EDITORIAL POLICIES

PRINCIPLES

The main idea is to simplify so that it is convenient and useful for the reader. Each sentence and word should perform a specific task. Remove unnecessary and ambiguous words. Use simple words and constructions. Be in the world of the reader, not the seller or manager. Context and perspective are fundamental. It’s the goal of our reporters and editors to focus on real people – not just institutions – to show in human terms how events affect our lives. It’s a busy world out there so every story about software development needs to convince people that they should make time for it.

Although our role continues to evolve, the principles that guide our work are unchanged. Everything that we do must be honest, unbiased and unflinchingly fair. We deal with facts that are demonstrable, supported by sources that are reliable and responsible. We pursue with equal vigour all sides of a story.

Accuracy is fundamental. Discovery of a mistake calls for immediate correction. Corrections to stories already published or broadcast must not be grudging or stingy. They must be written in a spirit of genuinely wanting to right a wrong in the fairest and fullest manner.

Good taste is a constant consideration. Some essential news is essentially repellent. Its handling need not be.

STAFF RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility for upholding EVNE Developer’s standards rests with our authors, editors and supervisors. So much individuality is involved in reporting, writing and editing news that it is impossible to have precise rules covering every eventuality. Being guided by proven practices is the surest way of meeting the standards in the field.

Among the most important of these practices:

Investigate fully before transmitting any story or identifying any individual in a story where there is the slightest reason for doubt. When in doubt cut it out. But never make this an excuse for ditching an angle without thorough checking. The doubt must be an honest doubt, arrived at after examination of all the facts.
Cite competent authorities and sources as the origin of any information open to question. Have proof available for publication in the event of a denial.
Be impartial when handling any news affecting parties or matters in controversy. Give fair representation to all sides at issue.
Stick to the facts without editorial opinion or comment. Reporters’ opinions are not wanted in copy. Their observations are.
Admit errors promptly, frankly. Public distrust of the media is profound and troubling. The distrust is fed by inaccuracy, carelessness, indifference to public sentiment, automatic cynicism about those in public life, perceived bias or unfairness and other sins suggesting arrogance.
The power of news stories to injure can reach both the ordinary citizen and the corporate giant. EVNE Developers’s integrity and sensitivity demand that supervisors and staff respond sympathetically and quickly when an error has been made. It doesn’t matter whether the complaint comes from a timid citizen acting alone or from a powerful figure’s battery of lawyers.
Every story shown to be erroneous and involving a corrective must be drawn to the attention of supervisory staff.

ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR

Part of our responsibility as authors is to ensure we don’t do anything that demeans the craft or weakens our credibility. Because we deliver various news, we must observe stringent ethical practices, and be seen to be doing so.

It is impossible to raise all potential ethical challenges in this book. But the following guiding principles are offered in the spirit of wanting to advance, not restrain, our work.

Pride in yourself and in the practice of journalism nourishes ethical behaviour.
EVNE Developers pays its own way. Staff should not accept anything that might compromise our integrity or credibility.
EVNE Developers does not pay newsmakers for interviews, to take their pictures or to film or record them.

IMPARTIALITY

Impartiality is somewhat like exercise. You have to work out regularly to build tone and strength.

The best exercise for impartiality is to stop regularly and ask yourself: “Am I being as impartial, honest and fair as I can be?”

Some other guides to impartiality:

Parties in controversy, whether in politics or law or otherwise, receive fair consideration. Statements issued by conflicting interests merit equal prominence, whether combined in a single story or used at separate times.

When a comparative unknown expresses controversial views, question his or her expertise on the subject. If there is no expertise, or the individual does not have an official position that puts weight behind the views, consider carefully whether the report should be carried.

QUOTATIONS

Quotes are the lifeblood of any story. They put rosiness into the cheeks of the palest stories. They add credibility, immediacy and punch.

We correct slips of grammar that are obvious slips and that would be needlessly embarrassing. We remove verbal mannerisms such as ah’s, routine vulgarities and meaningless repetitions. We fix careless spelling mistakes and other typos in emails and text messages. Otherwise we do not revise quotations.

While we don’t routinely use abnormal spellings and grammar to indicate dialects or mispronunciations, they can have a place in helping to convey atmosphere.

