The Media Outlet has been independently certified according to the JTI Programme and CWA 17493:2019.

Certified by

Deloitte

Date of certification

14/04/2023

Contact details

477 Collins Street
3000 Melbourne
Australia

Media Outlet Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) Legal Entity Center for Investigative Reporting Date of first publication 17/10/2022 Date of Latest Change 13/04/2023

9. Accountability for Journalism Principles

9.1. Editorial Guidelines

A Media Outlet shall produce a set of Editorial Guidelines or adhere to an external set of guidelines (for example the Model Editorial Guidelines provided as a reference document to this Standard), to which its journalistic operations comply. They should govern meaningful principles of journalistic content, dissemination and conduct. These guidelines, and the identity of the person or group of persons with ultimate responsibility for them within its organisation, shall be made available to the public in a readily accessible and understandable form. Best practice is to have these guidelines available publicly rather than on request.

Does your Media Outlet have a set of guidelines, or adhere to an external set of guidelines, for journalistic content, distribution and conduct to which its journalistic operations comply?

Yes

Are they made available to the public in a readily accessible form?

Is there a person or a group of persons responsible for these guidelines clearly identified?

Yes

Is that identification visible on the page with the guidelines?

9.2. Purpose of Guidelines

A Media Outlet shall ensure that these Editorial Guidelines set clear expectations of the behaviour it requires from its own staff, its contractors and from all other contributors to its editorial content. It should also set out the structure of responsibility within the organisation, making sure it is clear who is accountable for each stage of the process that leads to publication.

Do the guidelines referred to in the section on Editorial Guidelines set clear expectations for the behaviour for all the contributors, including editorial staff (journalists, editors) and all other contributors?

Yes

Do the guidelines referred to in the section on Editorial Guidelines make clear the structure of editorial responsibility for each stage of the publication process within the organisation?

Yes

9.3. Guidelines and Journalism Principles

A Media Outlet shall ensure that these Editorial Guidelines embody the core ethical principles of journalism. The Editorial Guidelines may impose specific requirements in addition to these core ethical principles; but any additional requirements shall not compromise these core ethical principles as described in the Preamble of this document.

Do your Editorial Guidelines include requirements for Accuracy (as prescribed in the Preamble) in your output?

Yes

Do they include requirements for Independence (as prescribed in the Preamble) of editorial decision making?

Yes

Do they include requirements of Fairness (as prescribed in the Preamble) in the practice of journalism?

Yes

Do they include requirements for Accountability (as prescribed in the Preamble) in the practice of its journalism?

Yes

9.4. Conflicts of Interest

Editorial Guidelines shall ensure that there are no conflicts of interests – real, potential or perceived – damaging the integrity of the story or the editorial independence of those working on it. They should have guidance on how to deal with conflicts related to political, business and personal interests. Editorial structures should protect the journalism from any undue influence by the Media Outlet’s executive management or ownership authorities outside the formal editorial process and from any external interests, commercial, social or political.

Do your Editorial Guidelines include protections against real, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

CIN staff (managers, members, employees and independent contractors) scrupulously shall avoid any conflict between their respective personal, professional or business interests and the interests of CIN, in any and all actions taken by them on behalf of CIN in their respective capacities.

If any member of CIN has any direct or indirect interest in, or relationship with, any individual or organization that proposes to enter into any transaction with CIN, including but not limited to transactions involving:

• the sale, purchase, lease or rental of any property or other asset;
• employment, or rendition of services, personal or otherwise;
• the award of any grant, contract, or subcontract;
• the investment or deposit of any funds of CIN;

such person shall give notice of such interest or relationship and shall thereafter refrain from discussing or voting on the particular transaction in which he has an interest, or otherwise attempting to exert any influence on CIN, or its components to affect a decision to participate or not participate in such transaction.

Do the guidelines include guidance on how to deal with conflicts related to business?

Yes

Do the guidelines include guidance on how to deal with conflicts related to political interests?

Yes

Do the guidelines include guidance on how to deal with conflicts related to personal interests?

Yes

Does the Media Outlet’s structure protect the editorial processes from any undue influence from within or without?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

Since editorial process entails many different layers working independently from one another. Reporters submit first draft to deputy editor, which serves as story editor; final draft goes to editor, after which story goes to fact checker. After fact-checking process is done, story goes to peer-review / round table among fellow journalists, and only than the story is ready for publishing.

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