Last Updated: February 17, 1999
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The Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind.
Newsroom Code
PREAMBLE
The perception by the public of media impartiality is one of our most
important assets, and once lost is difficult to regain. To protect
such a vital asset, reporters and editors should avoid all conflicts of
interest, and as importantly, the appearance of conflict of interest, in
their roles as reporters and editors. If such conflicts or appearances
of conflicts develop or are foreseen, reporters and editors should declare
them to their immediate managers.
The following guidelines are designed to address specific ethical concerns,
but reporters and editors also should be guided by the more general rule
that conflicts of interest, and the appearance of such conflicts, are detrimental
to the newspaper and to the profession.
THE POLICY
1. Tickets - Reporters and editors should not accept for their personal
use free tickets to any performance or event from a source or potential
source. They should not pass on such tickets to others. Reporters
and editors may accept tickets according to management policy for review
or preview of an event, so long as it is clear a review will be forthcoming.
Review tickets should be limited to one per performance.
2. Gifts, meals, other payments - Reporters and editors should make
it a common practice to refuse all gifts. Fewer gifts can only mean
fewer ethical questions. Employees should discuss any and all gifts
with a supervisor. No payments of restaurant meals with sources should
be accepted. Go Dutch or pay for both meals. Group banquets
or awards functions would not fall in this category and occasional "coffee-type
exchanges" ($1 or less) are okay.
In the case of unsolicited gifts, decisions will be made on a case-by-case
basis by the editor or managing editor. Common courses of action
will be to send the gift back to the giver, pay for it, or donate it to
a charitable organization or other worthy cause and notify the giver of
the donation.
3. Politics/activism/campaign contributions - reporters/editors should
not give campaign contributions or active support to any political candidates,
political parties or organizations with local political objectives.
The newspaper has no control over spouses of employees and so cannot limit
giving or activism by a spouse. Potential conflicts should be declared.
Reporters and editors should not take an active part in or a public
stand regarding any political/public policy debate over which they may
report or where they may be editing stories and planning coverage. Reporters
and editors should declare to his or her supervisor any active participation
being considered before participation.
4. Membership in groups and organizations - Reporters/editors may belong
to local groups, associations, etc., so long as they do not cover the activities
of that group or make editorial decisions about the group. Reporters/editors
should decline leadership positions in any group that acts publicly on
issues, and should not be responsible for publicity for the group.
Reporters/editors should declare their memberships to their managers and
point out potential conflicts as they arise.
(The newspaper already has a policy that employees should not accept
board positions for organizations that receive public funding or that have
legislative or administrative control over government funds.)
5. Social evenings and friendships - Reporters/editors may engage in
occasional social contacts with sources and potential sources outside working
hours, but should be cautious about developing friendships outside the
newsperson/source relationship. When friendships are present or develop
between sources and reporters/editors, the reporters/editors should inform
management and can expect possible removal from regular coverage of that
source. Similarly, if a story develops on a beat involving a friend
of a reporter/editor, the reporter/editor should declare the friendship,
with a possible outcome of removal from the story. Reporters should
be particularly aware that the reporter/source relationship is fertile
ground for growth of friendships and should work to maintain as strictly
professional a relationship as possible with regular sources. If
such relationships become deeper, the reporter should declare that relationship
and expect to change beats.
6. Pay for other assignments - All freelance writing and editing work
under-taken by staff outside the newspaper must be declared to management
before engaging in such work. Teaching also requires prior approval
of management. No work may be undertaken for a direct competitor
in any instance, and work for sources also is discouraged.
As a general rule, reporters/editors may sell anything they want to
noncompetitors, so long as the newspaper has first refusal rights, and
sources for the story understand that the article is being sold.
VIOLATIONS
Any violations will be dealt with through the disciplinary procedure
as outlined in The Herald-Times Benefits and Policies Handbook.
