Editorial Policy

PRINCIPLES

There is a difference between providing information and describing what is happening in a country, as well as how events occurring outside of our borders affect them. One cannot stress the value of context and point of view. In order to illustrate how events affect our lives in a human context, our reporters and editors make an effort to concentrate on actual individuals, not simply institutions. Every tale needs to encourage readers to invest time in it because we live in such a busy culture. If the news piece doesn’t try to be interesting or explain why the reader should care, people will click on another website, turn the page, or switch the channel.

The principles that guide our work don’t change, despite the fact that our job does. Every action we do must be unwaveringly impartial, honest, and fair. We are dealing with facts that can be verified and are supported by reliable, knowledgeable sources. We look into every aspect of a story zealously.

It is impossible to stress how important precision is. Any error that is found needs to be fixed immediately. It is not appropriate to be reluctant or scant when making corrections to previously published or broadcast articles. They must be drafted with the goal of making harm as thorough and comprehensive of reparation as possible.

Our job is crucial. Speed must be given top priority by a news organization that is committed to meeting 24-hour deadlines. However, dependability is always more important than speed.

Good taste is always taken into account. Some crucial knowledge is plain disgusting. That is not the only way to approach it.

THE STAFF’S RESPThe RC online ONSIBILITY

The standards must be upheld by our reporters, editors, and managers. Since reporting, writing, and editing news involves so many different situations, it is hard to have precise rules that apply to every situation. Our staff members follow a number of protocols as part of their duties.

Some of the more significant of these behaviors include the following:

  • If there is even the slightest reason to suspect anything, a full investigation should be conducted before any story is broadcast or any person is named in a narrative. Remove it if you’re unsure. But don’t let this be a justification for dropping an angle without first evaluating it. Based on a careful examination of all the available data, the uncertainty must be real.
  • If there is any doubt about the source of any material, cite reliable authorities and sources. Have your proof prepared for publishing in the event of a refusal.
  • Keep an objective stance when discussing news that impacts certain groups or controversies. Make certain that all viewpoints are fairly represented.
  • Don’t include any editorial comments or opinions; just state the facts as they are. The copy shouldn’t incorporate any of the reporters’ viewpoints. They made some fascinating observations. For the reader to understand difficult issues, accurate background information, and authoritative interpretation are also required.
  • Recognize errors as soon as feasible. The public’s broad and worrisome lack of trust in the media. The lack of trust is fueled by inaccuracy, carelessness, disregard for the general mood, automatic skepticism toward people in public life, perceived bias or unfairness, and other flaws that seem hubristic.
  • By upholding precise facts and a steadfast dedication to fairness, The RC online can help alter public attitudes. We shouldn’t be so quick to reject criticism and complaints because certain journalists don’t want to hear them from other people.
  • News items have the power to hurt both common people and huge corporations. The RC online’s honesty and sensitivity need management and staff to react promptly and sympathetically when an error is made. It makes no difference if the complaint is made by the legal team of a strong person or by a scared citizen acting alone.
  • Supervisory staff must be informed of every inaccurate story that has to be corrected.

ETHICAL ACTIONS

It is part of our responsibility as journalists to avoid taking any actions that would devalue our profession or damage our reputation. Because we break the bad news about dishonest politicians, negligent caregivers, and corporate leaders who violate ethical standards for financial gain, we must uphold high ethical standards and be perceived to uphold them.

In this endeavor, it is challenging to handle every potential ethical dilemma. But we abide by the following guiding principles in the spirit of trying to expand rather than constrict our activity.

  • Pride in oneself and in journalism’s work fosters ethical behavior.
  • The RC online is financially independent. Nothing that might compromise our credibility or integrity should be accepted by workers.
  • Journalists are not paid by The RC online for their time spent on interviews, photos, or video or audio recordings.
  • Reporters for The RC online never exaggerate facts to get a story. They always declare themselves to be journalists.

IMPARTIALITY

Comparable to physical exercise is impartiality. Regular exercise is necessary to increase strength and tone.

The best exercise for impartiality is to pause and ask oneself, “Am I being as unbiased, honest, and fair as I can be?”

