Policies
COMMENTS
The Whitworthian encourages readers to comment on any content on The Whitworthian’s website, TheWhitworthian.news, and any of The Whitworthian’s social media pages. We believe the comment sections are a place for productive discussion about the topics at hand. Article comments can be posted by anyone and the opinions expressed in those comments are not necessarily the opinion of The Whitworthian, its editors or its staff.
The Whitworthian strives to monitor and delete comments with profanity, hate speech, personal attacks, threats of violence or that violate the law or common decency, and/or contain promotions or endorsements for products or services. We believe such comments limit the community’s ability to have a productive and inclusive discussion. We reserve the right to remove comments at our discretion, based on the limits we have stated above.
Commenters who repeatedly violate our community standards as expressed above may be banned from further posting indefinitely.
Opinions published in The Whitworthian represent the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily the opinion of The Whitworthian, Whitworth University, or its student and/or faculty population.
Readers are encouraged to report questionable comments by e-mailing the current editor-in-chief.
PROFANITY
The Whitworthian has the right to limit references to prevent vulgar and profane words to prevent them from overwhelming more important facts of the story. Staff members may encounter interview situations where sources are likely to use language viewed as vulgar and profane. The Whitworthian may publish these words if they are deemed important to the reader’s understanding of the situation.
The Whitworthian does not publish derogatory or profane terms that may negatively impact specific groups, persons or organizations unless necessary to the clarity of the story. The Whitworthian will always attempt to identify these terms using other methods before resorting to republishing them outside of direct quotations.
Profane language is not acceptable in opinion writing. Individual cases will be judged by the editor.
GROUP IDENTIFICATION
Identification of an individual as a member of any group should be avoided unless its inclusion is essential to the reader’s understanding of the story or of the individual’s relevance as a source. Any identifying term should be used with care to avoid perpetuating biases and stereotypes associated with a given group. Accuracy in identifying terms is essential and should be verified by section editors, copy chief/editor in chief and adviser if necessary. See JEDI section of the policy manual for more information.
STEREOTYPES/DISCRIMINARY LANGUAGE
Board and staff members will purposely avoid discriminatory labels and descriptions. They will replace them instead with morally neutral and factual ones. Board and staff members will take care to avoid generalizations and stereotypes based on race, sexual orientation, gender, socio-economic status, disability, etc. Generalizations based on stereotypes are typically misleading and inaccurate. See JEDI section of policy manual for more information.
CORRECTIONS
The Whitworthian is committed to providing the Whitworth community with the most accurate information possible. The Whitworthian never knowingly publishes inaccuracies, however, we resign the fact that we will occasionally make errors. If any error is found, The Whitworthian is obliged to correct the error as soon as possible, regardless of the source of the error. This includes all matters of fact, including the misspelling of proper names.
Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. This policy also holds true for clarifications. To notify The Whitworthian of a possible error, please contact the current editor-in-chief at [email protected] with the article title, date published, publication type (print or web) and a brief description of the error.
Once The Whitworthian has been notified of the error, we will take the following steps:
For print
Once investigated, we will publish any corrections necessary in in the editor-in-chief’s note, alongside the masthead in the next print edition. We will also re-publish the e-version of the print edition with the error with the necessary corrections made within the specific article.
For web/ social media
Once investigated, we will publish any corrections necessary below the story. We will note the correction at the top of the article, underneath the headline. If the article was posted to one of our social media accounts, we will make a new post, linking the corrected article, with a note about what was incorrect.
For all corrections, once a correction has been published, The Whitworthian will notify the reader who submitted the error.
UNPUBLISHING
The Whitworthian reviews requests to “unpublish” stories from TheWhitworthian.news on a case-by-case basis. The newspaper’s general policy is not to remove content unless there is clear evidence of inaccuracy or danger of physical or financial harm. It is up to the requester to provide evidence of these. The final decision lies with the current editor-in-chief.
ACCURACY CHECKS
The Whitworthian does not require all staff & editor writers to submit quote accuracy checks to sources prior to publication. Accuracy checks should be done only if a writer does not have a recorded interview with a source. In that case, accuracy checks should be sent to sources before a story is submitted for publication. It is important that all sources are quoted accurately at all times. When necessary, accuracy checks will be conducted via scripted email to the interviewee at a minimum of 48 hours before the copy deadline. When necessary, a source will have up to 2 business days to reply to an accuracy check email.
All staff members will send a follow-up email to interviewees informing them when and where they can expect the story to be published, and informing them of our policy to keep recordings until the end of the academic year.
ANONYMITY/CONFIDENTIALITY
The Whitworthian does not accept or print information from sources unknown or unverifiable to the reporter and section editor.
Reporters should never promise anonymity to a source without permission of the editor-in-chief in dialogue with the section editor. Anonymity will be given only if there is evidence that physical, emotional or financial harm will come to the source if revealed. A reporter must notify the section editor and the editor-in-chief of the name of the source and all facts surrounding the issue. The source must be informed that the information will be shared with the section editor and the editor-in-chief and that the decision of anonymity rests with the editor-in-chief.
