The Klaxon – Editorial Policy
The Klaxon is committed to ethical, top quality, entirely independent journalism.
This document sets out the Editorial Policy for The Klaxon News – ABN 31 772 892 121 – as publisher of the theklaxon.com.au website.
The Klaxon News is a member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and follows the MEAA Code of Ethics.
We are also a member of the Local and Independent News Association (LINA), and follow the LINA Editorial Standards.
MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics
Respect for truth and the public’s right to information are fundamental principles of journalism. Journalists search, disclose, record, question, entertain, comment and remember. They inform citizens and animate democracy. They scrutinise power, but also exercise it, and should be responsible and accountable.
MEAA members engaged in journalism commit themselves to:
Honesty
Fairness
Independence
Respect for the rights of others
Journalists will educate themselves about ethics and apply the following standards:
1. Report and interpret honestly, striving for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts. Do not suppress relevant available facts, or give distorting emphasis. Do your utmost to give a fair opportunity for reply.
2. Do not place unnecessary emphasis on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief, or physical or intellectual disability.
3. Aim to attribute information to its source. Where a source seeks anonymity, do not agree without first considering the source’s motives and any alternative attributable source. Where confidences are accepted, respect them in all circumstances.
4. Do not allow personal interest, or any belief, commitment, payment, gift or benefit, to undermine your accuracy, fairness or independence.
5. Disclose conflicts of interest that affect, or could be seen to affect, the accuracy, fairness or independence of your journalism. Do not improperly use a journalistic position for personal gain.
6. Do not allow advertising or other commercial considerations to undermine accuracy, fairness or independence.
7. Do your utmost to ensure disclosure of any direct or indirect payment made for interviews, pictures, information or stories.
8. Use fair, responsible and honest means to obtain material. Identify yourself and your employer before obtaining any interview for publication or broadcast. Never exploit a person’s vulnerability or ignorance of media practice.
9. Present pictures and sound which are true and accurate. Any manipulation likely to mislead should be disclosed.
10. Do not plagiarise.
11. Respect private grief and personal privacy. Journalists have the right to resist compulsion to intrude.
12. Do your utmost to achieve fair correction of errors.
Guidance Clause: Basic values often need interpretation and sometimes come into conflict. Ethical journalism requires conscientious decision-making in context. Only substantial advancement of the public interest or risk of substantial harm to people allows any standard to be overridden.
LINA Editorial Standards:
Members of the Local & Independent News Association (LINA) are expected to adopt the editorial standards of LINA, and/or to have their own editorial standards that are consistent with and incorporate all of the editorial standards of LINA.
The LINA editorial standards are:
1. Independence At all times, editorial content will not be influenced by any financial contributions or other considerations from outside entities.
Whenever advertising or other sponsored content is published, that content will be clearly labelled to distinguish it from the member’s own independent editorial content.
2. Accuracy Members aim to ensure that all editorial content is accurate and is presented in context.
3. Fairness Members are committed to the following hallmarks of fairness:
- Providing a reasonable opportunity to respond where allegations or criticisms are made
- Attributing information to its source wherever possible
- Not plagiarising or misrepresenting the work of others
- Informing those we approach or contact that we are journalists
4. Diversity Members aim to be relevant to the community they serve, and to include an appropriately wide diversity of voices, views and issues.
5. Harm and Offence While some content may offend, disturb or annoy, members aim to avoid unnecessary, excessive or gratuitous harm and offence to the extent compatible with their role as a source of public interest news.
6. Privacy Members have a privacy policy relating to the protection and management of any personally identifiable information gathered and/or shared via their platforms.
In addition, they are committed to ensuring that any content which intrudes into the private lives of individuals is appropriate and proportionate when balanced with the public interest in the disclosure of information and freedom of expression.
7. Moderation of comments
The publication encourages contributions and comments on stories. However, those comments should contribute to a civil conversation and they should not be abusive, contain personal attacks, be inflammatory, racist or profane. The publication reserves the right to make the decisions about which comments violate these ground rules and the broader editorial guidelines of LINA, and will moderate comments at its discretion.
8. Advertising
LINA members may accept advertising or sponsored content in a number of forms, including through paid business listings and display advertisements.
Where such advertising is accepted, it will be clearly labelled to distinguish it from editorial content.
9. Accountability and Corrections
Members make all reasonable efforts to abide by LINA’s editorial standards, and invite any community members who feel the standards have been breached to complain in writing.
Material complaints will be taken seriously, and any breaches of these standards will be acknowledged and corrections made.
Contacting us:
If you have any questions about this Editorial Policy, please contact The Klaxon here.