Editorial Policy and Guidelines

Editorial Policy and Guidelines

Editorial Values

The overarching mission of Meri Kahania is To deliver true and accurate news to you. Our team continuously tries to bring to you all the big news from the smallest village to the country and the world.

In this regard, our core principles include accuracy, fairness, transparency, impartiality, humanity and privacy. We publish factual, fair and honest journalism; we separate opinion from reporting; we openly acknowledge mistakes and shortcomings and ensure that we do no harm.

 Editorial Code of Ethics

Accuracy
Meri Kahania does not publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines that are not supported by the text. Accuracy for us is not simply about getting the facts right. It is equally important to consider all relevant facts and information to get to the truth. Our articles are well-sourced, supported by evidence, fact-checked, clear and unambiguous.

Fairness
Fair reporting provides relevant background and context, does not omit relevant facts and strives to be honest with readers, especially about what we know and what we do not know. We aim to present all relevant sides in the stories we publish, ensuring that they are balanced and add context.

Transparency
We are transparent about the provenance of the content we publish. We always hyperlink to original sources; we strive to ensure information is released in a timely manner, that the information is correct and understandable in context. We always identify our authors unless there are security issues.

Impartiality
Due impartiality will be applied to all subject matter. We aim to present diversity of opinion: being impartial doesn’t mean to be unquestioning or to refrain from editorial expression. We clearly distinguish news from opinion. All content that is opinion, will be clearly identified as opinion or analysis.

Accountability
The cornerstone of responsible journalism is the ability to hold ourselves accountable. We will acknowledge when we commit errors and correct them. We will listen to the concerns of our audience.

Humanity
Journalists should do no harm, thereby we are cognizant of the impact our words, stories and images have on the lives of others.

Editorial Integrity and Independence
Meri Kahania is not constricted, bound or beholden to outside interests and arrangements that could undermine our editorial integrity. Our editorial decisions are not influenced by outside interests, political or commercial pressures, or personal interests.

Protecting Children
Will always seek to protect and safeguard the welfare of children when they are part of the stories we publish. Their names, photos or any other identifiable element will not be included unless permission is expressly granted by a parent/guardian and even then, the editorial team may decide to refrain from their use.

Policies That Guide our Journalism Standards

Accuracy and Corrections
As “broadcasters” of information, we are accountable to our readers for the accuracy of the information we publish (on our website including graphics, visuals, headlines and social media platforms). All of our content must be accurate and accuracy is grounded in verification. We check and double-check all the information we publish. As editors and journalists we are not infallible. Therefore, we acknowledge that mistakes can happen and when they do, we correct them and inform our readers when we do. Corrections serve the reader and the public record. We believe that being honest when we err is necessary to build trust with our readers.

Attribution and Plagiarism
We publish only original content. We do not present other media’s reporting as our own. When we reference news from other media, we clearly attribute them through hyperlinks on our platform. During our editorial process of proofreading and copy editing, our editorial team verifies that any information used from other sources is clearly attributed by the journalist, writer or expert who contributes to the content on our website.

Quotations
When direct quotes are used in our content, they must be an accurate representation of what was written or said. We often “clean up” quotes to remove grammatical errors and some idiosyncratic expressions of speech. Since most of our content is translated, or when sources are not native English speakers, we aim to ensure that they don’t sound incoherent. To ensure proper context of the quotations, we will be clear to include whether the comment was in response to a question and whether it came from email or social media.

Anonymity and Protection of Sources
For purposes of protection, we will in rare circumstances, hide/change the name of the source. Journalism, especially responsible journalism, often depends on confidential sources who provide information that those in the halls of power will seek to keep secret. If such cases arise, the editorial team of EVN Report will take the decision to publish information from confidential sources if it is in the public interest.

Removal Requests
We do not remove content from our website unless in rare circumstances when there is reason for potential harm to those involved in the story.