Leader-Telegram's Code of Ethics

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Note: The ethics code of the Tampa Tribune forms the framework of this code. Original work and other newspapers' ethics codes were used in preparing this code, including but not limited to items from the ethics codes of The Kansas City Star and the San Jose Mercury News.

The following code reflects the belief that Leader-Telegram newsroom staff members should adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct.

• We can't be the public's watchdog if we become too close with the government officials we cover or advocate for political parties or special interests.
  
• We can't rail against public officials being bought by private interests if we accept free meals, clothing and trips.
  
• We can't expect the public to trust us if we refuse to correct errors, rely on anonymous sources and fail to bend over backwards to get both sides of every story we publish.
  Staff members also should dress appropriately and show good manners when representing the Leader-Telegram.
  No statement of principles can cover every ethical situation we encounter. Common sense and good judgment are required in applying ethical principles to newspaper realities.

Anonymous sources
It's sometimes necessary, but seldom a good idea, to quote an unnamed source. Likewise for using fictitious names.

1. Exhaust other options. Don't stop interviewing. Will someone else go on the record, now that you know, or seem to know, the story? Talk it over with an editor. If the source won't be named, the interview may not be worth using.
2. Be careful what you promise sources. Assure anonymity in print, when necessary, but editors may need the source's identity to make an informed decision.
3. Grant anonymity only if someone's professional, financial or physical well-being is at stake -- or if the subject matter suggests a need for privacy. For instance, stories about AIDS, impotence, personal debt, divorce or child abuse may require anonymity for candor.
4. Be skeptical of a source's motives, and be fair: Be very reluctant to permit anonymous character attacks.
5. When quoting unnamed sources, describe their credentials as thoroughly as possible without jeopardizing identity. Make sure the source is comfortable with the description.
6. Whenever possible, edit wire copy to avoid unnamed quotes.
7. Make sure you clear up any possible confusion early on over such terms as "off the record," "not for attribution," etc.
8. Don't permit after-the-fact requests for confidentiality unless the reporter and editor determine the reason is valid.
9. Staff-written stories with anonymous sources should include an editor's note explaining the reason. Wire stories from the Pentagon, etc., do not require an editor's note, but be mindful that readers have told us they are skeptical of information from anonymous sources, so don't use the information unless you feel it is essential to our readers.

These guidelines do not preclude confidential conversations between reporters and sources, sometimes necessary in the news-gathering process. It's OK to go off the record, and reporters should guard the integrity of their relationships with sources.

• Civic activity/Politics
  Avoid involvement with organizations with hot agendas, such as abortion rights or gun control.
  Reporters who write columns should check with their editor before taking a stand on issues they cover. Approval will be on a case-by-case basis; reporters may be prohibited from taking sides on controversial issues they cover, such as referendums.
  Don't sign petitions. An exception is allowed for petitions involving street or sidewalk improvements in front of your property that affects your property tax bill. This doesn't apply to citywide issues, however, where reporters covering the story must remain impartial.
  Research before you sign a check.
  The environmental reporter shouldn't belong to Greenpeace. The education reporter shouldn't run for PTA office. Otherwise, professional, humanitarian, cultural, environmental, support, alumni, hobbyist, athletic and neighborhood associations pose few risks. If in doubt, talk it over with your supervisor.
  Generally, it's fine to volunteer with groups such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters or Habitat for Humanity, but don't let your Leader-Telegram connection be exploited for publicity. The company handbook prohibits staff members from serving as publicity chairs for their groups.
  Teaching at a university is allowed (with the exception of the reporter who covers higher education).
  Sports reporters who participate in athletic events such as the CVGA can collect scores, but they shouldn't cover tournaments in which they compete. Staffers who participate in the Buckshot Run and other road runs can report on them if they are not newsmakers in the event.
  We encourage good citizenship by exercising our right to vote, but we do not engage in partisan activity beyond that.
  
• No running for public office.
  
• No working for a candidate, government agency or special interest group.
  
