Principles of Ethical Conduct

The document details the guidelines that model all journalists working at NewsBytes. At NewsBytes, we strive for:

Accuracy

We must seek to represent every story as authentically as possible; textually, visually, and tonally. Every story must be written without bias, judgment, assumptions, or hype. We must tell all sides of the story and take no sides. Speed shall be no excuse for inaccuracy.

Any information from unofficial sources, including social media, must be treated with skepticism. We must seek to independently verify and corroborate information.

Impartiality

All news items must be reported without bias. We must not offer a platform to anyone who seeks to influence the news. Even when sharing editorials, we must ensure that the viewpoints remain sensitive, insightful, and help drive positive public discourse. We must seek to inform our audience about complex issues. We must value diverse people and views unless the same is considered harmful to society and public peace.

Transparency

We value the trust of the reader and hence seek to duly attribute our sources wherever applicable. Any person or entity must not be endorsed through our platform and the same must be left to the judgement of the editor.

Any errors must be promptly corrected. Factual inaccuracies, once corrected, should be acknowledged and mentioned as a footnote to maintain transparency.

Knowledge

We must seek to report the whole truth. We must ensure that our platform offers a complete and detailed reports on daily occurrences. The same must be done in a manner deemed comprehensive by our readers. We must seek to leave no holes in any story.

Privacy

We must seek to protect the identity of sensitive and vulnerable individuals, including those who say they have been victims of sexual assault or extreme abuse. The same protection extends to the identities of minors who are said to be victims of crimes, have witnessed crimes, or stand accused of crimes. These identities shall remain protected unless the same has been formally released to the public or if the victims publicly identify themselves.

Decency

All subjects of a story must be treated with respect and compassion. The same decency extends to all members of our diverse society.

We must not be a platform to spread hatred or propaganda.

We must not use obscenities, slurs, or other profanities unless there is a compelling reason for the same. Exceptional cases in this regard must be left to the judgement of editors. Graphic depictions or descriptions of murder, dead bodies, suicide, sexual assault, etc., must also be avoided.

Integrity

We must not plagiarize or fabricate information. Visuals must not be altered or misrepresented to mislead the reader, irrespective of intent.