VOABESTPRACTICESGUIDE-2013-0307.pdf

WINTER 2012

BEST

PRACTICES

GUIDE

BEST PRACTICES GUIDE

WINTER 2012 VOA BEST PRACTICES GUIDE PAGE 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2

NEWS GATHERING 3

D IGITAL MEDIA 25

PHOTOGRAPHS 34

MUSIC 38

AUDIO USAGE R IGHTS 39

V IDEO USAGE R IGHTS 42

CORRECTIONS 44

LEGAL ISSUES 45

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES 50

HOW-TO GUIDES 53

-RAD IO PRODU CTION BASIC S

-WORKING W ITH M IN IC AM

-FTP BASIC S

-WORKING IN H IGH DEFINITION V IDE O

-V IDE O EDIT SE SSION BASIC S

-TV CONTROL ROOM BA SIC S

-SKYPE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 71

WINTER 2012 VOA BEST PRACTICES GUIDE PAGE 2

INTRODUCTION

THIS GUIDE APPLIES TO ALL EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS AND STRINGERS

WHO GATHER, PRODUCE AND D ISSEMINATE CONTENT FOR VOA

The VOA Charter and Journalistic Code lay out in broad terms the journalistic standards that are universally recognized by VOA and other news organizations. The purpose of this Guide is to define in more detail the best practices that VOA employees should follow every day. And it is a Guide rather than a rulebook for one very good reason: although the increasingly changing news and information environment requires each of us to have a basic understanding of best practices, it goes without saying that every news event, every radio, TV and web piece, every program, every interview – that is, everything we cover, produce and disseminate – is unique and must be considered in context and on its own merits.

VOA employees are encouraged to bring issues not covered in this guide to the attention of their Service Chiefs, Division Directors, the Office of General Counsel or VOA Senior Management as appropriate.

There may be times when Central News or a Language Service will be working on stories that allege wrongdoing. In those cases, the Office of General Counsel must be consulted.

It is the responsibility of all staff members to understand these best practices as well as to consider one’s own sense of right and wrong. Credibility is the most precious commodity of any news organization. The only way to achieve and maintain that credibility is for everyone within VOA to accept responsibility for it.

WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK - DO NOT ASSUME

This guide will help, but should not replace, discussions of difficult issues with co-workers and supervisors. We grow as a news organization -- and policies are formed -- by asking questions and discussing the journalistic issues we face daily.

In addition to these guidelines, all VOA employees are required to comply with the policies laid out by the Office of Government Ethics and the BBG’s Ethics Counsel:

http://inside.bbg.gov/bbg/ethics/default.aspx

The Best Practices Guide is a living document and will be updated and revised as necessary. It can be found online at: http://inside.bbg.gov/voa/languageprogramming/Pages/BEST%20PRACTICES.aspx http://inside.bbg.gov/bbg/ethics/default.aspx http://inside.bbg.gov/voa/languageprogramming/Pages/BEST%20PRACTICES.aspx

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NEWS GATHERING

FAIRNESS, OBJECTIVITY & BALANCE

The VOA Journalistic Code is fairly thorough in its explanation of how we should achieve and maintain fairness, objectivity and balance, but certain points are worth repeating here:

When performing official duties, VOA broadcasters leave their personal political views behind.

The accuracy, quality and credibility of the Voice of America are its most important assets, and they rest on listeners’ perception of VOA as an objective source of world, regional and U.S. news and information.

VOA journalists (including correspondents, news and language stringers, political affairs writers and program hosts) avoid at all times use of unattributed pejorative terms or labels to describe persons or organizations, except when the individuals and groups use those labels to describe themselves or their activities.

Equally important to maintaining objectivity, fairness and balance:

There is no place at VOA for so-called advocacy journalism – the presentation of news from one particular viewpoint or one specific agenda. VOA journalists and all those preparing news and feature programming must avoid any action or statement that might convey the appearance of partisanship.

VOA employees should carry out their work with the utmost professionalism. This applies equally to your work in the Cohen Building and in the field. Professionalism and respect for your colleagues is absolutely vital to maintaining best practices. Whether in a newsroom, studio, control room or in the field, pursuit of a story is not an excuse for arrogance.

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BIAS & DIVERSITY

One of the key areas for ensuring fairness, objectivity and balance in our reporting is to stay clear of bias or preconceived notions. Some examples:

Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, social status or physical appearance.

