VoM News Ethics Policy

At VoM News – Voice of Masses (www.vomnews.in), we are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in journalism. Our mission is to provide accurate, fair, and impartial news coverage to our readers while adhering to the principles outlined in this Ethics Policy. We aim to maintain the trust and credibility of our audience and the communities we serve in Jammu and Kashmir.

Core Ethical Principles

Accuracy: We strive for accuracy in all our news reporting. Our journalists are responsible for verifying the information they present and ensuring that it is factual and reliable. We promptly correct any errors and provide updates when necessary.
Fairness and Impartiality: We are dedicated to fairness and impartiality in our reporting. We provide a platform for diverse voices and perspectives and avoid bias or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic.
Independence: We maintain editorial independence and avoid conflicts of interest that could compromise our journalistic integrity. We do not accept gifts, favors, or financial incentives that could influence our reporting.
Transparency: We are transparent about our news sources and the methods used in our reporting. We disclose any affiliations, partnerships, or sponsorships that may affect our content.
Accountability: We hold ourselves accountable for the accuracy and fairness of our reporting. We encourage feedback from our readers and address concerns and complaints promptly and professionally.

Guidelines for Reporting

Sourcing: We use reliable and credible sources for our news stories. Whenever possible, we attribute information to its source and provide context to help readers evaluate the credibility of the information.
Carrying All Versions: VoM News believes on actual reporting by covering the all angles of story by taking the versions of people participating in a story.
Privacy: We respect individuals’ privacy rights and avoid invasive or unnecessary intrusion into their personal lives. We seek consent when interviewing or publishing information about private individuals.
Sensitivity: We exercise sensitivity when reporting on topics that may be distressing or traumatic to our audience. We consider the potential harm of our reporting and balance the public’s right to know with responsible journalism.
Corrections and Updates: We correct errors promptly and transparently. When new information becomes available that impacts a previously published story, we provide updates to ensure the accuracy and completeness of our reporting.

Community Engagement

We value our readers’ feedback and encourage open communication. We provide opportunities for readers to submit comments, share opinions, and contribute to our reporting through user-generated content. However, we moderate user-generated content to ensure it complies with our ethical guidelines and community standards.

Compliance and Enforcement

Our editorial team is responsible for upholding the principles outlined in this Ethics Policy. Violations of these principles may result in corrective action, including corrections, updates, or, in severe cases, disciplinary measures for staff members who breach our ethical standards.

Policy for VoM News Staffers

We believe in maintaining the high ethical standards In Journalism. Here are the building laid down for staffers/employees of VoM News.

Before relaying the key details, let VoM News inform you that situation and circumstances changes with passage of time. All the ethical problem can’t be covered here but we have keyed down two important ethical solutions which should be kept in mind.

1). None of the staffer should should act in ways that could damage the news organization’s credibility.

2).Any situation that raises questions of credibility must be discussed with VoM News tasked authority.

We have here highlights some of the key ethical standards. Read them with kind attention.

Reporters/authors
/Staffers are permissible for freelancing.
Reporters of VoM News are entitled to carry all the version of story before getting published. This improves reporters credibility and authenticity.

•Staffers should make reasonable use of the equipment provided by VoM News.

•Staffer if invited for any show, whether Radio, TV show or any other social show l, require approval of VoM News.

•Staffer shall not use the New agency name, reputation, phone number or stationery to imply a threat of retaliation or pressure, to curry favor or to seek personal gain.

•Staffers should not except speaking fees except invited for professional seminar.

Employees shall not use their positions entitled to VoM News to get any benefit or advantage in commercial transactions or personal business for themselves, their families, friends or acquaintances.
Staffers should avoid making judgement on his own, can make opinion. Shall avoid writing, illustration or verbal spat.

•Staffer must not scoop our news organisation. Breaking news, stories should be reserved for this news organization.

•Staffer should think first and foremost of the new agency.

•Reporters are permitted to create social media pages and can uplod videos of VoM, but the condition laid as mandatory is it should be firstly published on VoM News social media platforms.

•Staffers can cover stories entitled to them under their jurisdiction/task.

•Reporters if are using the photographs or vdeos of the other person, should Furst seek consent of usage before posting the story.

•Staffers can post their opinions about the topic but should be
sufficiently distinct from their job duties. We aims for free speech & expression, but we attempt to maintain credibility of our news agency.

None of the staffer should should act in ways that could damage the news organization’s credibility.
If any error occurs in the stories, even by mistake, staffer/reporter should inform the video editor or web editor for corrections.

•Staffer/Reporter/Writer should also verify the details about the credit to be issued to the right owners.

We attribute information to unnamed sources only when news value warrants and it cannot be obtained any other way. When forced to rely on unnamed sources, we avoid letting them be the sole basis for a story. We do not allowi unnamed sources to make personal attacks. We describe the unnamed source in as much detail as possible to indicate the source’s credibility. Simply attributing a comment to “a source” is inadequate. Additionally, whenever possible readers are told the reason the source requested or was given anonymity. Even, if any issue comes, consult the head for clarity.
Generally, we pay expenses on our own. If any staffer feel issues, immediately consult the head.

•Reporters should feel free to consult head before covering the news on sensitive issues, keeping the sensitivity, circumstances, consequence in mind.

Conclusion

This Ethics Policy serves as a commitment to maintaining the highest ethical standards in our journalism. We aim to build trust, credibility, and transparency with our readers and communities in Jammu and Kashmir. Our dedication to accuracy, fairness, and accountability guides our mission to deliver responsible news coverage.

VoM News Ethics Policy image/ www.scu.edu

Last Updated: September 19,2023