SUBMISSIONS POLICY
The Valley Independent Sentinel has published thousands of submission from the public, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.
Just email [email protected] with a press release (that is, what you’re trying to say). The release should be in the body of the email or attached as a Word or text document. PDFs take longer to get online.
Attach a logo or photo to the email. Don’t embed photos into Word documents. We’re too old.
We ask that for-profit businesses take out an ad for $99 per week.
LETTERS POLICY
We stopped publishing letters in 2023 because local politicos kept threatening to file lawsuits over letters we published from rival politicians.
Traditionally, an editorial page editor vets letters.
We don’t have the resources (time & people) to fact check the content of letters.
As a result, no letters received will be published.
Please see our Code of Ethics below.
COMMENT POLICY
The Valley Indy used to allow comments on the site. The comments were often personal attacks or potentially libelous. Please see our Code of Ethics.
We do not have the staff needed to manage comments, so we turned comments off.
For a time we used a Facebook plug-in that allowed readers to post here and on Facebook. It was discontinued.
People on Facebook can comment on our content on Facebook.
The Valley Indy reserves the right to remove comments without warning or explanation.
Comments with profanity are filtered and could be removed.
Comments that are tangential to the original post could be removed.
Threads that devolve into personal attacks could be closed.
Please see our Code of Ethics below.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Valley Independent Sentinel is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and follows the SPJ Code of Ethics.
It is as follows:
Preamble
Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.
The Society declares these four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism and encourages their use in its practice by all people in all media.
Seek Truth and Report It
Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
Journalists should:
Be cautious when making promises, but keep the promises they make.
Identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible to judge the reliability and motivations of sources.
Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.
Diligently seek subjects of news coverage to allow them to respond to criticism or allegations of wrongdoing.
Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information unless traditional, open methods will not yield information vital to the public.
Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Give voice to the voiceless.
Support the open and civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.
Recognize a special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government. Seek to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open, and that public records are open to all.
Provide access to source material when it is relevant and appropriate.
Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience. Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear.
Avoid stereotyping. Journalists should examine the ways their values and experiences may shape their reporting.
Label advocacy and commentary.
Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information. Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments.
Never plagiarize. Always attribute.
Minimize Harm
Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect.
Journalists should:
Balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness.
Show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage. Use heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles, victims of sex crimes, and sources or subjects who are inexperienced or unable to give consent. Consider cultural differences in approach and treatment.
Recognize that legal access to information differs from an ethical justification to publish or broadcast.
Realize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public figures and others who seek power, influence or attention. Weigh the consequences of publishing or broadcasting personal information.
Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity, even if others do.
Balance a suspect’s right to a fair trial with the public’s right to know. Consider the implications of identifying criminal suspects before they face legal charges.
Consider the long-term implications of the extended reach and permanence of publication. Provide updated and more complete information as appropriate.
Act Independently
The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public.
Journalists should:
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.
Be Accountable and Transparent
Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decisions to the public.
Journalists should:
Explain ethical choices and processes to audiences. Encourage a civil dialogue with the public about journalistic practices, coverage and news content.
Respond quickly to questions about accuracy, clarity and fairness.
Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently. Explain corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly.
Expose unethical conduct in journalism, including within their organizations.
Abide by the same high standards they expect of others.
PRIVACY POLICY
The Valley Independent Sentinel is part of the Online Journalism Project.
The Valley Independent Sentinel doesn’t collect personal data. The Valley Indy doesn’t sell your data. There is no personally identifiable information conveyed to The Valley Independent Sentinel when using the site. We use general demographic data from our Facebook page when applying for grant applications to try to explain the demographics of our audience. That info is generally limited to age and sex.