The words we use in our scripts should be precise. For example, avoid the casual use of words like “Third World” and “terrorist,” or the assumption that “fundamentalism” equals violence.

Coverage of events in a gay community should not be automatically linked to coverage of HIV/AIDS, because HIV/AIDS is not exclusive to gay communities.

In addition:

Correspondents, producers and video editors must understand the possibility of racial or ethnic stereotyping when selecting images to include in stories. For example, in a story about unwed mothers in the U.S., should every mother shown be African American? If using file video about drug arrests in the U.S., should every person shown be African American or Hispanic? The clear answer is no.

Don’t include a description of an individual unless it is essential to the story. If a description doesn’t serve an editorial purpose, it may perpetuate negative stereotypes, possibly anger some members of a community, and in all likelihood doesn’t effectively advance the story.

Be fair to all of the people involved in a story. People who are presented in a negative light in a story must be given a reasonable chance to present their side of the issue. If they refuse to comment, that should be noted. This demonstrates to our audience that we made the effort to be fair to all sides.

All correspondents, producers, writers, editors and hosts should be aware of their own cultural values and personal beliefs and be able to put them aside when preparing a report or conducting an interview.

In addition to the above, a correspondent, producer or host should be well prepared with facts to balance the statement of one side or the other. You should not simply nod in acknowledgement of someone’s position, as this could imply that you agree with that position.

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POLITICAL REPORTING ON VOA WEBSITES

Reporting on U.S. politics can be a delicate balancing act for VOA. This is especially true because of the Hatch Act, a federal law whose main provision is to prohibit federal employees in the executive branch of the federal government from engaging in partisan political activity.

In the case of VOA, the Office of Special Counsel recently took note of its reporting on U.S. political campaigns. The OSC’s concern was that as a federal agency VOA’s reporting should abide by the letter and spirit of the Hatch Act. In addition, the OSC’s noted that a federal agency’s website “…must not create the appearance that the agency, and in turn the federal government, is politically biased.”

In response, the BBG’s Office of General Counsel made the case that the VOA Charter lawfully empowers the agency to “…present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinions on these policies.”

In its final ruling, the Office of Special Counsel said that by balancing the requirements of the Hatch Act with the realities of news reporting, it is permissible for VOA to include links to a candidate or party’s website in a web story if the website is source material for the article.

So if VOANews.com is reporting on a GOP or Democratic presidential debate and the story includes a link to the campaign website of one candidate, we must include the campaign websites of all the candidates who are taking part in the debate. The same holds true if we are reporting on candidates for the Senate, House and for governors.

We follow the same guidelines during the final presidential campaign period, with regard to a sitting president and the Republican candidate. But in that case, the link for the sitting president MUST BE TO

HIS CAMPAIGN WEBSITE, AND NOT TO WWW.WHITEHOUSE.GOV.

In other words, when reporting on U.S. political campaigns, all VOANews.com websites and Martinoticias.com/noticias/ should follow the same journalistic balance and fairness that we strive for in all of our daily reporting.

(Also see Linking To Other Sites, p. 2745)

For more complete guidance on the Hatch Act, please follow this link to the Office of General Counsel’s Ethics page:

http://inside.bbg.gov/bbg/ethics/Lists/Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=11&Source=http%3A%2F%2 Finside.bbg.gov%2Fbbg%2Fethics%2Fdefault.aspx

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COVERING WAR

Given the many nationalities and ethnicities that VOA reaches via radio, TV and online, it’s imperative that we follow some basic guidelines in covering and reporting conflicts.

LOADED WORDS

VOA should never use “we,” “us, “our” or “they,” “them” and “their” in reporting about any side in a conflict. VOA practice is to name the country, as in “U.S. troops” or “Pakistani troops.”

No side in a conflict should be referred to as “the enemy,” or any territory as “enemy territory” in copy or in graphics. The only exception is if you are directly quoting someone making those references.

Referring to attacks as “punishing,” “brutal” or “successful” can imply that VOA is taking sides. Again, the only exception would be if you’re directly quoting someone making those claims.

REPORTING COMBAT ACTIVITY

As a rule, VOA should not report that warplanes or missiles are approaching a target. When an attack is underway, VOA will report it:

If we’re reasonably certain that bombs/missiles have hit the ground; or

If the country being attacked confirms it’s being attacked; or

If an official of an attacking country directly tells VOA that an attack is happening; or

If VOA observes the attack first-hand

In all of the above cases, attribution MUST be as clear and as specific as possible.

