Fort Worth Report adheres to established traditions of journalism independence. Our news staff has final authority in decisions about what we cover, how we present that coverage and what we publish on our digital channels, in accordance with our mission statement.
We recognize that our sources of income may come from individuals and institutions who have their own missions, including advocacy of causes. We respectfully pledge that they, along with our Board of Directors, shall not interfere with our news coverage while we thank them for their support.
Further, we have adopted a donor transparency policy that identifies donors who contribute $5,000 or more annually. That policy and the list of such donors is available at https://fortworthreport.org/our-supporters/.
Fort Worth Report also endorses the ideals of the following organizations in journalism ethics and transparency:
Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp, the key provisions of which are:
Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility.
Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; do not pay for access to news. Identify content provided by outside sources, whether paid or not.
Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests, and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage.
Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two. Prominently label sponsored content.
Institute for Nonprofit News, https://inn.org/resources/business-strategy/standards-ethics/, excerpted below:
Editorial independence and financial transparency are critical pillars of nonprofit journalism that aim to strengthen public trust in journalism. They help ensure that funders, partners and parent organizations will not influence a publication’s reporting. By becoming members of INN, organizations demonstrate that they follow industry-upheld standards.
The terms of our Editorial Independence Policy do not prevent our readers and supporters from offering valuable input on our news reporting, including suggesting story ideas, pointing out possible errors, or providing feedback on any aspect of our coverage.
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Adopted by the Board of Directors, Fort Worth Report, January 13, 2022