Principles of Ethical Conduct
GANNETT JOURNALISTS
WE ARE COMMITTED TO:
I. Seeking and reporting the truth in a truthful way
- We will dedicate ourselves to reporting the news accurately, thoroughly and in context.
- We will be honest in the way we gather, report and present news.
- We will be persistent in the pursuit of the whole story.
- We will keep our word.
- We will hold factual information in editorials and other opinion pieces to the same standards of accuracy as news stories.
- We will seek to gain sufficient understanding of the communities, individuals and stories we cover to provide an informed account of activities.
- We will use content created by others in ways that adhere to the guidelines for protecting the Principles.
II. Serving the public interest
- We will uphold First Amendment principles to serve the democratic process.
- We will be vigilant watchdogs of government and institutions that affect the public, fighting to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in public.
- We will seek solutions as well as expose problems and wrongdoing in order to effect change for the good in the communities we serve.
- We will provide a public forum for diverse people and views.
- We will reflect and encourage understanding of the diverse segments of our community.
- We will provide editorial and community leadership.
- We will seek to promote understanding of complex issues.
III. Exercising fair play
- We will treat people with dignity, respect and compassion.
- We will correct errors promptly.
- We will strive to include all sides relevant to a story.
- We will explain to readers our journalistic processes.
- We will give particular attention to fairness in relations with people unaccustomed to dealing with the media.
- We will use unnamed sources as the sole basis for published information only as a last resort and under specific procedures that best serve the public’s right to know.
II. Maintaining Independence
- We will remain free of outside interests, investments or business relationships that may compromise the credibility of our news report.
- We will maintain an impartial, arm’s length relationship with anyone seeking to influence the news.
- We will avoid potential conflicts of interest and eliminate inappropriate influence on content.
- We will be free of improper obligations to news sources, newsmakers and advertisers.
- We will differentiate advertising from news.
- When sponsorships of news are appropriate, we will not allow them to determine, change or restrict content.
II. Acting with integrity
- We will act honorably and ethically in dealing with news sources, the public and our colleagues.
- We will obey the law.
- We will observe common standards of decency.
- We will take responsibility for our decisions and consider the possible consequences of our actions.
- We will be conscientious in observing these Principles.
- We will use technological tools with skill and thoughtfulness, avoiding approaches that skew facts, distort reality, or sensationalize events.
- We will use newsgathering techniques such as hidden cameras or microphones only if there is no other way to tell a significant story effectively and only with management approval.
- We will not plagiarize.
- We will not manipulate images or sound in misleading ways. We will not present images that are reenacted without informing the audience.
- We will always try to do the right thing.