Diversity of sources
Ethics guidelines
Coverage and sources should reflect the school population and its various communities, including a wide range of sources who represent students and staff.
Staff manual process
Students should take care not only to represent diversity through their sources but also in the content they pursue. Additionally, students should avoid interviewing or photographing friends or relatives unless that individual is the best or only source.
Suggestions
• Students should keep a checklist in the newsroom to monitor the number of times a source has appeared in student media. The staff may determine, for example, that after three times, an individual should not be a source unless he/she is essential to the story.
• For each story, student journalists should seek a variety of primary and secondary sources, finding a mix that reflects society in general and provides for complete and thorough reporting.
• Coverage should give voice to those who might otherwise remain voiceless while creating context and aiding in comprehension.
• Student media should include sources who represent diverse racial, ethnic, economic, occupational, academic, geographical, political, gender and age populations.
• Students should interview, film and photograph an abundance of sources to select only the best quotes, audio, video and photos for each story.
Resources
Find Diverse Sources, The Poynter Institute
Integrate diversity into your reporting routine, Science Literacy Project
Ethical Testing Tips, Media Helping Media
Lesson: The Right Source, Journalism Education Association
Lesson: Discovering Your Diversity, Journalism Education Association
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Read MoreTreatment of sources
Ethical guidelines
Reporters should treat all sources as they would like to be treated: with respect and professionalism. Sources do not have to respond to questions or agree to be interviewed. Helping them to understand their information is essential to the story and will show others the importance and truth of the topic is the best way to get their information or story presented. Sources have rights – and responsibilities. Reporters can help make them aware of both.
If interviewing minors, be sure the source understands what is being asked, why it is asked, why the information is necessary and how it will be used. In some cases involving controversial or sensitive issues, parental consent might be a good option if accuracy is in question or if there’s any doubt the student is able to understand the potential results of answering.
Staff manual process
Part of the information-gathering process should be extensive training in interviewing, including professional handling of minors as well as reluctant sources. Student editors should develop a checklist for reporters.
Suggestions
- A sample post-information gathering checklist could include:
- Are these sources the most credible and reliable? Are they truly experts for this topic?
- Is the information is accurate and credible?
- Is the information contextually sound?
- Do facts support the lead?
- Does background material make the story complete?
- Is the story free of unattributed value judgments and statements of writer opinion?
- Does the story make sense?
- Does numerical data make sense?
- Interviewing
- Are sources fully and correctly identified?
- Do multiple sources bring a variety of viewpoints?
- Did the writer verify information with credible sources?
- Research
- Are the name and URL of an online site accurate?
- Is online information credible and up-to-date?
- Publication
- Is style consistently formatted?
- Is information properly attributed?
- If the story has an anecdotal, delayed lead, does it have a nut graf to help show the focus?
- Are terms used correctly?
- Do facts in the story match information reported across all platforms?
- Does the headline reflect story content?
Resources
Be Consistent in Getting Consent Where It Is Needed Journalism Education Association Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Interviewing Children: Guidelines for Journalists, Dart Center
Guidelines for Interviewing Juveniles, Radio Television Digital News Association
Additional Guidelines for Interviewing Juveniles, The Poynter Institute
Best Practices for Covering Children Younger Than 18, Associated Press
When It Is Acceptable to Use Children As Sources?, Columbia Journalism Review
Respect sources, National Public Radio
Transparency Steve Buttry
Audio: Understanding FERPA, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee, Press Rights Minute
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Read MoreRecording sources during interviews
Ethical guidelines
It may be legal in some states to record sources during an interview without their permission, but ethically, journalists always should ask permission to record an interview.
Staff manual process
Members of the editorial board should develop a procedure for recording sources.
Suggestions
Statements may include the following guidelines:
• Always ask a source before the interview begins if it may be recorded.
• Keep audio recorders in clear view.
• Test equipment prior to the interview.
• Bring extra power sources.
• Treat digital recordings in the same manner as digital notes. In other words, students can play back a quote for verification but should avoid turning over the entire record or story for review prior to publication.
• Keep the audio/video file for at least one year.
• Establish a plan for how reporters will respond when sources want to go off the record.
Resources
Reporter’s Recording Guide, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Think Before You Record, The Poynter Institute
Audio: Asking Tough Questions, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee, Press Rights Minute
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Read MoreAllowing sources to preview content before publication
Ethical guidelines
Sources do not have the right to review materials prior to publication. Allowing sources to preview content at any stage of production raises serious ethical and journalistic practice questions.
Staff manual process
Student editors should develop a position on prior review requests and ensure all staff understand the process for addressing such a request. In addition, students should practice transparency throughout the editorial process.
Suggestions
• Students should build trust in the reporting process by demonstrating integrity in their information-gathering process.
• Students may opt to verify quotes by reading them back to sources. If sources indicate quotes are inaccurate, students should check their notes and act accordingly. This should not include changing the original quotes because sources want to revise their statements.
• Sources should not see others’ quotes or information.
Resources
Show And Print, American Journalism Review
The Essentials of Sourcing, Reuters
Writing and Reporting the News, Carole Rich
Sharing Stories With Sources Before Publication Is Risky, But Can Improve Accuracy, Steve Buttry
Lesson: Crafting the Argument, Journalism Education Association
Lesson: A Lesson on the Rules of Prior Approval of Quotes, Content, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
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Read MoreEmail and texting: digital information-gathering
Ethical guidelines
Journalists should conduct interviews and gather information in person as often as possible.
Because it is sometimes necessary to use electronic methods such as email and text messaging, students should make clear their identity and intentions openly and professionally before using these methods.
Staff manual process
Students should understand that face-to-face interviews offer the best opportunity to have conversations with sources and ask questions as part of the information-gathering process.
Only when an in-person interview or phone conversation is not possible should reporters rely on electronic communications. Editors should devise a policy with clear expectations for email and text message use in reporting. This may include drawing distinctions between personal and media staff email addresses.
Suggestions
• When using email or text messages to communicate for journalistic purposes, students should identify themselves by name and media staff. It’s important to make clear the nature of the communication and indicate the purpose of the questions or conversation underway.
• Given the multitude of email programs available and the ease of creating a new or fictitious account, students should establish a process by which they can verify a sender’s identity. Just because an email address says a person’s name does not mean that person sent the message. Similarly, sources may leave email accounts open and cell phones unattended; it’s possible that a different user responded to questions or posed as someone else by using his or her account.
• Students should have a policy in place to determine when to use electronic communications provided by a third party, which may include considering the method by which content was obtained as well as the nature of the content.
• Students should make every effort to ensure material is not taken out of context or cut in a way that changes its meaning.
Resources
Lesson: With Freedom of the Press Comes Great Responsibility, Journalism Education Association
Email Interview Advice, The Poynter Institute
The Email Interview Debate, American Journalism Review
USF’s The Oracle bands email interviews, following other student newspapers, The Poynter Institute
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