• No placards, buttons or bumper stickers, on your person, desk, car or yard -- for or against any candidate or political figure.
  
• No campaign contributions.
  
• No active participation in political demonstrations, marches or rallies. Feel free to attend such events as a spectator.
  
• No giving advice to candidates.
  The newspaper does not attempt to control the activities of spouses. But if a spouse becomes active in a political campaign or public cause, please tell your supervisor.
  Staff columnists should not use news pages to promote or attack candidates during the campaign season. If such a column is approved for publication, it must run on the Opinion page. Also, be fair when writing columns about referendums and legislative issues, making sure viewpoints other than your own are acknowledged.

Connections
However tempting, it's unethical to mine professional contacts for personal gain. That means:

• No personal letters on Leader-Telegram stationery.
  
• No threats, overt or implicit, of retaliation or pressure in an effort to get your way in a dispute or negotiations with a business, etc.
  n No using your position to get better seats at a concert or a table in an already booked restaurant.
  
• No attempts to speed up personal business with public agencies.

Corrections
Corrections and clarifications generally appear on Page 2A. Sports corrections appear in the bottom left-hand corner of the Scoreboard page. In rare cases we will print a correction on the page in which the error occurred, particularly on page 1A or 1B.
Corrections shouldn't repeat a mistake but should contain enough detail for clarity. If incorrect information was provided to the Leader-Telegram, we should say so, but don't engage in internal finger-pointing in print.
The managing editor should be made immediately aware of factual errors and misleading statements and should authorize printing a correction and read them before the page is sent. We should be liberal in deciding what warrants a correction. As a rule, if something, anything, is wrong and we are made aware of it, it should be corrected. That doesn't mean a source in the story has to request a correction. If it's wrong, write and publish a correction.

Diversity
Diverse voices should be woven into the everyday fabric of the newspaper. Do members of the Hmong community tell us about Hmong New Year and repatriation but offer no opinions on education, zoning or other issues?
While we seek diverse voices, we avoid labeling individuals. Unless relevant, we don't identify someone's race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status in a story. We also don't imply that any one person speaks for others by virtue of a common denominator such as race or gender.
We don't repeat slurs without good reason, such as when a public figure speaks inappropriately. The editor or managing editor should be consulted before a racial slur is printed.

Fairness
Before sullying a person's reputation, we should make every effort to elicit a response, even at the expense of delayed publication, when possible.
If we've reported criminal charges, we should report verdicts in corresponding court cases. If an arrest drew prominent play, acquittals, when they occur, demand equally prominent play.
Opinion columns and analysis should always be labeled as such. News headlines should never state an opinion unless it is clearly attributed.
To ensure stories are broad and complete, one-source stories are not acceptable except in very rare instances. If a story doesn't have more than one source, let your editor know why.