To protect The Whitworthian and its staff members and editors, anonymity will be subject to a strict assessment of the source and the story via the editor-in-chief and section editor. It is required, that in potential cases of anonymity, that the editor-in-chief consults with the adviser of The Whitworthian to discuss potential legal questions and consequences of granting anonymity to a source.
Prior to granting anonymity, reporters should make all attempts to gain the same information from a separate source who agrees to be named, or physical or numerical proof that corroborates the initial source’s information. If no viable secondary source can be found, anonymity will not be granted. If anonymity has been granted, the editor-in-chief shall notify the current adviser of The Whitworthian and the remainder of the Editorial Board prior to publication of the story. The reporter, section editor and editor-in-chief are collectively responsible for protecting the source. The story must include the reason for protecting the source’s identity.
All notes, recordings and other materials relevant to the story shall be copied into three sets. The reporter shall maintain control of the original material and the three sets of copied material is to be held by the section editor, editor-in-chief and adviser in secure locations not accessible to the public. All electronic material is to be stored outside of University controlled data storage. If it is later determined that the source gave false information, The Whitworthian is no longer bound to protect confidentiality.
Reporters should be cautious with any materials or notes containing confidential information or names.
In the event of a challenge to anonymity and The Whitworthian by Whitworth University or outside party, the editor-in-chief in consultation with the current adviser will contact the SPLC and determine the next appropriate steps.
OFF-THE-RECORD COMMENTS
Staff members of The Whitworthian should never agree to conduct an interview in any way other than on-the-record. Staff members should make every attempt to get sources to speak on-the-record. Going off-the-record limits the reporter and The Whitworthian in the pursuit of a story. After the interview, staff members are not ethically bound to keep material out of print if they did not agree to do so.
If a source insists on telling the staff member information off-the-record, ask him/her to refrain from sharing the information until the end of the interview, if at all. Never allow any source to ask you to go off-the-record in the middle of an interview. In this case, staff members should inform the source of the benefits of telling the story openly. Any information gained off the record should be considered cautiously and the motives of the source should be questioned. If a staff member does agree to go off-the-record, they may not print the information under any circumstance unless the reporter can confirm it and attribute it to a separate source before printing it.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Whitworthian understands that at a small institution, conflicts of interest are inevitable in some cases. However, reporters, photographers and other staff members should strive to separate themselves from assignments with significant personal involvement.
No staff member should cover an organization or event they belong to (i.e. a member of ASWU cannot cover ASWU news, or someone involved in International Club cannot cover the International Banquet). Roommates/housemates, close friends, family members and romantic partners should not be used as direct sources. Staff members should not lobby for personal interests or causes to receive undue coverage or attention. Staff members should avoid using sources within their own major area of study. Staff members should not base coverage on pressure from sources or organizations. This includes, but is not limited to, academic advantages, free tickets, meals, press kits or other material incentives.
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
The Whitworthian recognizes the right of its audience to criticism and objection to issues in the newspaper. All members of the public are encouraged to write letters to the editor when in disagreement with editorial decisions, accuracy, or ideas and articles presented in The Whitworthian online or print editions.
When a complaint is received from a reader or source, the editor will discuss the complaint with the reporter involved. If the editor finds the reporter did not accurately state the facts or quote a source, a correction will appear in either the online or print edition of The Whitworthian by the reporter in collaboration with their section editor. For more information, see corrections.
If a source claims in an accuracy check that they were misquoted or that what they said must be treated as off-the-record and the reporter has recorded evidence otherwise, it is up to the reporter, their section editor, and the editor-in-chief’s discretion to publish. All information not explicitly declared off-the-record before stated in an interview is the reporter’s right to publish if they choose.
Staff members should direct all complaints from members of the public to section editors. Staff members should always be respectful when a member of the public voices a complaint. If the person lodging the complaint should become abusive, refer him/her to the editor-in-chief. Any complaint not resolved at the lower level must be reviewed by the editor-in-chief. If speaking to an editor does not suffice, members of the public are encouraged to speak with the faculty adviser of The Whitworthian.
Only if the complaint cannot be resolved by staff members should a complaint be forwarded to the adviser of The Whitworthian.
The Whitworthian reserves the right to delete any offensive or deliberately inflammatory comments from its website.
PRIOR READING OF COPY/PRIOR REVIEW
The Whitworthian recognizes that Whitworth University is committed to providing sufficient editorial freedom for the newspaper in order to maintain its integrity as a form of student expression and free inquiry. The Whitworthian also recognizes that Whitworth has adopted policy that could allow for prior review of content and censorship.
The Whitworthian will do everything in its power to address concerns university officials may have prior to publication. However, the newspaper is committed to maintaining its integrity and independence as a public forum and shall not submit material to university officials for advanced approval.
A reporter should never agree to let a subject read a story before publication. If there are any questions about the story, then the reporter should check back with the subject prior to publication to confirm the material. For more information, see Accuracy Check.
