ETHICS POLICY

Ethics Policy

Below is a statement of the ethics and coverage policies of Voice Of Kollywood. It is more than most of you want to know, but, in the age of suspicion of the media, we are laying it all out for you.

This code is designed to provide all Voice Of Kollywood employees with guidelines for appropriate professional conduct. It supersedes previous conduct guidelines but also incorporates other long-standing Voice Of Kollywood policies. It is intended not as a statement of new beliefs or a codification of new rules of conduct, but as a reaffirmation of enduring values and practices.

Our Vision

Voice Of Kollywood is an independent, American news organization that strives to help our audience connect the dots in an increasingly complex informational landscape by providing unbiased, well-researched and thought-provoking content on multiple platforms. Our fact-based approach provides you a 360˚ view of the Cinema, Movies, Televisions and social events that are shaping our neighborhoods, our communities and our country, providing you with the tools you need today to create a better tomorrow.

Our mission is to provide readers with impartial, informative reporting, and maintain an outlet for civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics, government and other matters of statewide concern across the india. This vision and mission drive the values and guidelines set out in this code of ethics, which borrows generously from the policies set by other fine news organizations and compiled by the News Leaders Association in their ethics directory. Exceptional circumstances may require exceptions to these rules but as our industry and the technology surrounding it evolve, we will continue to revise this code.

Ethics Overview

The central premise of this code is Voice Of Kollywood’s reputation for quality products and services, for business integrity, and for the independence and integrity of our publication, services and products is the heart and soul of our operations.

It is an essential prerequisite for success in the news business that the public believes us to be telling them the truth. Our readers must be able to assume:

  • Our facts are accurate and fairly presented;
  • Our analyses represent our best independent judgments rather than our preferences, or those of our sources, advertisers, marketers, public affairs and relations professionals, or any information provider;
  • Our opinions represent our own editorial philosophies as well as presenting views that readers may not find elsewhere; and
  • There are no hidden agendas in any of our journalistic undertakings.:
  • Do nothing we cannot defend.
  • Do not distort, lie, slant, or hype.
  • Do not falsify facts or make up quotes.
  • Cover, write, and present every story with the care we would want if the story were about us.
  • Assume there is at least one other side or version to every story.
  • Assume the viewer is as smart and caring and as good a person as we believe ourselves to be.
  • Assume the same about all people on whom we report.
  • Assume everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
  • Assume personal lives are a private matter until a legitimate turn in the story mandates otherwise.
  • Carefully separate opinion and analysis from straight news stories and clearly label them as such.
  • Do not use anonymous sources or blind quotes except on rare and monumental occasions. No one should ever be allowed to attack another anonymously.
  • Do not broadcast profanity or the end result of violence unless it is an integral and necessary part of the story and/or crucial to understanding the story.
  • Acknowledge that objectivity may be impossible but fairness never is.
  • Journalists who are reckless with facts and reputations will be disciplined by Voice Of Kollywood  as their employer.
  • Our readers have a right to know what principles guide our work and the processes we use.
  • We are not in the entertainment business.

The clear implication of these beliefs is that the responsibility of safeguarding and growing a company that lives up to this code lies with each and every one of us. Every Voice Of Kollywood employee holds a position of trust. Acceptance of a position at any level or in any part of Voice Of Kollywood  includes acceptance of individual responsibility to uphold Voice Of Kollywood policies governing legal and ethical business practices, as well as the responsibility to stress proper ethical behavior among colleagues and subordinates.

It must be clear to each of us that integrity is necessary in every decision – that it is not just the purview of our journalists, or members of our legal team, but it requires that we make EVERY decision, and approach all questions objectively and realistically, and with the long-term considerations of the best interests of our readers.

We task our leadership team to lead by example, including fostering a working environment that encourages employees to voice concerns or otherwise seek assistance or counsel if faced with a potentially compromising situation. We seek the same in our relationship with our readers, asking them early and often to contact us with any concerns or corrections.

We publish Voice Of Kollywood reporter contact information at the bottom of each article so you can reach us immediately should you have a question or concern about our coverage.

In our rapidly evolving world, each of us is challenged with complex environments that often require quick responses under pressure of deadlines. No written policy can definitively set forth the appropriate action for all situations a Voice Of Kollywood employee may encounter but we intend for this code to emphasize and clarify a standard for ethical conduct that must govern all of our business dealings and relationships.