Other points to remember about handling quotes:

Whenever possible, interviews should be recorded. When there is risk that a quote is not exact, for whatever reason, a paraphrase is safest.
When exactness is essential — if it’s one person’s word against another’s — quote verbatim.
When a speaker uses what is obviously a wrong word, check back when possible. When a quote does not make sense, check back with the speaker or ditch it.
Misquotes result not only from tampering or carelessness. Failure to place a quote in context can have the same eroding effect on credibility.
When clear and concise, a full quote is preferred to a partial quote. But a partial quote can be useful for spicing a lead, setting off a controversial statement or giving the flavour of a speaker.
If words are left out of a text or middle of a quotation, show the omission with an ellipsis.
Long bracketed explanations and paraphrases should not be inserted at the beginning or end of a quote.
Guard against attributing one person’s quote to several speakers.

Do not include in a quote words that the speaker could not have spoken.
Do not alter audio or video clips except to make sound clearer and reduce line noise. Within a clip, edit only to remove pauses and stumbles.

LANGUAGE

A reminder to be careful with translations. We should not imply that someone is speaking English when he is not.

In interviews and speeches, make clear what language is being used unless it is obvious. When reporting the shouts of a crowd or the wording of protest signs that are in other languages, specify that a translation is involved.

Readers are entitled to know when a direct or indirect quote is based on translation rather than the exact words used.

OBSCENITY

Technology has reduced the role of the middleman, allowing our content to be sent directly to readers, viewers and listeners – unfettered and unfiltered.

At the same time, subscribers to our service have come to represent a wide spectrum of users, from small-market broadcasters to big-city newspapers to fledgling online news portals. Each one has a different policy when it comes to the use of obscenity in their reports.

That means it is more vital than ever that EVNE Developers has a clear and unequivocal policy on the use of obscenity — one that is clearly understood by staff and strictly enforced by supervisors.

Obscenity has no place in the news report, whether in print, audio, or video — except under some very specific and exceedingly rare circumstances.

Stories and photos that contain obscenities or vulgar language should always be transmitted in such a way that they don’t reach online readers automatically. Where possible, a version of the story should be crafted without the obscenity in order for it to be used online.

When such language must be part of audio or video reports, it is carefully flagged and an alternative version that does not include the offensive material is provided. EVNE Developers does not digitally alter images where offensive language appears in a picture or video.

SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Potential for offence lurks in every news story. Age, race, sex, disabilities, religion – all are sometimes pertinent to the news but must be handled thoughtfully.

Use fairness, sensitivity and good taste when identifying age, colour, creed, nationality, personal appearance, religion, sex, sexual orientation and any other heading under which a person or group may feel slighted.

AGE

Often age is relevant as part of a personal description or for identification. Ages also help readers to relate to people in news stories.

In general, give a person’s age rather than imprecise and possibly derogatory terms such as senior citizen, retiree, elderly or middle-aged.

DISABILITIES

Be accurate, clear and sensitive when describing a person with a disability, handicap, illness or disease. They are people first; their disability is only one part of their humanity and most would say it is the least important part.

Mention a disability only if it is pertinent. Never dismiss someone with an unqualified disabled, crippled or the like. While it is important to be specific for clarity, there are also some terms that may be used in the scientific community that are not as acceptable in casual use. Don’t define people by their disorders: the disabled, the blind, the handicapped. Writing people with disabilities emphasizes the human beings and not the disabilities.

RACE AND ETHNICITY

EVNE Developers reporting should reflect the ethnic diversity of the country in a natural way, free of explicit or unconscious racism.

Identify a person by race, colour, national origin or immigration status only when it is truly pertinent. The appearance of racial minorities in news reports should not be confined to accounts of cultural events, racial tension or crime. Comments on subjects that are a matter of public interest should come from a wide variety of people of different backgrounds.

Don’t always turn to the same minority spokespeople and organizations for reaction. This can give unwarranted standing to groups that don’t necessarily reflect the full range of views of their communities.

Arguing that humour was intended is no defence for a racial slur.

SEXISM

Treat the sexes equally and without stereotyping. A woman’s marital or family status — single, married, divorced, grandmother — is pertinent only to explain a personal reference or to round out a profile. The test always is: Would this information be used if the subject were a man?

Some readers find the use of he (him, his) as a word of common or indeterminate gender to be sexist. His or her and the like can be used but may prove awkward. In that case reword the sentence if possible.

Often a plural construction solves the sex problem:

Retired officers are not usually referred to by their former rank.

Not: A retired officer is not usually referred to by his or her former rank.

