DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS´ policies for ethics, standards, and corrections
DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS´ policies for ethics, standards, and corrections
ETHICS POLICY
As our editorial mission is to promote the value of a free press to democracy, as we focus on providing news based on truth, analysis, and opinions, we consider these policies for ethics, standards, and corrections to be a “living document”.
The goal of DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS is to cover the news as impartially as possible, and this requirement apply to all staff members: reporters, editors, editorial writers, photographers, camera operators, picture editors, art directors, artists, designers, graphics editors, video editors, web editors, social media operators and researchers.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS is pledged to avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflict of interest wherever and whenever possible.
We have adopted stringent policies on these issues, conscious that they may be more restrictive than is customary in the world of private business.
We are responsible for our own financial obligations. We accept no gifts from news sources. We neither seek nor accept preferential treatment that might be rendered because of the positions we hold.
It is important that no freelance assignments and no honoraria be accepted that might in any way be interpreted as disguised gratuities.
We avoid active involvement in any partisan causes — politics, community affairs, social action, demonstrations, and funding events — that could compromise or seem to compromise our ability to report and edit fairly.
FAIRNESS
Reporters and editors of DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS are committed to fairness. While arguments about objectivity are endless, the concept of fairness is something that editors and reporters can easily understand and pursue. Fairness results from a few simple practices: No story is fair if it omits facts of major importance or significance or one of the parts involved in the story. Fairness includes completeness.
OTHER THAN EDITORIAL PAGES
The separation of news columns from the editorial pages is solemn and complete. This separation is intended to serve the reader, who is entitled to the facts in the news columns and to opinions on the editorial and “op-ed” pages, and/or reviews, analysis.
We do enforce the following: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the official policy or position of DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS.
Analysis: Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold, based on past events
Opinion: A column in the Opinions section.
Review: A professional critic’s assessment of a service, product, performance, or artistic or literary work.
USE OF PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS mostly uses photos and videos provided by our own photographers and camera operators and/or staff members and news agencies we are subscribed to.
We do not use photos from another source unless we have a written permission from the entity and/or camera operator involved.
SOCIAL MEDIA
When using networks such as Facebook, Twitter, etc., for reporting or for our personal lives, we protect our professional integrity and remember: DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS journalists are always DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS journalists.
Social media accounts maintained by DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS journalists reflect upon the reputation and credibility of the newsroom.
VERIFICATION STANDARDS
DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS reporters have primary responsibility for reporting, writing, and fact-checking their stories. Stories are subject to review by one or more editors.
DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS has a multilevel structure for the review and editing of stories that may include fact-checking.
Every article is reviewed by a member of the editorial staff, to decide whether it requires extensive revisions, make recommendations.
The number of editors who review a story prior to publication and the extent of their involvement varies depending on a range of factors, including complexity, sensitivity, and the pressure of time.
Editors who oversee digital platforms also may be involved in the presentation of stories as well as headlines, news alerts and newsletters.
CORRECTIONS POLICY
DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS strives for a nimble, accurate and complete news report. We endeavor to be promptly responsive in correcting errors in material published on digital platforms and in print. When we run a correction, clarification or editor’s note, our goal is to tell readers, as clearly and quickly as possible, what was wrong and what is correct. Anyone should be able to understand how and why a mistake has been corrected.
CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES
Sources often insist that we agree not to name them before they agree to talk with us. We must be reluctant to grant their wish. When we use an unnamed source, we are asking our readers to take an extra step to trust the credibility of the information we are providing. We must be certain in our own minds that the benefit to readers is worth the cost in credibility.
Nevertheless, granting anonymity to a source should not be done casually or automatically.
On the record: For quotation, attributable to the source by name.
LANGUAGE
The basic purpose of journalistic language is to convey and transfer the knowledge, information to the large group of people as they are.
In our case, Spanish language is developing all the time and we keep up to date according to The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), which is the official international institution with a mission to ensure the stability of the Spanish language
There are differences between, for example, Spanish in Spain and Latin American Spanish and American Spanish.
It may sometimes be difficult to decide what is correct in the Spanish used in one specific country, so we try to apply what we call ‘neutral international language’.