Other standards for objectivity

Each side in a conflict is treated equally, whether it is based on politics, the law, or something else. Statements from competing interests, whether they are included in a single story or used at various points in time, should be given equal weight.

To ensure simultaneous publication, however, make every effort to gather opposing opinions.

If a covert attack by one group or individual on another has been reported, any authoritative response is likewise conveyed. Declare your inability to locate a trustworthy source and try again.

Inquire about a relative unknown’s knowledge of the subject if they present opposing viewpoints. If there is no expertise or if the person does not have a position of authority that would give credibility to their ideas, decide if the report should be carried out.

QUOTATIONS

Quotes are the heart and soul of a story. They have the palest cheek rosiness and tell the saddest stories. They give your message additional authority, relevance, and impact.

If writers and editors misuse them, they may also have issues. Some news organizations let quotes to be used creatively. The RC online reacts harshly to any attempts to alter what was said.

We always use standard English when quoting individuals. We fix obvious grammatical mistakes that would be embarrassing to leave unfixed. We cut away the ahs, common foul language, and useless repetitions from your speech. We fix careless typos and spelling problems in emails and SMS communications. If this isn’t the case, we don’t modify the quotations.

Unusual spellings and grammar aren’t often used to depict dialects or mispronunciations, although they can be effective in creating an atmosphere.

Cleaning up or paraphrasing this tweet from an adolescent fan in a story about pop star Justin Bieber’s use of Twitter would have taken away a telling detail:

I doubt that @justinbieber ever reads my tweets, but I’m not going to give up trying

Bafflegab statements are frequently paraphrased in straightforward English, regardless of how well-known the speaker is.

LANGUAGE

No foul language will be used. preserving decorum.

A warning concerning translations is also appropriate. If someone is unable to converse in English, we shouldn’t assume that he can.

Make the terminology being used in interviews and speeches plain unless it is obvious. When speaking at a press conference in both French and English, state the time when French was the first language. When reporting on yells from the crowd or the words on protest placards in other languages, indicate that a translation was used.

Readers have a right to be informed when a direct or indirect quote relies on a translation rather than the exact words used.

OBSCENITY

With the switch to an online news source by The RC online, the news story has reached a larger audience than ever. Before being made available to the general public, stories are no longer passed via several editors. Thanks to technical developments, the middleman’s role has diminished, enabling us to convey our content directly to readers, viewers, and listeners – unrestricted and unfiltered.

The RC online has a strict policy against the use of obscenity as a result, and it is strictly enforced by managers and staff alike.

Obscenity has no place in a news report, whether it be printed, heard on the radio, or seen on camera, unless very specific and exceedingly unique circumstances apply.

The story is not enhanced by four-letter expletives shouted from the audience or written on a placard by an irate protester. The reader, listener, or spectator is not informed by profanity that is used just for its own purpose.

Only in a few circumstances should vulgar language be used in news articles. A famous person cursing in public could serve as one illustration. In other instances, employing vulgar language is essential for a thorough understanding of the facts or feelings that underlie a story.

Such incidents do happen occasionally, though.

When reporting on a story, journalists should never resort to using vulgar language. In the rare instance that obscenity is necessary to the story, a senior Main Desk editor must be consulted prior to transmitting any narrative, audio, pictures, or videos

SENSITIVE MATTER

Each news item has the potential to offend. Age, ethnicity, sex, disabilities, and religion are all issues that periodically make the news, but they need to be handled carefully.

Use fairness, sensitivity, and good taste when classifying people or groups based on their age, color, creed, nationality, physical appearance, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that could cause someone to feel offended.

SOURCES AND ETHICS

We must adhere to our word when we agree to remain anonymous. However, it is only right to let potential providers know that it cannot be completely accurate. Reporters may be required to disclose their sources by a court.

Verbal agreements are legally binding and can be enforced in court. Make sure both you and your source are completely aware of the agreement’s conditions before acquiring the information. Don’t make any promises you can’t keep.

For instance, you could consent to not mentioning the source by name in your article and to refrain from sharing the source’s identity with anybody but your employer. If the source’s identity becomes public—whether by mistake or as a result of a court order—you cannot ensure that the source won’t suffer harm.