(Also see Attribution And Sources, p. 14)

When information originates only from state-owned media, we should make that clear to audiences the entire time the information is used.

If VOA’s reporting is being censored or shut down and/or VOA’s movements are being restricted, that should also be reported.

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COVERING TERRORISM

Generally, terrorism is defined as “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.” Terrorists use violence against (often innocent) individuals to advance their political or ideological agenda. “Terrorism” and “terrorist” carry a lot of weight, and they should be used with extreme care. It is up to editors to determine if they are most appropriate terms to use.

VOA will report the actions of terrorists (bombings, shootings, hostage takings) fully, accurately and dispassionately, as we would cover any other news story. Wherever possible, we should also provide appropriate coverage of the victims, their injuries and their families.

We will provide our audiences with informative analyses of terrorist organizations, their ideology and history, but at the same time VOA must never suggest that reporting the context in which terrorism takes place justifies terrorism in any way.

While we will report on the actions of terrorists, VOA should not be used as a platform to spread their propaganda. Therefore, statements from, interviews with, or video of both terrorists and hostages should be judged on their journalistic merits before making a decision on usage. It would be advisable to bring the Senior Executive Producer, Executive Editor or VOA Director into the conversation if deemed necessary, and the Office of General Counsel, as appropriate. Working with Central News, it will be determined how much of such statements, interviews and/or video will be released for use by the House.

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COVERING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

VOA staff must not interfere in any way with ongoing law enforcement activities. If some orders seem designed to manage or deny news coverage, VOA reporters, producers and photographers at the scene should protest and notify senior management and the Office of General Counsel as quickly as possible.

If necessary, the Agency will take appropriate legal action to protect access to the news.

There may be occasions where VOA staff has the opportunity to accompany law enforcement on arrests or investigations. These situations can present sensitive legal questions, including trespass and invasion of privacy. These activities should only be undertaken with approval in advance from your supervisor, senior management and the Office of General Counsel. It’s important to understand that even though law enforcement may go onto private property, it DOES NOT mean that journalists are exempt from trespassing.

(Also see Filming In Public vs. Private Places, p. 45)

Keep in mind that cameras, microphones and lights can cause relatively passive bystanders to “put on a show.” All VOA staff should use their own best judgment and discretion in these situations; where possible, you should avoid any action that could possibly influence the event.

At the same time, VOA staff covering conflicts, protests or demonstrations should not take one side or another.

Neither the police nor demonstration leaders should be a reporter’s only sources for accurate reporting of causes, issues or casualties.

HOSTAGE/BARRICADE SITUATIONS

Coverage of these situations, whether in the U.S. or abroad, presents difficult challenges and usually requires special care. In fact, no single statement or guideline can begin to cover every situation that we may report on. The following are intended to guide you in exercising your best judgment.

The event should be characterized as accurately as possible. Before labeling an event a “riot” or “terrorism,” or referring to someone as a “terrorist,” you should discuss it with your senior editors and managers, and if necessary, with Central News managers or the Senior Executive Producer.

Keep in mind the possibility that a hostage taker may be able to see, hear, or try to manipulate VOA’s coverage. Consider whether describing or showing the actions or movements of law enforcement officers could tip off the hostage taker or barricaded person.

DO NOT put yourself in a position where you could be playing a role in the incident. VOA staff should NEVER attempt to contact a hostage or hostage taker. This could endanger a hostage and interfere with rescue efforts. It could also possibly subject you to criminal liability. You should not solicit telephone calls from within a hostage or barricade situation or from nearby homes or businesses.

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When reporting on these situations, avoid speculation about the hostage taker, his or her motives, demands, or state of mind. If a guest speculates about these issues, point out that VOA has not verified what the guest has just said, and move the conversation away from such speculation.

NAMING PEOPLE INVOLVED IN CRIMES

Be precise with the language used in reporting about crime or demonstrations.

VICTIMS

VOA should not name rape victims or other victims of sexual assaults or molestations. These crimes carry a stigma for their victims, and victims should be allowed to decide whether they want to be identified. Be cautious in providing descriptive details so that the person is not inadvertently identified.