LINKS
TheWhitworthian.news contains links to external sites. The Whitworthian is not responsible for the content or the privacy practices of such Web sites. Opinions, ideas and products expressed in external links do not necessarily reflect the views of The Whitworthian, its editors or its staff.
LIBEL
The Whitworthian prohibits the publication of libelous statements. For a statement to constitute as libel it must be false, identifying, defamatory and published with negligence or actual malice. Staff members are encouraged to know and understand libel laws.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / GUEST COLUMNS
The Whitworthian welcomes all reader responses to stories appearing in the newspaper or views on issues of interest to the Whitworth community. The Whitworthian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and space. Letters will be printed as space allows or will be published online at Thewhitworthian.news. Please include your first and last name, year (if applicable), major (or position in the college) and relation to the Whitworth community.
We will only publish letters by persons directly related to the Whitworth community. Letters must be signed by the author. Letters may be submitted on behalf of clubs, departments, organizations or clubs, but will still need to be signed by the author(s). Anonymous letters to letters submitted under a pseudonym will not be published.
Successful letters to the editor should not exceed 250 words. They should be thought-provoking, suggest a course of action and add to an ongoing conversation. The Opinions page at The Whitworthian aims to strike meaningful conversation, offer insightful criticism and further thought on our campus.
The Whitworthian strongly advises against the use of inflammatory language and profanity, but in some cases may allow it after discussion with the editorial board. We reserve the right to remove any such language that is gratuitous. We do not publish letters or guest columns that contain ad hominem arguments. As a newspaper dedicated to anti-racist journalism, we do not tolerate hate speech directed toward any class, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, or identity. This forum is meant to criticize ideas and topics, not individual persons or groups.
The Whitworthian also encourages members of the community to submit longer guest commentaries about issues relevant to the Whitworth community. Commentaries of 700 words or less will be published as space permits. The Whitworthian looks for commentaries that are relevant and well-researched, including hyperlinks to cited articles. We may ask for quotation checks for any interviews conducted. To ensure a better chance of publishing, please contact The Whitworthian with specifics regarding when you plan to submit your commentary and what issue you are interested in addressing.
The Whitworthian may publish submissions in print and online, or online only, as space permits.
The Whitworthian is not under any obligation to ensure or maintain confidentiality, as expressed or implied by letters to the editor, and shall not be held liable for the breaking of that confidentiality.
The Whitworthian reserves the right to edit submissions for style, clarity, content and space. We reserve all rights to submitted content including the right to publish, republish and archive. We reserve the right to not publish a submission, for reasons including, but not limited to, inflammatory language, personal attacks and/ or excessive use of inappropriate language. All letters to the editor and guest columns should be sent to the current editor-in-chief and opinions editor at [email protected] and [email protected].
OPINIONS POLICY
Columns, editorial cartoons and reviews are the opinions of their individual creators and not necessarily the opinion of The Whitworthian, its editors or its staff. Editorials in the “From the Editors” section reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board which is made up of student editors. For more information, see Editorial Board. As the open forum section of our publication, it is meant to serve as a place of conversation. It is the duty of the opinions editor to actively seek guest columns and expert opinions.
POLLS & SURVEYS
When conducting polls and surveys, staff members should always seek to be unbiased. Whitworthian polls will strive to survey as many Whitworth community members as possible to ensure accuracy. Polling at least 2 percent of the student body is highly recommended for a more accurate survey. Staff members should use on-campus resources such as professors and books to ensure the validity of a survey.
Polls and results conducted via social media will be reported with exact data and number of respondents within reporting medium.
The results of polls on the TheWhitworthian.news are not scientific and only reflect the opinions of Internet users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general, nor the public as a whole.
STORY IDEAS & NEWS TIPS
The Whitworthian welcomes and encourages any and all suggestions for covering topics and events that might be relevant and interesting to the Whitworth community. While staff and time limitations prevent us from covering every story idea submission that we might receive, we commit to covering news and events that affect the largest parts of the Whitworth community.
To submit suggestions or ideas for our coverage, please visit the “About Us” section on our website and email a section editor whose section best fits your needs for coverage. You can also contact us at [email protected]. If you have a breaking news tip, please contact the news editor directly.
OWNERSHIP OF WORK
By joining the staff, staffers formally consent to The Whitworthian’s ownership of their published and unpublished works, only if said works are story assignments from a staffer’s section editor. Ownership of unpublished work may revert to the staffer per their request and approval of their section editor.
Freelance material only becomes the property of The Whitworthian after publication. Staff members should clear any request to use published material on personal blogs with their section editor. Organizations or publications that wish to re-print stories or pictures from The Whitworthian must contact the editor-in-chief to receive permission prior to use.
PUBLIC FORUM
The Whitworthian is a public forum that believes in freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE
All editors are responsible for generating the content of The Whitworthian. Editors are committed to the independence and integrity of the publication and will not allow pressure from advertisers, administrators or other outside influences to shape editorial content or decisions made about news coverage. The editor-in-chief will make the final decision about content if pressure is being exerted on other editors.