An employee’s refusal to obey a court order is not something The RC online will demand or encourage. It will offer legal representation, either to advise the employee and make a case for why disclosure is not in the public interest or to ask for a closed hearing.

Furthermore, sources should be informed that journalists are compelled to disclose their sources to their supervisors. This might be anyone, from the bureau’s news editor to the president. This doesn’t mean that every person in the chain of command has to be informed of the circumstance. A staff member may personally approach the President or Editor-in-Chief in a sensitive matter.

Top management will make every effort to let the original staff member know in advance if a source needs to be revealed above the President’s level.

When complete secrecy is required for a very sensitive news tip, The RC online might not be able to confirm the information with other sources. The original employee will be consulted by top management in this case. If the circumstance is too difficult, we won’t carry the book.

Good reporting includes giving readers as much background information about the unknown source as is practical. This helps readers decide whether the story is worthwhile before continuing. The credentials of the unidentified source must never be misrepresented. You ought to be able to develop a description that serves the reader’s interests while also defending the source with a little thought.

To ensure that the story can inform the reader without giving away the character’s identity, it may be crucial to consult the source for help on how to phrase such a description.

Some informants may provide details that can be used to identify a specific person but then demand anonymity for any further details. Since it would be misleading to claim that this confidential information came from another source, it is difficult to assign sources (another Economy Department official, who asked for anonymity, said). It is typically best to utilize expressions like It was also learned.

Other options for handling unidentified sources include:

  • Use The RC online’s anonymous sources as if they were your own. Stories acquired from newspapers or television should attribute their unnamed sources to the publication or broadcaster: An anonymous Energy Department official reportedly told Washington…
  • The story should specify the source’s request for anonymity and provide context as to why.
  • Officials and spokespeople are two different things. A spokesperson speaks for other people’s opinions, whereas an official helps shape those opinions.
  • When a fictional name is employed, such as in the case of a welfare family or problematic adolescent, or when a composite person is made to represent a group of similar people, the hoax needs to be revealed as soon as feasible. A device cannot be used repeatedly without losing its effectiveness. It needs to be discussed with a manager before use.

Attribution

Because of the internet and social networking sites like Facebook, where people may share information, news gathering has changed. The internet is typically the first place journalists go for information. It’s particularly helpful for finding people who might have firsthand knowledge of a significant event, recognizing news tips or trends, finding new sources, and confirming historical context.

The same copyright laws that apply to content in print publications also apply to content on websites. Full credit must be provided when paraphrasing and quotation marks must be used when using exact wording. You can prevent accidentally copying and pasting other people’s words into your article if you give them the appropriate credit.

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

There will inevitably be errors. The reporting of erroneous information. When this occurs, the first priority is to have it fixed as soon as feasible.

Online stores can be accessed for a minimum of 24 hours, although other types of content may be accessible for much longer. Although the contract places a time limit on how long websites can keep The RC online content online, these stories are frequently kept up for much longer. Online stores, in contrast to those in newspapers, don’t have a particular format. They can be updated whenever they want because they are current web news. As a result, there is a far wider opportunity than the typical newspaper deadline cycle for finishing a Write thorough to correct a mistake.

The RC online uses the following techniques to address issues or potential issues with tales:

  • Makes a factual or wording correction using Writethru Correction.
  • Kill – eliminates a false, hurtful, or damaging story from the record.
  • Replaces a story that has been destroyed using Writethru Correction Sub.
  • Corrective — used to make good on an error that has probably already been printed. It was made with the specific intent of confronting the error and establishing the truth. It only discusses information that has been shown to be false.

Privacy

Privacy is highly valued by the RC online. We don’t support violating someone’s privacy if there isn’t a good reason to. Unless consent is sought in special circumstances, it is against the organization’s policy to publicly disclose private behavior, information, or conversation.

When reporting on death, agony, and sadness, we believe in safeguarding the victims’ identities and avoiding using images that dishonor the deceased.

Additional Copyrights And Intellectual Property Rights

Here are some instances of intellectual property rights:

Copyright protects trademarks, geographic indications, and industrial designs.

These laws include the Copyright Act, Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, Patents Act, and Designs Act.