or reject it on the grounds of staying ethically neutral?
What about if, during the course of covering a county commission meeting, a cake is brought out to celebrate the retirement of a secretary?
Should journalists automatically reject the cake because it is from a government official or should they eat a small piece with everyone else at the meeting in honor of the secretary?
In these cases, the standard should be: If you can eat it standing up, feel free to accept it. Thus, a cup of coffee, a glass of water or a small piece of cake would be acceptable - especially if rejecting the offer and being rude would strongly outweigh the ethical consequences of accepting the small offer. This policy, however, should not be stretched to the point of eating entire meals, claiming you can balance your plate on one hand and eat a steak dinner standing up.
Nonfood Gifts
All other nonfood gifts should be rejected if they are not directly related to performing your job. Thus, a free program from a play would be acceptable since the reviewer needs to know how to spell a name correctly. A notebook with a celebrity on the cover should not be accepted - the supply drawer in the office provides plenty of plain white notebooks. If a company sends free gifts through the mail, the reporter should donate the items to charity.
Review Items/Services/Travel
Complimentary items that are needed for reviewing purposes may be accepted for writing the review and then submitted to charity.
The same rules apply to services and travel. Unless the hair salon offers everyone free pedicures, journalists should not accept free or reduced services. Journalists should also reject all discounts, such as Nike's offering a discount to journalists for golf clubs.
There is no ethical reason for a writer to pay less for a driver than a lawyer. Airline discounts and free hotel rooms also should be rejected when traveling out of town to cover an event. If the paper won't pay full price to cover something, it won't get covered.
Relationships/disclosure/conflicts of interest
Numerous published ethics policies refer to staff connections, relationships and conflicts of interest. Some also cite disclosure, but relatively few offer insights into outside disclosure of potential conflicts.
News employees should avoid participating in any story from which you or a close relative might benefit or reasonably be perceived to benefit financially or otherwise. When disclosing conflicts of interest, managers may reveal the conflict within the story rather than remove the reporter from it, provided the conflict is deemed very minor.
Political activities
We support your voting privileges. However, because media companies are expected to be nonpartisan, employees' conduct is subject to special scrutiny and criticism. News personnel (reporters, copy editors, writers, photographers) and supervisory personnel must refrain from participating in active partisan politics.
Active Partisan Politics Include:
• Active support of candidates for public office.
• Service as a delegate to political conventions, as a member of party committees or candidates’ committees.
• Signing of endorsements of candidates.
• Serving as a candidate for public office.
• Endorsing, recommending, or participating in any organization primarily aims to advance a politically sensitive cause.
• Donating to any candidate or public issue up for a vote where the company reports both sides.
• News employees may not seek elected office or serve in a leadership capacity with any political party (e.g., Democrats, Republicans or Libertarians). This rule also applies to local political party groups or affiliated organizations.
• Employees should not display yard signs or bumper stickers or wear buttons or clothing in support of any candidate, federal, state or local.
• Likewise, employees should not work in any candidate's campaign or carry or sign petitions supporting any cause. Because of the potential appearance of impropriety, employees should use care when donating to any group that might be perceived as political or when attending any rally or event with political overtones. Find another ride if your spouse sports a bumper sticker on their car.
• No employee should identify as a company employee while engaging in political activities. In addition, no newsroom employee is permitted to solicit votes for any political candidate at any time actively.
Civic organization membership
Journalists can be active members of their communities, but we should be aware of some pitfalls. Although we are asked to remain neutral on community issues, the community is our home, and we can't help but have our opinions. We should declare any conflicts that arise.
• A Rotary Club member should not cover the meeting and should not accept the post of publicity chairperson in the club.
• Be careful about joining organizations, especially if it is related to your beat. The theater reviewer should not be a member of a local theater, no matter how much they want to be on stage.
• Refrain from taking a stand on issues in the area you cover. It's okay to join a church, but don't report on a controversy in the church in which you belong. Stay away from being involved in religious lobbying organizations.
• Let common sense guide you when petitions come your way - don't sign them.
• Don't donate to fundraisers with hot agendas or political parties. Working with a nonprofit group such as Goodwill is fine, but remember to exclude yourself from any capacity related to writing, layout, or placement of that story on a page.
• Don't purchase stock in a local company, especially if you are a financial reporter, editor or company you may have to cover if a controversy arises.
