A trusted and reliable source.

Even in our hyper-connected, content-saturated age, TV remains one of the most reliable and credible sources of information, upheld by strong editorial standards. TV editorial standards are guidelines for news and content production that include principles like accuracy, fairness, and independence to ensure content is trustworthy and responsible. They require fact-checking, verification, and providing sufficient context, while also mandating transparency about the source of information and the nature of the content (e.g., distinguishing a news report from an opinion piece).

Core principles

Accuracy: Verifying facts and placing them in sufficient context so the public is not misled. This includes checking names, dates, and translations, and verifying assertions made by experts and non-experts.
Fairness: Presenting information in a responsible manner, without favoritism, and considering all relevant facts and perspectives. This may involve contacting all sides of a story for comment.Independence: Ensuring content is free from undue influence from third-party funders, political interests, and other outside forces.

Transparency: Being open about how content is produced to allow the audience to evaluate its credibility. This includes clearly identifying point-of-view or authored programs.Inclusiveness: Presenting a broad range of ideas and perspectives over time to contribute to informed public debate.Accountability: Being responsive to inquiries about the work and adhering to high professional standards.

Practical application

Fact-checking: Producers must be prepared to show and cite their sources for factual claims.
Balancing viewpoints: Producers must make a good-faith effort to contact all sides of a story. However, this does not mean giving equal weight to all viewpoints, especially when one side involves hate speech or defamation.
Identification: Journalists should normally disclose their identity to people they are covering, though exceptions can be made for safety or when covering events like public rallies.
Corrections: Errors must be corrected, and if a post is found to be entirely false, it should be clearly marked as such.
AI and sources: Some standards, like those of the New York Post, prohibit the use of AI to write content and require licensing of outside images from trustworthy sources to adhere to copyright laws.