Freelancing
It's permissible to take on freelance assignments, as long as they don't interfere with regular duties or compete directly with our company. Competing entities usually are considered to be those within the circulation area or those that compete for business with any division of the Eau Claire Press Co.
Approval of outside work is subject to revocation as circumstances change. Supervisors should be notified in all cases. Staff members should never misrepresent themselves as working for the Leader-Telegram while on a free-lance assignment.
Stories published in the Leader-Telegram can be offered for sale to other publications only with permission of your supervisor.
The employee manual also addresses outside employment.
Gifts
The general rule: Accept no gifts. That includes food, alcohol, clothing, tickets, travel offers, sample products and offers of free services.
Gifts or sample products that are of token or insignificant value (under $5), such as calendars, pens or key chains, may be accepted if returning them would be awkward. Other items should be returned or donated to charity.
Reporters or editors may accept dinner when they are guest speakers for a group's banquet at the group's request or when presenting or accepting an award on behalf of the company.
Gift certificates should be returned with a note of thanks. Absolutely no gifts of checks or cash should be accepted, regardless of amount.
Review copies of books, sports teams media guides, music CDs and software may be kept as long as they are of use as reference material. Such reference materials that no longer are needed should be donated to the public library or charity, but they should never be sold or traded at commercial outlets.
If a reporter needs to obtain a CD or book for a review or story, don't go begging for a freebie. Buy the item (with your supervisor's approval) and put it on your expense account. It then becomes company property.
Perishables, by nature, are handled differently. Food may be offered up for newsroom consumption, within reason. All alcohol should be returned. If in doubt about what's appropriate, talk to an editor.
Reporters covering events where light refreshments are served can partake, but they should not accept elaborate meals or buffets. If not partaking means going hungry, find out the cost per meal, pay the organizer and put the cost on your expense account. This applies to press box food at professional and college sporting events, including the Packers, Badgers and Blugolds.
Do not accept free meals from sources or others you write about. Refuse in such a way that doesn't make people feel like crooks. Sometimes it helps to explain that the newspaper reimburses staff members for meals.
Avoid "feeding at the trough" at media or promotional events, even if other journalists are doing it. Use common sense and common courtesy when offered refreshments or food.
Tickets: We don't take free tickets, unless they're free to anyone. We can't ask for them, and we can't use them, whether delivered in person or unsolicited by mail. We can't give them away to family, friends or co-workers. We should send them back with an explanation. Otherwise, donors may assume we used them. If we want tickets, we stand in line and pay for them like the rest of the world.
We shouldn't accept special treatment, either on or off the job. Exceptions exist. Concert and theater promoters may set aside press seating for critics. We accept the convenience but pay for the tickets. We can't buy seats in the press box during athletic events, but we can't afford not to be there. We don't pay for stage or field access when photographing musicians or athletes. But we don't sell, lend or give away credentials.
Occasionally, the Leader-Telegram Promotions Department gets tickets to events (Blugold games, music festivals, etc.) in exchange for sponsorship. Those tickets, obtained through the business arm of the newspaper, may be enjoyed without restraint when distributed to the staff.
Travel: During any business trips, we cover our own travel costs. Under special circumstances, senior newsroom management may approve of different arrangements, such as military transport.
Media days at theme parks, zoos and other attractions are off limits, unless we're covering the event, as in the debut of an exhibit. Such previews shouldn't be parlayed into family outings.
We don't accept free or reduced-price travel to research travel stories. If free-lancers take free or reduced-price accommodations, we should say so in print and be wary that such stories don't become free ads for resorts, etc.

Misrepresentation
People have a right to know they're talking to a reporter before an interview begins. We don't sneak around trying to trick people into talking. We don't tape interviews without the knowledge of those being taped except in rare instances when the editor determines the expected news story is of such vital public interest that its news value clearly outweighs the damage of trust and credibility that might result from the deception.
Make sure that if you are interviewing someone who isn't used to talking to the media, they know that what they say could end up in the newspaper. Public officials are sophisticated in this way. Members of the public need to be told that their words may be published.

Newsroom independence
It's important to remember that the newsroom's impartial voice exists independently of all other departments of the Leader-Telegram and the Eau Claire Press Co. News is news. Advertising is advertising.
News content is not dictated by advertising sales. Advertisers attempting to influence coverage deserve only a polite refusal. Maintain a clear line between advertising and news. We are especially inviting as targets of threats to remove advertising if we don't write positive stories.
In cases of special sections produced by the editorial department, editors will exercise sole judgment over content.
Ad reps should never promise or imply that buying an ad gives the advertiser special treatment or consideration in news columns.
Avoid any agreement implying that a subject may clear a story for publication. If someone wants a story read back before publication, politely refuse. Also do not agree to such a request as condition for an interview. However, if your story deals with complex, technical information you are not sure of, feel free to call the person back to make certain the information was correctly understood, even if that means reading passages back.
Make no promises about on what page or what day a story or photo will appear.
Advertisements that use headlines, datelines and other graphic elements to resemble news copy should be clearly labeled "Advertisement" at the top of the ad and be separated from news copy by a rule.