There are special difficulties in identifying minors (under 18 years of age) who have been kidnapped or are alleged victims of sexual crimes. In these cases, in order to help the minors be found, news outlets must identify them. However, if we learn that a kidnapped minor has been sexually assaulted, the responsible action is to stop both naming the individual and showing his/her picture.

Exceptions to the above MUST be approved in advance by a supervisor and the Senior Executive Producer.

SUSPECTS

VOA does not identify suspects of criminal investigations who have not been charged or arrested. This has become more difficult in the U.S. in recent years, when law enforcement officials refer to someone as “a person of interest.” This is not a legal term, and VOA should not use it because it can place a person under increasing suspicion and may result in unintended consequences for the individual.

The essential source for identifying the status of a person or group charged or arrested is law enforcement or the court system, NOT a supposedly “informed individual.” When someone has been charged with a crime, use caution in choosing language to refer to the accused so as not to imply guilt or innocence. Similarly, if someone identified as a suspect ultimately is not charged with a crime, we must make that known as soon as possible in a follow-up story.

NAMING OR IDENTIFYING MINORS INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

In addition to the guidance above regarding minors who are victims, VOA should not name, show video or play audio of a minor who is a suspect in a crime, or is arrested and charged with a crime. However, exceptions may be made if a minor is charged as an adult, but in this case we should wait until the accused has been formally charged, not just arrested.

There may be other exceptions, such as if a minor is charged with murder or another heinous crime. In some cases, local media may have already widely reported the minor’s identity.

Before deciding to identify a minor, you should consult with your supervisor and the Senior Executive Producer.

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INTERVIEWING & VIDEOTAPING MINORS

Interviewing minors, whether for audio or video, can present special issues, particularly where wrongdoing, criminal activity, private, potentially embarrassing or other sensitive situations are involved. In these situations you MUST obtain permission from a parent or adult guardian. Permission should be in writing, where possible. If that isn’t possible, then recording audio or video of the parent/guardian giving consent is acceptable.

Generally, minors can be interviewed and recorded, without permission, on non-controversial subjects such as reaction to a movie, talking about a favorite food, going back to school on the first day of the school year.

When recording audio or shooting video at a school in the U.S., ask whether a school has sent out what are known as “negative releases” to parents. These are notifications that a media crew will be visiting a school, asking parents to return the notice only if they DO NOT want their child to participate in interviews or tapings. In this situation you may not need additional permission.

In a breaking news situation, provided the minor is out of harm’s way, it may be permissible – without parental approval -- to interview the minor if he/she is a witness or has information about the event.

However, keep in mind that the minor should not be asked private, personal or other potentially embarrassing questions, should not be asked to name suspects, and is freely willing to talk.

In all cases, ABC, APTN and Reuters TV material should be carefully screened to follow the same guidelines.

COVERING & REPORTING SUICIDES

Deciding whether to report the name of a suicide victim is a delicate and difficult matter. Did the victim commit suicide publicly in order to achieve notoriety? Will reporting the person’s name encourage others who might be contemplating suicide and looking for recognition? Will reporting the victim’s name bring unwanted attention to family or friends? Keep in mind that by most accounts, people who commit suicide are in a disturbed or distressed mental state. Consequently, there are no clear or easy answers to these questions.

If the person is NOT a public figure, there should be no overwhelming editorial reason to report the name. As the question: Is the suicide tangential to the story, or does it have a larger impact on the story or participants in the story?

Before reporting the name of a suicide victim, please consult with your supervisor and the Senior Executive Producer.

There may be a situation when a VOA staffer in the field is in a position to intervene in a situation where injury or the loss of life is a very real outcome. When a person decides to take his or her own life as a protest, there is no expectation that a journalist will intervene, nor is there a VOA policy on whether you should or should not intervene. It is up to the individual on the scene.

(Also see Sensitive & Graphic Material, p. 19)

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BREAKING NEWS

Although breaking news situations don’t often present themselves in VOA’s daily coverage, there are certain key points to follow when putting that type of information on the air or online.

Producers should use caution before airing live and/or unedited material which may be excessively graphic in visuals or language. Ask the question: Does the news value of the material warrant airing it without reviewing it first?

Consult with your supervisor and the Senior Executive Producer if potentially graphic material is going to be aired or posted online sight unseen or without a detailed description.

When airing or posting such material, alert your listeners, viewers and readers as to the nature of the material.

