The Board of The Trent has deliberated carefully and wishes to present the following beliefs:
- A newspaper is first a commercial business. However, it also plays a crucial role in shaping a free and progressive society by shinning the spotlight on political, business, social, and judicial systems. This responsibility makes a newspaper a unique business.
- As a part of the ‘Fourth Estate’, The Trent is positioned to play its role as a cornerstone of democracy in any country we operate in.
- Our editors and journalists have a crucial responsibility to report the workings of our political, judicial, business, and social institutions with fairness, accuracy, impartiality, balance, and integrity in the public interest. This responsibility requires that they maintain the highest professional standards and traditions of journalism.
- The public must not lose faith in the press as a fair, honest, and reliable source of information.
- The Board also recognises our role as a training platform for young journalists.
The Board of The Trent hereby outlines these broad set of clear and unambiguous principles and standards of editorial integrity which would guide our writers, journalists, and editors in the performance of their duties. This editorial policy guides all our processes and operations at all levels of our organisation including our photographers, contributors, and partners. We are individually and collectively responsible to uphold this editorial policy.
- The Trent editors take every possible step to ensure that we deliver to our readers accurate and high quality news and information.
- The Board does not interfere in the day-to-day running of the newspaper. We uphold the principles of the freedom of the press, upon which our liberties depend.
- The Trent journalists take decisions for the greater good – to educate, unify, and celebrate the best of humanity. We do not promote divisions, war, violence, racism, and discrimination.
- We are open in admitting mistakes, and encourage a culture of learning. Significant errors should be promptly corrected and clarifications made.
- Only our editorial staff have control over the editorial process. At no time do we permit non-editorial staff e.g. The Board of Ziza Group or external groups to influence our editorial decisions.
- Our journalists conscientiously establish a balance between our obligation to report the news with the individual’s right to privacy. We do not make unwelcomed intrusions into people’s lives, especially in their moments of grief.
- We acknowledge all editorial sources and authors are given full credit for their work with links to their websites or blogs, email and social media contacts where available.
- Commercial considerations must never override editorial decisions. Paid content and advertising must clearly be flagged as such.
- Any member of staff who accepts inducement of any kind from a third-party in relations to writing a story or publishing a photograph will be summarily dismissed.
- We have a zero tolerance for plagiarism. Any staff who plagiarises another’s work will be summarily dismissed. Any contributor found to have plagiarised another’s work will be immediately disengaged.
- The Trent journalists are expected to be honest, truthful, questioning, unbiased, probing, courageous, authoritative, and forthright.
- The Trent journalists will not allow their personal opinions influence their coverage of stories or events.
- All news reports must clearly delineate fact and opinion.
- We view the privacy of our sources as cardinal and will not reveal any correspondence between the newspaper or personal information we may have about our sources without their express permission or without a legal order to do so.
- The content on The Trent is suitable for general audiences and does not include content that might reasonably be deemed offensive. Where content includes explicit sexual information, it will be clearly flagged.
- The Trent is a socially responsible news organisation. Our journalists should be engaged with the communities in which we operate recognising the impact communities have on our pursuit of excellence and the impact our work has in shaping society.
- Our journalists are expected to be sensitive to gender issues, ethnic sensibilities, religious beliefs, and cultural perspectives in carrying out their duties.
- We strive to reflect the aspirations of our audiences and we promote diversity of perspectives.
- The Trent journalists are expected to work free of conflict of interest.
- The Trent is in the business of reporting news and not hiding it. If our journalists receive a request from a political institution, business or individual to refrain from reporting a story because of national security or other reasons, the journalist must immediately report such a request to the Managing Editor for executive consideration.
Last Updated: November 24, 2013