Online journalism
News posted on CVOL or leadertelergam.com is subject to the strictest standards of professional journalism. We will only post news collected from reliable professional news sources. Those sources are the Leader-Telegram newsroom, The Associated Press via our online feeds, CVOL professional news partners and any other sources as designated by the Leader-Telegram editors or the CVOL online editor.
Any news posted on the CVOL site or leadertelegram.com must be authorized by the CVOL online editor or one of the following representatives from the Leader-Telegram newsroom: editor, managing editor, local news editor, assistant local news editor or weekend slot editor. All news sent to CVOL from the Leader-Telegram newsroom should first be edited by a supervising editor. When that isn't possible, reporters should file only basic information and take special care to ensure accuracy.

Paying for news
We never pay sources for news, and the very attempt to solicit payment raises questions about truthfulness and motives. We do, of course, pay material costs such as copying expenses for documents.

Photography
Photographs should remain truthful in spirit, manipulated only through quality enhancements such as burning, dodging, contrast control, color balancing, spotting and cropping. We don't stage, re-enact or re-create news events for photos.
Personality portraits and studio illustrations shouldn't create an artificial sense of spontaneity.
Photo illustrations, computer enhancements, colorized and composite photographs should be clearly labeled as such.
Removing or adding an object in an editorial photograph is not permitted. Nor is flopping a photograph.
Readers deserve accuracy and honesty, whether viewing an image or reading words.
Captions: Never print the address of a child in a photo caption. Name and hometown only.

Plagiarism
Please, only original work. If you borrow a clever idea, joke, turn of phrase or unique observation, give the author credit. Attribute material from other publications.

Quotations
Quotations must be precise and must fairly reflect the context of conversations. If in doubt over the accuracy of the quote, paraphrase. Minor alterations of quotes are allowed in the following very narrow instances:
1. To correct grammar that could make the statement confusing or would make the speaker sound foolish.
2. To avoid dialect that is not essential to the story.

Offensive language should be avoided unless it is absolutely essential to the story. An editor should be told before the offensive language is used.

Radio, TV, personal appearances
If you're going to be a star, clear it first with your supervisor. Newsroom staff may appear as unpaid panelists and guests on radio and television shows, with prior approval.
Professional standards don't change with the migration to airwaves. Staff members, whose work is expected to meet high standards of impartiality, shall endeavor to demonstrate the same commitment to fairness when on the air. Don't scoop the Leader-Telegram on significant news. Also remember that you are representing the Leader-Telegram, and dress appropriately.

Relationships
Refrain from writing about, reporting on, photographing or making news judgments about any individual related to you by blood or marriage or with whom you have a close personal relationship. If your spouse, relative or close friend works for a business or institution, you may be barred from writing about that enterprise. This does not apply to first-person stories or stories in which the relationships are clearly spelled out.
Employees should make certain they disclose conflicts or potential conflicts to their supervisor. It's a conflict to write a feature on a friend's business, to date a police officer while covering police, or to write a child abuse story if married to a caseworker.
Suicides
We do not report suicides unless the deceased is a famous person (as determined by a supervising editor), the suicide occurs in a public setting that draws attention, or if it occurs in a jail, police station, etc. Report only basic information; avoid graphic descriptions.

Victims
In deciding whether to publish the name and address of a crime victim, we must weigh the news value of the event against the potential danger of releasing the information.
In general, we do not report the names and addresses of victims of home burglaries, vandalism and theft of property, but use block number only. Don't report the specific location of where money, jewelry, etc., was taken, such as "rings were taken from jewelry box in bedroom dresser." Just report what was taken and its estimated value. We publish only the block locations of vehicle break-ins or thefts that occur on the street. We publish the names and addresses of businesses that are broken into, including a list and value of the items taken.
We publish the names of battery victims only if it is clear that the perpetrator knows the victim or if the perpetrator is caught and it is fairly clear they have the right person. Do not identify victims of attacks where the perpetrator doesn't know the victim and is still on the loose. Generally, do not report the names of minors who are victims of attacks.
We do not identify victims of sexual assaults in any criminal case. Decisions on whether to identify plaintiffs and/or defendants in civil cases involving sexual assault will be made on a case-by-case basis by the editors.