Editorial Guidelines
The Free Press Journal team is committed to developing journalism that meets the highest standards. As the fourth estate, it is our responsibility to give you unbiased, clear reporting that lets you make a decision for yourself, rather than us influence your thought process. Our company’s reputation, the respect accorded on the management, and the careers of our staff members depend on us upholding the highest of journalistic values.
Our guidelines are intended to help our team members navigate through what many perceive are not-so-smooth waters. In a democracy such as India, where the power of the press is only second to the power of the people, it is essential that our staffers adhere to the guidelines. We do understand that the media landscape is constantly changing, but the basics of journalism will always remain the same i.e. always ask questions. And when you do get the answer, you also remember to follow these five steps:
-Befair
-Be transparent
-Be factually right
-Follow the law
-When in doubt, ask
When it comes to news gathering, we expect our journalists follow ethical practices to get their story. Writing stories for other publications without the company’s knowledge, trespassing, illegal eavesdropping or recording of calls, computer hacking, bribery, or stealing documents are not tolerated at the Free Press Journal, and journalists caught doing so will be blacklisted.
Things to remember as a Free Press Journal reporter– A Free Press Journal reporters must provide accurate, balanced, unbiased news. Errors must be corrected quickly and transparently.
– A Free Press Journal reports must speak with an independent voice, and not be influenced by external factors.
– A Free Press Journal reporters must protect the confidentiality of their reporters
– A Free Press Journal reporter must constantly ask questions. They should challenge sources
– A Free Press Journal reporter must not doctor images or alter subject matter. Text journalists must not manipulate of fabricate quotes
– A Free Press Journal reporter will not plagiarize. Stories must not be sent to a source to be vetted.
– A Free Press Journal reporter will show extra sensitivity while handling a story that involves a grieving family. Special care must be taken while taking pictures or doing stories that involve minors
– A Free Press Journal reporter will not use their position as a journalist for financial gains.
Free Press Journal and user-generated content
In the digital age of journalism, user-generated content is what brings us a lot of traffic, as they way it is written can determine how it will be ranked by Google. However, as a part of Free Press Journal’s online team, it is your responsibility to check the authenticity of the source of the content, whether you can get a quote from the person who has shared the picture or the video on social media. This not only ensures the authenticity of your story, but also gives you the journalistic intuition to identify a true story from a fake one. Remember, while it is important to be the first to break the news, it is even more important to ensure that the news article is factually correct.
EDITORIAL TEAM
GL Lakhotia
GL Lakhotia is the Managing Editor of The Free Press Journal. He has been associated with the newspaper for the last 45 years.
SS Dhawan is the Editor of The Free Press Journal. He was previously associated with The Tribune.
RN Bhaskar is a researcher, educationist and journalist. He is consulting editor with both Free Press Journal and Moneycontrol-Network18. His other passion is teaching, and he teaches in several institutes of higher learning in India and overseas. He is also the author of Game India-seven strategic advantages that could steer India to wealth (Penguin).
Sanjay S Jog is a consulting editor at the Free Press Journal, and has over 33 years of experience. He was previously associated with organisations such as Financial Express, Business Standard, and Daily News and Analysis.