Ethics and Standards
When you work with the Bolt, you are now considered a journalist. This comes with a lot of responsibility, and while journalistic ethics and standards vary, most newsrooms follow a set of agreed-upon principles. Our definitions of journalistic ethics are based on the Canadian Press style guide and the Canadian Association of Journalists’ ethics guidelines.Our obligation at the Bolt is to serve students, staff, faculty, and community members of Concordia University of Edmonton. Our reporting should always be done in our community’s best interest. We are here to inform and engage the community and to create a positive campus culture.
All Bolt contributors and editors are expected to uphold the ethical standards of accuracy, transparency, impartiality, compassion, professionalism, and inclusivity.
Accuracy:
Use credible sources,
Report mistakes,
Verify information,
Give credit where credit is due.
Avoid ambiguity and inaccuracy. If you’re unsure about something, cut it from the piece.
Investigate all sides of a story.
Transparency:
Avoid taking handouts but disclose if something was given for free.
Identify yourself as a reporter when doing the work of a reporter,
Disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
Acknowledge and take accountability for any mistakes.
Avoid using anonymous sources unless there is a legitimate risk to their safety or reputation.
Issue corrections in a transparent and timely manner.
Fairness:
Present balanced perspectives where applicable. Do not present a false balance when covering both sides of a story.
Respect the rights of the people you report on.
Seek fair representation in every story and gather diverse sources.
Let people speak on their own experiences.
Strive to not misrepresent people or communities.
Don’t refer to a person’s race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or physical ability unless it is absolutely pertinent to the story.
Allow people their privacy.
Do not coerce or harass sources into speaking if they do not want to speak to you
Impartiality:
Editorial decisions must be free from outside influence.
Excuse oneself from reporting on a story if it likely to have bias, except in the case of features or opinion pieces.
Incorporate several voices in an article, including ones with disagreeing opinions
Disclose potential conflicts of interests with your editor or the readers and avoid conflicts of interest.
Avoid promotional writing and be weary of PR tactics.
Consider potential agendas or interests of sources.
Allow facts to speak for themselves.
Hold to account those with power and those meant to serve public interest
Show, don’t tell.
Compassion:
Journalists owe the public the truth and should take care to minimize harm.
Do not harass subjects for information when it pertains to sensitive topics: ex. Sexual abuse, harassment, racism, genocide.
Research cultural differences and exhibit sensitivity when approaching a source from a different cultural background.
Always treat sources as human beings.
Consult the Canadian Press style guide for appropriate words and languages for certain topics (if you do not have access, please ask the Editor-in-Chief or leave a note on your article).
Avoid descriptions that are sensationalist and deliberately provocative.
Professionalism:
Maintain professionalism in all communication and interactions.
Be polite to others, including sources and bystanders.
Don’t accept gifts or possible bribes.
Avoid intoxication while representing the Bolt.
Follow-up with our sources and share our work.
Maintain professional boundaries with sources.
Use professional and appropriate language with sources.
Participate in peer review and constructive feedback when it is appropriate to do so.
Respect editorial decisions and collaborate on revisions.