10. Accuracy

VIII. Accountability
Human beings — and that includes journalists — make mistakes. At The Colorado Sun, we work as hard as we can to prevent them, and we are tough on ourselves when we fail. But, while we know that some mistakes are bound to happen, we never take a lax approach to fixing them. Instead, we act quickly to right our wrongs, both small and big, because we understand that the responsibility of telling the truth comes with the equal responsibility of owning up when we mess up.

Fact-checking
Every one of our journalists is responsible for thoroughly fact-checking their own work. While editors and other colleagues may serve as additional lines of defense against mistakes, it is the journalists who gather the information and produce the content who are primarily responsible for the accuracy of it.

During editing and other production processes, editors must take care not to insert mistakes into the content. When in doubt, editors should consult the journalists who produced the work to double-check information.

Corrections
When journalists at The Colorado Sun become aware of an error, they must correct it. If the information does need to be corrected, journalists must consult an editor, explaining what is wrong, how the mistake occurred and what the correction is.

Journalists must make sure the information in the proposed correction is accurate before inserting it into the article in lieu of the mistaken information. A correction notice must then be posted on the article stating how it was corrected.

Retraction and take-down requests
In general, The Colorado Sun does not grant requests to retract or take down news articles unless the article is so fundamentally and factually flawed that no correction or follow-up reporting could fix it and its continued presence online is causing active harm to public understanding or discourse.

If, after investigation, we determine that information contained in an article is inaccurate, our first move should be to correct it immediately and post a notice of that correction. If the article leaves out important follow-up details that occurred after the article’s publication — such as an article about an individual who was criminally charged but who had those charges dropped following the article’s publication — a follow-up story or a note posted to the original article may be appropriate.

Restorative practices
Sometimes, a journalist’s error goes beyond an inadvertent mistake to something bigger. This could be insensitivity in news coverage, mistreatment of individuals in person or online, or other misbehavior in violation of this code. When that happens, The Colorado Sun is committed to making things right.

This means we work immediately to respond to allegations of misconduct, and we investigate those allegations thoroughly. When appropriate, we reach out to affected individuals and talk with them on the phone or meet with them in person to listen to their thoughts about what we did wrong and how we can fix it.

We take their opinions seriously. And, when necessary, we punish journalists for their misbehavior.

Punishment
When Colorado Sun journalists make mistakes, an editor should talk with them about how the mistake happened and how to prevent it in the future.

Not every mistake requires a journalist to be harshly punished, but editors and other newsroom leaders should be especially aware of patterns of conduct that create habitual or ongoing problems. If strict discipline is required — including suspension or dismissal — it should be decided in accordance with The Colorado Sun’s operating and employment agreements.

When appropriate in instances of major misconduct, The Colorado Sun should publish a story explaining a journalist’s discipline, while also adhering to all personnel privacy rules and employment agreements by which it is bound.

Non-retaliation
No one — not Sun journalists, not freelancers, not members of the public, and not sources — should be retaliated against or otherwise penalized for bringing forward concerns about inaccurate information or potential violations of this code. We welcome people’s input to make us better.

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Treatment of naive or inexperienced sources, including children
For the same reason we hold politicians and other media-savvy people to a higher standard, we give extra consideration to how we treat people who are especially vulnerable or inexperienced in dealing with the media. This means we take special care to identify ourselves and explain how the information provided will be used. We are patient when explaining how we operate, and we answer questions about the potential consequences of providing information as best as we are able.

This is especially true when dealing with children. When interviewing or photographing children, we make an effort to speak with their parents or guardians so we can explain the purpose of the story and how the information or photo will be used.