• Don't exploit your connection to the newspaper by using threats (e.g., to resolve a utility billing error or get better concert seats). Don't look for another job while on the clock. The reporter should let an editor know if the city, school or another business has offered a job.
• Be careful what you say publicly and even in the main newsroom about an organization, a political candidate or even a reader who may be a constant caller.
• Also, be careful about the signs, calendars or pictures around our desks. Members of the public pass through our newsroom and we don't want to send the message that we may be biased. Even staff from other departments can overhear us venting. Go into an office and vent away.
• Even during off hours, journalists should be careful about their message to the public. Wearing a T-shirt poking fun at a community controversy or even a bumper sticker taking a stand on an issue can send a wrong message.
• A good idea is to stop and think twice. Stand back and look at what you are about to do, wear and say. Ask yourself: Will this tarnish the credibility of the newspaper or your credibility with sources and readers? The same goes for social media posts and involvement with any organization that could be viewed as activist, controversial or taking a political position. Our goal is to avoid situations where readers might perceive bias.
• Most answers are common sense; if not, ask your co-workers. Get a consensus, ask your editor and don't let something come back to haunt you. Once lost, it's very difficult to regain readers' trust or restore credibility to the newspaper.
Be a Leader
Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership and Media Integrity Loyola University Chicago, offers this:
"Think about your newsroom's email exchanges or your offhand conversations about people and subjects you cover. What's the tone? Is there sniping? … Smart-aleck comments? Nonstop cynicism? Think again: What impression might someone take away from that reading? Would this kind of transparency reveal the perception or reality of bias? Or might it broadcast your journalistic professionalism to even the most skeptical eye? You, as the leader, walk and talk your newsroom's values."
Connections and relationships
News employees are encouraged to participate in the community through volunteer work, membership in civic organizations and other activities. However, working in the community carries the potential for a conflict of interest, or more to the point, the appearance of a conflict of interest.
• No newsroom employee will be assigned to write a story, take photographs, edit material, write a headline, design a page, or make news judgments related to an organization they may belong to or actively participate in, nor should they accept such an assignment. The exception may be made if a) the story/photo/page is deemed purely informational and entirely uncontroversial by the editor or the senior newsroom editor; b) if the relationship between the employee and the organization is transitory; or c) emergency circumstances require temporary suspension (see disclosure of potential conflicts of interests).
• No newsroom employee will take a leadership role in any organization they may be pressed to make an editorial judgment.
• No newsroom employee will perform public relations duties for any organization.
• Any news staff member with a close relative, close friend or someone with whom they have a romantic involvement and who is either running for office or working on a campaign will not be assigned to cover the story.
No newsroom employee will be assigned to write, photograph, report, edit material or make news judgments related to an organization, company or individual with a direct financial relationship, nor should they accept such an assignment. A direct financial relationship would include employment, whether full-time, part-time, contract, freelance or other and direct investment of stocks.
• No employee should directly invest in any corporation, company or entity they cover or are likely to cover, and no employee should be assigned to cover any corporation, company or entity they have directly invested in. "Directly invest" should mean the intentional investment in a specific company, not the investment in a mutual fund. Specifically exempted from this rule is coverage of WEHCO Newspapers, Inc. and its properties, regardless of investment.
• Newsroom employees will disclose any and all outside employment to the editor, regardless of status (full-time, part-time, contract, freelance, etc.).
• No newsroom employee will perform work for a direct competitor.
• Newsroom employees should not be assigned to write, photograph, report or edit material or make news judgments about friends or family members or any organizations in which those friends and family members are active, nor should employees accept such an assignment.
• Should an employee's family member decide to undertake a course that could lead to an actual or perceived conflict, the employee will immediately bring it to the attention of their supervisor. Examples include the spouse's intention to run for office or accept a position that could pose a conflict, post a political sign, etc.
Potential conflicts of interest
If a newsroom employee feels uncomfortable about a potential conflict involving either that employee or another, they should privately inform the editor about those concerns.
The editor will judge whether a situation poses the risk of appearing to the general public as a conflict of interest.
Should circumstances force the temporary suspension of a portion of this policy with the permission of the senior newsroom editor — such as only one reporter, photographer or editor being available for a breaking news event — the newspaper will include a disclaimer as an editor’s note at the end of the story: In the interest of full disclosure, we note that reporter Jane Doe is a member of The Goose Pimple Junction Quilting Guild.
