Accuracy Policy

ZFJ accuracy and corrections policy.

THE PRIMARY PRINCIPLE: REPORT THE FACTS TRUTHFULLY. Don’t forget it. If you can’t expect yourself to be fair, you can’t expect others to be fair as well.

As a basic ethical test: Would you be able to defend your work before someone who you respect?

Safety

Your safety is paramount. Don’t pursue a story if it could lead to physical danger for you. Identify yourself clearly as a journalist and don’t wear any other insignia.

Ethics

It is our responsibility to be unbiased and represent all perspectives. The ZFJ will not take an official stance on issues. Opinion pieces reflect the beliefs of the respective authors.

Avoid writing about topics you have a “special interest” in. For example, someone in the Model United Nations club shouldn’t write about MUN. Similarly, none of our staff should be government employees. We’re independent from the government.

Quotes from people must be clearly attributed and never modified. Named sources are always preferred. As the Reuters Handbook puts it, quotes are “sacrosanct.” Never fabricate or modify the meanings of quotes.

Never let sources see the story before it’s published. It’s for accuracy reasons. They’re not allowed to approve your story for publication.

Don’t reveal your sources to the government.

Always pursue a story ethically. Never pay for a story. Also don’t do anything illegal for stories, like breaking into computers or buildings.

Corrections

Mistakes happen. The editor should always be notified of errors and will follow this procedure:

  • Withdrawal - The article is completely flawed and must be killed.

  • Correction - An error that changes any meaning in the article is detected. The editor will fix the error and add a clear note that the article was corrected, starting with “CORRECTION [DATE]: “.

    • For an official correction by a source (like the government), use the note “CORRECTION (OFFICIAL) [DATE]: “.

  • Refile - An error that doesn’t change meaning (like minor typos) is detected. The story will be updated without an editor’s note.