Editorial Policy- News24 English

Editorial Guidelines

The goal of this document is to list the editorial policies that guide all journalists working for https://www.news24online.com/. The editorial policies and standards of any news channel operating under the BAG network are unrelated. The document is a collection of best practises and materials that must be followed in order to maintain high standards of ethical journalism.

Three Pillars

• Transparency
• Reliability
• Credibility

Rules of practice

Accuracy: Authors and editors must confirm that the material on the website is well sourced and is checked for accuracy and timeliness by journalists and/or copy editors.

Credibility: Articles must mention people who have worked on it: authors/reporters/contributors and editors.

Credits: The authors should not reproduce material from other sources without due credit, wherever applicable.

Bylines: An article can be byline only if the author/journalist has done enough work on the copy. Input from other sources should be mentioned.

Fairness: Balanced news coverage without bias should be the operating principle.

Support: The author/s must not endorse or promote any person or entity through text, video or photographs, unless it is based on the editor’s decision on the value of the information to the user.

Operating principle

Accuracy over speed: We may be a minute late, but make sure we are accurate.

When we make a mistake we accept: Inadvertent mistakes are promptly corrected and content is amended via a footnote script, unless the change is in the nature of a spelling change, typo, etc. .

Content is utmost priority

The content we create remains part of a permanent digital archive on the web that is accessible to all. The material shall not be unpublished unless in exceptional circumstances the content of the material relates to:

1. Threat to National Security
2. Threat to the security of any person/entity
3. Violation of Legal Norms
4. Violation of Editorial Guidelines
5. Unmistakable errors that warrant complete removal

Type of work

• News excerpts: Based on facts, verified by journalists/editors.
• Analysis: By domain experts.
• Explainer: Breaking down complex issues into interesting and tasty material.
• Listical: For quick reading on the go.
• Opinions: POVs of scholars, industry leaders, public figures, in-house experts.
• Special: Prestigious Interviews/Informations that need to go beyond the mandate.
• Review: Reviews of events, arts, shows, movies or books.
• Videos: Value addition of stand-alone video content as well as text stories.
• Columns: By seasoned journalists and industry experts
• Fact Check: Dismissing Fake News and Viral Stories that need verification.
• Photo Gallery: Some stories are better told through pictures.
• Live Blog: Developing news updates on elections, speeches, parliament sessions, cricket matches, Oscars and other big ticket events.