The generic man is regarded by some as excluding women. Instead of man or mankind, you can write people, human beings, humanity, human race. Alternatives to manmade include artificial, constructed, manufactured, synthetic. But don’t get carried away. To write human energy or human resources to avoid manpower, or person-eating tiger to avoid man-eating tiger is being hypersensitive.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY

The issue of gender identity and expression has evolved rapidly in recent years, testing and reinventing some of society’s most basic boundaries and norms in the process and making the best way to report on gender issues a moving target, to say the least.

Because the standards are fluid and ever-changing, the most fundamentally important advice is to tread carefully, remaining flexible and open-minded, and to be guided by the personal preferences of the people you’re writing about. Always explain the person’s preference in copy, and make generous use of the person’s chosen name as an alternative in order to foster as much clarity as possible.

Derogatory terms should be avoided whenever possible, even when part of a direct quotation..

SOURCES

Cultivating knowledgeable sources who can provide the background and insight necessary for delivering a complete story is the trademark of the excellent author.

Getting and keeping good sources is hard work. It involves patient telephone work plus breaking free from our desks to get out and meet people.

Authors, editors and supervisors are encouraged to pull back from the front lines occasionally to spend time with people who know what’s happening in the world beyond our own limited horizons.

When dealing with sources, remember that many people are not used to dealing with the media. Ensure they understand they are being quoted, and their words or picture may appear in many newspapers.

A cardinal rule with sources is to avoid close personal involvement. There is nothing wrong with social contact with sources, but close personal relationships can lead to conflicts of interest.

ETHICS AND SOURCES

When we do promise anonymity we must scrupulously respect that pledge. But it cannot be absolute and it is only fair to tell potential sources so. The courts may require reporters to disclose sources.

Verbal contracts with sources are enforceable in court. Make sure both you and your source understand precisely what that agreement is before you get the information. Do not make promises you cannot keep.

Other details should be clarified with sources. May all material be used, or must some be treated as only for the reporter’s information and guidance (called background or deep background in the jargon of officialdom)? Are direct quotes permissible or only paraphrases?

Some phrases like off the record can have different meanings to different people. Be sure everyone is operating under the same meanings.

A final caution: The source who does not want to be named in copy will rarely be available to defend EVNE Developers in the event of court action. This could leave us with no defence and lacking any ability to prove what we distributed for public consumption.

INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES

The internet and social networking sites such as Facebook, where individuals can exchange information, have changed newsgathering. The internet is usually the first stop for journalists looking for information. It is particularly effective in tracking down people who may have direct knowledge of a news event, identifying news tips or trends, finding new sources and confirming factual background.

The same principles used in vetting a source found any other way must be applied to online sources. But there are extra challenges online.

If an online source claims to be an official spokesperson or representative of an organization, confirm that is the case by calling the organization.

Material from websites must be fully credited. Stick to authoritative sites.

Social media sites should not be used as the sole source of factual information. And since you cannot know for sure who is saying the words, it is best to try to establish direct contact by sending a message through the site and asking for a phone interview before reporting comments from someone claiming to have special knowledge of the story.
Information from Wikipedia, which describes itself as a site “anyone can edit,” should be confirmed through another source, such as a government or professional website.

The same copyright rules apply to material from websites as print publications. Material must be fully credited when paraphrased and enclosed in quotation marks when carried word for word. Guard against accidentally cutting and pasting words that are not your own into copy with proper attribution.

CORRECTIONS AND CORRECTIVES

Mistakes happen. Misinformation gets reported. When it does, the first priority is always to get it fixed, quickly and properly.

Stories exist in continuous publication online for at least 24 hours, though some types of items can be online much longer. Although there are contractual limits on how long websites can archive EVNE Developers content, often these stories are kept online much longer. Unlike a newspaper version, online stories aren’t frozen in one form. They can be changed at any time in their life as current online news. This means the window for doing a Writethru to correct a mistake is much larger than the traditional deadline cycle for newspapers.

CLARIFICATIONS

A Clarification is carried when a story is not essentially wrong but is incomplete or may have left room for a possible misunderstanding. It is a brief placelined item that carries the slug CLARIFICATION in the version field.
A Clarification should make clear that the original story — or in the case of a pickup, the story distributed — left out important information or could be misinterpreted. The Clarification would then provide a fuller version or straighten out the possible misunderstanding.
A Clarification would be appropriate, for example, if a story gave only one side of an issue, or if the wording could be read two ways, or if someone felt unfairly treated, even though there were no errors of fact.