REPORTING CROWD ESTIMATES

When covering rallies or demonstrations, it’s important to attribute estimates of size. Organizing groups or official agencies which provide them may have reasons to inflate or downplay the numbers (the Glenn Beck and Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert rallies in Washington are perfect examples). Where non-official estimates such as “hundreds of thousands” appear to be guesses or inflated a correspondent, producer or photographer on the scene may be able to provide an objective perspective on crowd size.

As an example, they can say the crowd is standing shoulder to shoulder for four blocks. If a correspondent, producer or photographer is not covering the event, we should look to the wire services for their reporting on the size of the crowd, keeping in mind VOA’s double-source policy.

STAGING & RE-CREATIONS

VOA reports the news. We do not create or manipulate news stories. Staging a news event or controlling how it turns out – whether by encouragement, props or payment -- is unacceptable.

When shooting video with the subject of a story to explain something that happened, don’t ask the person to do things they normally don’t do. For instance: It’s acceptable to shoot video of a family that goes to the cemetery once a week to place flowers on the grave of a family member, but you should explain in the track that this is something the family normally does. However, if you ask someone to go to the cemetery and lay flowers on the grave of a family member, you should explain that as well.

Keep in mind, though, that the more you direct people – having them do things specifically for the camera – the more time you’ll have to spend explaining that to the audience.

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USING VOA EMPLOYEES OR RELATIVES ON THE AIR

Generally speaking, VOA employees should not be used in radio, TV or web pieces outside of their official capacity. In most cases it is also preferable not to use the relatives or friends of VOA employees.

While they may be perfect subjects to help illustrate stories, there is always the possibility of the appearance of a conflict.

However exceptions can be granted; for instance, if a relative or friend is prominent or expert in his or her own right. When in doubt, consult with your supervisor or the Senior Executive Producer.

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WRITING

Anyone writing for VOA on any platform – radio, TV or the Web – should be familiar with the VOA Stylebook. The Stylebook covers grammar, spelling, definitions and explanations of commonly used terms, as well as the proper use of American English.

Some of the key points of the Stylebook as they relate to best practices are included in this Guide, but every VOA employee should read and become familiar with the Stylebook.

The Stylebook is maintained by Central News and is updated regularly; it can be found at this Sharepoint site:

http://inside.bbg.gov/voa/languageprogramming/SOP%20Manuals/07-VOANewsroom%20Stylebook- 4.pdf

The Stylebook will also be available at a later date in the MANUALS folder in DaletPlus.

VOA copy should be simple and straightforward. We are not writing treaties or newspaper stories. Use “stop the fighting” rather than “achieve the cessation of hostilities.” Most of our writing is for people whose first language is not English, so avoid excessively difficult words, and explain them when you must use them.

Avoid colloquialisms and jargon, which may be difficult to translate and are not easily understood by foreign audiences. When used, as in a direct quotation, provide an alternative in parentheses to assist language services.

The convicted hacker said writing the virus was “a piece of cake” (very easy).

He spoke “off the cuff” (without notes).

The House Minority Whip (the number two Republican/Democrat in the House).

He made a killing (made a lot of money) in the stock market.

Words such as “biggest,” “highest,” “first” and others like them should be used cautiously because they often turn out to be incorrect. Ask yourself whether the fact that something is first is truly significant.

Avoid superlatives such as “most famous” or “greatest,” which often represent value judgments.

Descriptive and colorful words are encouraged, but use caution. Something that is “unique” is the only one of its kind. A thing or event cannot be “somewhat unique.” Other words describing extreme situations should also raise flags for writers and editors, and should be scrutinized to ensure they are justified. “Trouble” in a city does not necessarily mean it is in “chaos.” “Asking urgently” is not necessarily “pleading” or “begging.” If a situation is “desperate” today, what will it be tomorrow when things get worse?

It is acceptable, however, to use words like these when you’re quoting someone directly.

http://inside.bbg.gov/voa/languageprogramming/SOP%20Manuals/07-VOANewsroom%20Stylebook-4.pdf http://inside.bbg.gov/voa/languageprogramming/SOP%20Manuals/07-VOANewsroom%20Stylebook-4.pdf

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ATTRIBUTION AND SOURCES

Simply stated, we give credit where credit is due. Aside from the material provided by our own correspondents and stringers, VOA reports news from a number of different outlets: the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Presse, as well as from newspapers, television news networks and official news agencies of other nations. Central News also has access to the Bloomberg news service at the Economics Desk. In addition we have the resources of the U.S. government’s Open Source Center, which provides translations of broadcasts and other news information put out by other countries.

