As an ethical, accountable and responsible news outfit, The Nut Graph is committed, to the best of our abilities, to the following:
Accuracy and accountability
- All information will be fact-checked, including information that may have been published earlier.
- We will conduct a fact and quote check with the people we interview, where possible and time permitting, before we publish an article.
- Where an unconfirmed report or uncorroborated rumour is published, it will be clearly stated that the report is unconfirmed and why it could not be confirmed or corroborated.
- Where we cannot name a source because of safety or job security reasons, we will indicate the reason why the source cannot be named. We will also attempt to triangulate our information before we publish in cases where we cannot name the source.
- We will acknowledge all mistakes we may make in the course of our reporting as quickly and as prominently as we can to commensurate with the impact of a mistake. In the interest of accountability, the mistake in a published article will be corrected, and we will indicate what the error was.
- Where necessary, we will be open to dialogue with our readers over our professional conduct and the process of our news gathering and reporting, with the view that reader complaints and grievances are opportunities for us to be held accountable so that we may maintain high ethical and professional standards.
Fairness
- We will give all legitimate stakeholders of an issue a fair chance to have their views heard and published.
- We will recognise that in criminal cases, an accused is innocent until convicted by a court of law. As such, we will refrain from publishing or broadcasting the identity or visuals of those who have been arrested or remanded until charged or convicted in court, unless they themselves choose to publicly reveal their identities before being charged in court.
Ethical
- We will represent ourselves as journalists before conducting any interview.
- When a comment is made to us outside of a clearly stated interview, and we want to use the comment, we will only publish the comment after seeking the permission of the person whose comment it was.
- We will view any recording of a person’s conversation without the person’s knowledge or consent as unethical except where the recording is necessary to protect the journalist in a legal action, or for other compelling reasons such as the public good.
- Where recorded material is edited before it is published or broadcast, we will ensure that it is not manipulated so as to deceive or mislead our readers.
- We will endeavour at all times to protect our sources.
- We will not plagiarise. Reprints or quotations from previously published material shall give due credit to the original source.
- We will not intrude or report or comment upon an individual’s privacy except in the interest of the public good.
- When covering cases of sexual crimes, suicide or attempted suicide, the identity of survivors, especially of minors, will not be revealed.
- We will not reveal the identities of juvenile suspects in criminal cases.
- We will treat with compassion in our reporting those adversely affected by personal grief or tragedy, and will be sensitive and responsible when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or news subjects.
Integrity and independence
- We will endeavour to remain free of associations and activities that may compromise our integrity or credibility as journalists.
- We will declare any affiliations that may be related to what we report on.
- We will not accept gifts, either in cash or in kind, from any party while doing our job. Where it may be impossible or difficult to turn down such gifts because of circumstances, the gift will be declared to the editor for a decision to be made.
- We will clearly identify advertisements and advertorials from editorial material so as to avoid any ambiguity.
Inclusive and responsible
- We will use gender-neutral or -sensitive language in our writing.
- In cases involving communal or religions conflicts or disputes, we will rigorously verify our facts and present them with due caution and restraint so as to ensure dialogue and reconciliation is not jeopardised. In such cases, we will avoid sensational, provocative and alarming headlines.
- We will not emphasise race, gender, nationality, occupation, disability, political affiliation or religious persuasion in the case of persons we report on if such information is not important within the context of a story or is disparaging.
