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NHPR News Code of Ethics and Practices

I. Introduction

The document that follows is the NHPR News Code of Ethics and Practices.

NHPR's code of ethics is nearly identical to a code adopted by National Public Radio in 2004. The material in this code was drawn from a number of sources, including the ethics codes of other news organizations including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Dow Jones, Society for Professional Journalists, American Society of Newspaper Editors, the CBC and CNN. Many of the provisions in this ethics code are in theirs as well and there are even some instances where we have adopted the same language from the others because their wording was just right.

II. Statement of Purpose

Credibility.

As a news organization we are always testing and questioning the credibility of others. We have to stand that test ourselves.

The purpose of having a code of ethics and practices is to protect the credibility of NHPR news programming by ensuring high standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality and conduct of staff. We accomplish this by (a) articulating the ethical standards we observe in pursuing and presenting stories, (b) setting rules and policies that prevent conflicts of interest, (c) establishing guidelines for outside work and activities that may reflect on NHPR, and (d) establishing policies and procedures to ensure that the activities of NHPR that fall outside journalism - corporate underwriting, foundation funding, marketing and promotional activities - do not jeopardize our journalistic independence or involve NHPR reporters, editors, hosts or producers in activities inappropriate to their role as journalists.

III. Who and What is Covered

This code covers all NHPR journalists, defined as employees who report (including hosts and newscasters), edit or produce news programming. It also covers all senior News managers. The code applies to all platforms for NHPR News content, including Online.

The code also applies to material provided to NHPR News by independent producers and freelance reporters. NHPR News expects its outside contributors to be free of conflicts of interest on stories they cover, to be fair and accurate, and to pursue stories in a manner consistent with the ethical journalism principles stated in this code. There will be instances where provisions of this code are not applicable to an outside contributor (a freelancer who primarily does arts coverage, for example, may not in some situations be subject to the prohibition on making contributions to political campaigns). Supervisors will make these judgments on a case-by-case basis and, if necessary, in consultation with the Vice President for Programming. Because contributors in this category are not NHPR employees, the remedy for dealing with a conflict of interest or other violation of the principles of this code is rejection of the offered material as well as any future story proposals similarly affected by the conflict. As with NHPR News employees, outside contributors must disclose potential conflicts of interest when they accept an assignment or make a story pitch, and NHPR editors must make sufficient inquiries of those persons to satisfy themselves that the contributors have complied with this code.

IV. Statement of Principles

Our coverage must be fair, unbiased, accurate, complete and honest. As NHPR journalists, we are expected to conduct ourselves in a manner that leaves no question about our independence and fairness. We must treat the people we cover and our listeners with respect.

1.Fairness means that we present all important views on a subject - and treat them even-handedly. This range of views may be encompassed in a single story on a controversial topic, or it may play
out over a body of coverage or series of commentaries. But at all times the commitment to presenting all important views must be conscious and affirmative, and it must be timely if it is being accomplished over the course of more than one story.

2. Unbiased means that we separate our personal opinions - such as an individual's religious beliefs or political ideology - from
the subjects we are covering. We do not approach any coverage with overt or hidden agendas.

3. Accuracy means that each day we make rigorous
efforts at all levels of the newsgathering and programming process to ensure our facts are not only right but also presented in the correct context. We make every possible effort to ensure commentaries are correct in assertions of fact.

We attempt to verify what our sources and the officials we interview tell us when the material involved is argumentative or capable of different interpretations. We are skeptical of all facts gathered and report them only when we are reasonably satisfied of their accuracy. We guard against errors of omission that cause a story to misinform our listeners by failing to be complete. We make sure that our language accurately describes the facts and does not imply a fact we have not confirmed.

4. Honesty means we do not deceive the people or
institutions we cover about our identity or intentions, and we do not deceive our listeners. We do not deceive our listeners by presenting the work of others as our own (plagiarism), by cutting interviews in ways that distort their meaning, or by manipulating audio in a way that distorts its meaning, how it was obtained or when it was obtained. The same standards apply to photographs used on NHPR Online. Honesty means owning up publicly and quickly to mistakes we make on air.

5. Treating the people we cover and our listeners with respect means we recognize the diversity of the state and region on which we report, and the diversity of interests, attitudes and experiences of our audience. We approach subjects in an open-minded, sensitive and civil way.

V. Conflicts of Interest
1. Conducting ourselves in a manner that inspires confidence in us as independent and fair means avoiding actual and apparent conflicts of interest or engaging in outside activities, public comment or writing that calls into question our ability to report fairly on a subject.

2. A conflict of interest in its simplest dictionary term is a conflict
between the private interests and the professional responsibilities of a person in a position of trust. An operative word in this sentence is "trust." All of us are in positions of trust when it comes to both our audience and the people and institutions that we cover. To maintain that trust requires that there be no real or perceived overlap between the private interests and opinions of NHPR journalists and their professional responsibilities.

3. An employee covered by this code has the responsibility to disclose
potential conflicts of interest. Revealing a conflict of interest after an individual has already participated in coverage where such a conflict exists or appears to exist is can be extremely damaging to the reputation of NHPR. NHPR journalists must, at the time they are first assigned to cover or work on a matter, disclose to their immediate supervisor any business, commercial, financial or personal interests where such interests might reasonably be construed as being in actual, apparent or potential conflict with their duties. This would include situations in which a spouse, family member or partner is an active participant in a subject area that the NHPR journalist covers. In the financial category, this does not include a journalist's investment in mutual funds or pension funds that are invested by fund managers in a broad range of companies. The supervisor will decide whether the interests create an actual conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict.

In making these decisions, supervisors should feel free to consult with their manager or NHPR's Vice President for Programming.

VI. Outside Work, Freelancing, Speaking Engagements

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