In the event of a major suspension of the policy, reflecting a greater concern that the public may see a conflict of interest, the senior newsroom editor may decide to a) place the editor's note at or near the beginning of the story or b) write a longer explanation of the situation to use as a news drop-in.
• All newsroom employees are expected to disclose potential conflicts to the senior newsroom editor.
• In the event of a potential non-newsroom conflict of interest, an editor's note will be published, or a paragraph will be inserted in the story to explain the situation and the possible conflict. An example would be if the Goose Pimple Junction Exponent were sold to Gannett after a major bidding battle with WEHCO Media. Any story about that sale should include a paragraph or an editor’s note that WEHCO was also involved in negotiations for the purchase of the Goose Pimple Junction Exponent.
• Staff members should not write about, photograph, illustrate or make news judgments about family members, friends or close associates. Columns or a writer's story being told in the first person would be obvious exceptions.
• Staff members should notify their supervisor about friendships or relationships that could be a conflict of interest. The intent is not to limit an employee's personal life but to resolve potential disputes.
When in doubt and whenever situations arise, consult with a department head.
In summary, ethics should be considered as important as accuracy and fairness. If you have doubts about whether an action blurs the lines of ethics, see the senior newsroom editor.
Photography
With new technology available to photojournalists, altering photographs is unacceptable. However, minor dodging and burning or color correction of areas in the photograph that do not change the content are acceptable. Dirt or dust spots may be corrected or removed. Adding or removing elements that do not realistically represent what the camera captured is forbidden.
Subject Matter
On occasion, the subject matter of a photograph may require discussion, for example, pictures with the potential to offend community standards through the inclusion of nudity, obscene gestures or offensive cultural elements. Gruesome or emotionally distressing photographs are examples of photographs that may offend community standards.
Labeling
A photograph that has been manipulated (electronically or otherwise) must be labeled as a photo illustration (meaning the photo was set up) or as an electronically manipulated photo (e.g., removing or creating elements in the illustration).
Overall, the photographer should accurately and comprehensively represent subjects and should not intentionally contribute to, seek to alter or influence the events being photographed.
Photographs should not be staged.
Social media
Almost all social media section elements transfer elements of the newsroom ethics policy to online social media formats. But since social media is such a huge presence in our work and personal lives, the guidelines bear repeating:
• Stop and think twice about what you are about to say. Ask yourself: Will this tarnish the newspaper's credibility or your credibility with sources and readers? The same goes for social media posts and involvement with any organization that could be viewed as activist, controversial or taking a political position. Our goal is to avoid situations where readers might perceive bias.
• Think about what impression someone might take away from your electronic exchanges. Would they reveal the perception or reality of a bias?
• Refrain from participating in partisan politics.
• Do not publicly support any candidate in federal, state or local political races.
• Do not actively solicit votes for any political candidate at any time.
• Even when using personal social media sites, be careful not to post political or strong opinions on anything that could affect your credibility as a journalist.
• Be honest and fair. A good rule of thumb is never to post anything you would not want your mother to see. Consider whether you would be comfortable with The New York Times publishing your comment and attributing it to you.
• Be aware of your association with the newspaper in online social networks. Ensure that your profile and related content are consistent with how you wish to present yourself to colleagues, readers and those we cover.
• Don't use ethnic slurs, personal insults or obscenity, or engage in unacceptable conduct in the newspaper workplace. Show proper consideration for others' privacy and topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory, such as politics and religion.
• Refrain from posting comments or links related to advocacy or a particular interest regarding topics you cover or issues the newspaper covers.
• Remember that what you do on social media should be presumed to be publicly available to anyone. Even if you have created a private account and used privacy settings, it’s easy for someone to copy and paste your information or take a screenshot and make it public.
• Once something is on the internet, it could remain there indefinitely. It's best to avoid posting anything you might regret later.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
This policy outlines how generative artificial intelligence (AI) will be used — and not used — within WEHCO Media, Inc. and its news organizations. The policy , drawn from AP’s generative AI standards, is our guide for how reporters and editors should use generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Gemini and a growing number of other tools.
To be sustainable news organizations we must adopt and grow with new technologies. Editorial staff will be provided ongoing and mandatory training regarding the use of generative AI in the newsroom. We see AI as a tool like a spreadsheet or word processor that our reporters and editors can use to help improve efficiency and optimize our journalism. Employees are required to let supervisors know when they use AI tools.
This is a living document subject to change as more information and resources surface about how generative AI can be used for news content.