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Key Documents: Section II. Codes of Ethics/Newsroom Policies and Standards - News Wire Services

The Associated Press—Statement of News Values and Principles Dow Jones—Code of Ethics Thomson Reuters—Editorial Policy

Introduction

It has become progressively more difficult in recent years for daily newspapers and other news organizations to sustain a viable chain of news bureaus around the world. As a result, the role of news wire services in international and national reporting has become decidedly more ubiquitous. The decrease in news bureaus run by individual news outlets—and the loss of the varied perspectives these bureaus brought to reporting international stories—has left news wire services in a much more powerful position to shape public perception of world events.

The Associated Press (AP) transmits an enormous number of news stories daily for print, online and on-air use. It put out a Statement of News Values and Principles that reaffirms its moral and professional responsibilities in providing “more people in more places” with news than any other source. Besides the typical ethical concerns with matters like truth, accuracy, conflict of interest and anonymous sources, AP also addresses issues more special to their vast field reporting efforts. For instance, the document covers in great detail the rules governing both datelines and bylines for stories done in a variety of forms.

Dow Jones Newswires is the leader in delivering “real-time” business news from around the world. The Code of Ethics issued by Dow Jones highlights the organization's acute awareness of how profoundly their reports can impact the business strategies and financial health of a myriad of other companies. In this context, the rules dealing with the use of confidential information and the business relationships/activities of employees take on a much greater significance. There is also a strict, detailed policy on security transactions made by employees who might be privy to nonpublic or “inside” information.

The Editorial Policy of Thomson Reuters focuses almost exclusively on the need for independent, balanced reporting. Reuters, a huge multimedia news service covering global events, makes a particular point of reporters, photographers, and cameramen not appearing to take sides in wars or other conflicts they cover. With the exception of directly or indirectly quoting a source, the document admonishes reporters about the use of “emotive terms” that might compromise an objective stance.

—Glenn Lewis Volume Editor

The Associated Press—Statement of News Values and Principles

02/16/2006

For more than a century and a half, men and women of The Associated Press have had the privilege of bringing truth to the world. They have gone to great lengths, overcome great obstacles—and, too often, made great and horrific sacrifices—to ensure that the news was reported quickly, accurately and honestly. Our efforts have been rewarded with trust: More people in more places get their news from the AP than from any other source.

In the 21st century, that news is transmitted in more ways than ever before—in print, on the air and on the Web, with words, images, graphics, sounds and video. But always and in all media, we insist on the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior when we gather and deliver the news.

That means we abhor inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortions.

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