Story information can also come from press releases put out by corporations or private groups such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). When using press releases, they must be identified as such, and if applicable, they should be counter-balanced.

VOA requires double sourcing of information. Look carefully at your sources, and make sure that two separate originating news organizations are reporting the information. For instance, if Reuters and AP are both reporting from the scene of a story, those are two valid double sources. However, if a newspaper and a TV news network are carrying a story that they’re both attributing to the AP, that is NOT valid double sourcing.

Once you have two valid separate sources, you should go through both stories and identify the facts that are common to both. These are the facts that you can consider to be verified. If one story has facts that are not contained in the other, please check with Central News to see whether they can provide verification.

There are some instances when single sourcing is permitted. Information that comes directly from the U.S. government – the White House, State Department, Pentagon or Congress – is considered valid on its own. Another accepted use of a single source would be monitoring a live event such as a presidential news conference. Additionally, information contained in a Central News CN, CR or TV piece is generally considered valid without a second source.

NOTES:

Wikipedia should NOT be considered or used as a primary source of information. There have been a number of incidents where material posted on Wikipedia has not been verified or has proven to be incorrect. Any information found on Wikipedia should be confirmed with other, more reliable sources, or with Central News.

The U.S. government-funded website OpenSource (www.opensource.gov) is an important tool for finding source information. Generally speaking, VOA uses the text material in OpenSource as a second source of news and information.

However, VOA DOES NOT have access to the audio and video which OpenSource posts from news organizations -- BBC, Sky News, Al Jazeera English, for example -- that we do not have contractual agreements with.

http://www.opensource.gov/

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Don’t use attribution excessively. It’s not necessary to attribute every fact to a person or to a news agency.

An example of over-attribution: The U.S. space agency NASA says astronauts aboard the space shuttle “Discovery” performed a second spacewalk today.

It’s better, and easier, to write: Astronauts aboard the U.S space shuttle “Discovery” performed a second spacewalk today.

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Proper sourcing is a fundamental element of good journalism. If two (or 20) sources quote a militia leader as saying the hostages have been released, all we know is what the militia leaders says, NOT whether the hostages are actually free.

VOA requires two independent sources for most stories, subject to limited exceptions including original reporting and non-controversial subjects.

Whenever possible, a source should be “on the record,” but journalists routinely rely on sources who won’t go on the record. If a source cannot be named, that source should be characterized in other ways as clearly as possible.

In briefings, particularly in Washington, sources will usually specify the attribution:

“A senior administration official” “An individual familiar with the secretary’s thinking”

In interviews, the sourcing is often a matter of negotiation, but the request for confidentiality should come from the source and not be suggested by the correspondent or producer.

Before using an unnamed source, writers and editors must be certain that there is no other way to get the information on the record. Once you agree to treat the source anonymously, you still should try to include the fullest possible description of that source’s position, i.e., “A senior Pentagon official” is better than “A U.S. official,” but better still might be “A senior Pentagon official involved in planning the operation.”

The unnamed source MUST have verifiable and first-hand knowledge of the story. You must be convinced the source knows what he/she is talking about, and you should consider asking for documentary evidence to back the source’s claim/comments. When confirming third party information with a source, be sure that the source is actually confirming the information from his or her knowledge of a particular situation, and is not simply hearing it from you and agreeing that it is plausible.

You should be willing to reveal to the public why the source cannot be named. For example, you can use “The source’s name is being withheld to protect him/her from possible reprisals.”

Because even sources who don’t want their names used do have names, the phrases “unnamed sources” or “unidentified sources” may be confusing. Avoid other extremely vague terms such as “informed sources,” “authoritative sources,” “well-placed sources,” “reliable sources.”

A story that uses confidential sources should be of public concern. We are not interested in “Gotcha” stories just for the sake of the “Gotcha,” nor are we interested in scoring scoops just for the sake of being first (and possibly being wrong).

When writing Web headlines and SMS, use caution to qualify controversial information even in this shorter format. “All Hostages Released in Standoff” is quite different from “Rebel Leader Says All Hostages Released.”