Clear Content Labeling

The distinct separation of news coverage from opinions and advocacy is intended to serve the reader, who is entitled to facts in our news coverage and opinions on commentary, “op-ed”, and partner content pages. The labels Voice Of Kollywood uses are designed as follows:

  • Analysis & Opinions
    • COMMENTARY | a column or blog in the Opinions section
    • PARTNER CONTENT | content produced in partnership with another organization which may include discussion of news topics with a point of view from a sponsor or an advocacy organization
    • WELL DONE | lifetime achievement or career retirement coverage
    • WELL FED | food related reviews
    • WELL SAID | newsworthy quote highlights
    • WELL VERSED | book reviews and author interviews

All content not bearing one of the labels above should be assumed to be general news coverage based on fact.

Journalistic Ethics

Voice Of Kollywood subscribes to the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, reprinted here in full:

Preamble

Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.

The Society declares these four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism and encourages their use in its practice by all people in all media.

Seek Truth and Report It

Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. Journalists should:

  • Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible.
  • Remember that neither speed nor format excuses inaccuracy.
  • Provide context. Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in promoting, previewing or summarizing a story.
  • Gather, update and correct information throughout the life of a news story.
  • Be cautious when making promises, but keep the promises they make.
  • Identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible to judge the reliability and motivations of sources.
  • Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.
  • Diligently seek subjects of news coverage to allow them to respond to criticism or allegations of wrongdoing.
  • Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information unless traditional, open methods will not yield information vital to the public.
  • Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Give voice to the voiceless.
  • Support the open and civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.
  • Recognize a special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government. Seek to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open, and that public records are open to all.
  • Provide access to source material when it is relevant and appropriate.
  • Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience. Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear.
  • Avoid stereotyping. Journalists should examine the ways their values and experiences may shape their reporting.
  • Label advocacy and commentary.
  • Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information. Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments.
  • Never plagiarize. Always attribute.

Act Independently

The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public. Journalists should:

  • Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
  • Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility.
  • Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; do not pay for access to news. Identify content provided by outside sources, whether paid or not.
  • Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests, and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage.
  • Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two. Prominently label sponsored content.

Be Accountable and Transparent

Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decisions to the public. Journalists should:

  • Explain ethical choices and processes to audiences. Encourage a civil dialogue with the public about journalistic practices, coverage and news content.
  • Respond quickly to questions about accuracy, clarity and fairness.
  • Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently. Explain corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly.
  • Expose unethical conduct in journalism, including within their organizations.
  • Abide by the same high standards they expect of others.

Use of Social Media

As a digital news organization, Voice Of Kollywood is committed to using social networking platforms to distribute its work and build an engaged audience. Staff members are mindful that their actions online may be seen as a representation of  Voice Of Kollywood. They are therefore expected to be polite and avoid any impression of partisanship.

When using networks such as Facebook, Twitter, etc., for reporting or for our personal lives, we must protect our professional integrity and remember: Voice Of Kollywood journalists are always Voice Of Kollywood journalists.

Social media accounts maintained by all Voice Of Kollywood staff reflect upon the reputation and credibility of the newsroom. Even as we express ourselves in more personal and informal ways to forge better connections, we must be ever mindful of preserving the reputation of  Voice Of Kollywood for journalistic excellence, fairness and independence. Every comment or link we share should be considered public information, regardless of privacy settings.

Editorial Firewall

Voice Of Kollywood understands that within any credible news organization, a firewall exists between anybody involved with any aspect of journalism (e.g., the creation, reporting, distributing, etc., of content) and everyone else in the organization. For purposes of  Voice Of Kollywood, the firewall exists between the newsroom of  Voice Of Kollywood and every other employee, member, officer, and director of  Voice Of Kollywood, as described below.

This “firewall” is understood to be violated when any individual outside the newsroom attempts to direct, pressure, coerce, threaten, interfere with, or otherwise impermissibly influence any of Voice Of Kollywood’s newsroom operations, including their leadership, officers, employees, or staff, in the performance of their journalistic duties and activities. It is also violated when someone inside the newsroom acts in furtherance of or pursuant to such impermissible influence. Such impermissible influence would undermine the journalistic and editorial independence, and thus the credibility, of  Voice Of Kollywood, and their reporters, editors, and other journalists broadly.

Compliance with this Code

Voice Of Kollywood  takes this code of conduct very seriously. All employees of   Voice Of Kollywood  are responsible for compliance with all aspects of this code. All new employees shall be required to read this code at the outset of their employment, and to attest in writing that they have done so; all Voice Of Kollywood  employees shall be required, at the time this code is first implemented, to read it and so attest. In the case of all members of senior management, and all news and advertising personnel, such written attestations shall be required to be renewed annually.

Any lapse in judgement in the matters addressed above will be treated as serious enough to warrant discipline up to and including dismissal.

Any employee having a question about a possible violation of this code by any person, or in connection with any practice, should discuss it with their supervisor or the Managing Director. Every effort will be made to maintain the confidentiality of such discussions.