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The following characterizations may be helpful in establishing with a source what level of confidentiality you have agreed to. In all cases it is always best to clarify with the source how the information may be used:

ON THE RECORD

All information is suitable for publication and attributable to the source by name and title.

OFF THE RECORD

Material that is “off the record” is not directly usable, but the information can be used to focus the direction of a story. Off the record material may also be a second source to confirm information obtained on the record.

ON BACKGROUND

“On background” is generally understood to mean the information given can be used, provided it is attributed to a generic source. “A senior administration official called the election flawed.”

DEEP BACKGROUND

Information provided on “deep background” is normally provided with the understanding that it will not be sourced in any way. “It was learned that the delegates agreed to a second meeting on Tuesday.”

Upon request, disclosure of a source’s identity to VOA senior management and to the Office of General Counsel may be necessary to clear the sourced information for air.

When discussing confidentiality with a source, it may be advisable to explain the possibility of this limited disclosure within VOA. Refusal to disclose the source may result in the source’s information not being used by VOA.

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USING MATERIAL FROM STATE -RUN MEDIA

VOA’s newsfeed providers APTN and Reuters have agreements in place to distribute material provided by CCTV, Chinese State Television. APTN includes a disclaimer for all CCTV material that it “does not vouch for the accuracy of the content.” That should immediately raise warning flags on every CCTV item that we receive.

While the video that CCTV – and other state-controlled media outlets like RT or Press TV – produces often comes from areas where coverage is otherwise unavailable, VOA policy for using content provided by state-controlled media is that it should be reviewed by senior editors in a service, by Central News or by the agency’s Senior Executive Producer before any decision is made about airing or publishing the video.

Any such material that is cleared for broadcast or for use on the web MUST include proper credit to that news organization and the disclaimer that VOA cannot confirm the accuracy of the material. For video usage, the on-screen credit should be either: “From CCTV” or “CCTV Video.” This guidance is the same for material received from RT or Press TV or similar state-run media outlets.

It is understood that there may be times when we would want to use the video, such as when it’s the only known video of a major news event or if we’re comparing how VOA and other news organizations cover stories. But to take a package and run it as is simply because it’s there is not acceptable.

BOTTOM LINE: NO MATERIAL FROM STATE-RUN MEDIA SHOULD BE

AIRED OR PUBLISHED WITHOUT FIRST BEING REVIEWED.

(Also see Video Usage Rights, p. 40)

OPINION ROUNDUPS

When quoting editorials or opinion pieces from other news organizations, it is preferable to use, at most, roughly one-third of the piece to present a particular point of view. Any material quoted should, when possible, include VOA’s own commentary or analysis to provide a more complete view of the issue. It is highly recommended that no more than 50-percent of an editorial or opinion piece should be used in an opinion roundup, regardless on which platform it is issued. Simply adding a disclaimer saying that the excerpts come from U.S. media outlets does not absolve VOA from possible claims of plagiarism and/or copyright infringement.

RUMORS & SPECULATION

VOA avoids the use of rumors and speculation in news items. However, this may need to be carefully re-evaluated on a case-by-case basis in instances where a rumor or speculation takes on a life of its own.

In such cases, in general, editors should allow responsible officials to respond to the rumors or speculation and use this comment as our entry to the story. Without such an official comment, avoid doing a story unless there are a number of reports in major news outlets. VOA does not want to be the first to publicize a rumor or speculation.

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PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is illegal and unethical and strikes at the very heart of our journalistic mission. It can cost the individual and the agency its credibility and reputation, and will not be tolerated.

WE DO NOT PRESENT OTHERS’ WORK AS OUR OWN

Allegations of plagiarism will be fully investigated, and staffers will be notified of any such allegations.

PLAGIARISM MAY RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION,

UP TO AND INCLUDING REMOVAL FROM FEDERAL SERVICE

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SENSITIVE & GRAPHIC MATERIAL

Newsworthiness should be the primary determining factor in deciding whether to air or publish audio or video that may be offensive to our audiences. Some examples include murder scenes, acts of war, acts of nature, faces of victims.

In these cases, the Senior Executive Producer and/or the Executive Editor will determine whether the material is graphic enough to require a mandatory warning and will issue a House-wide detailing the language of the warning.

In most cases, VOA should not broadcast or publish the moment of death in a suicide, execution, or any similar event. Exceptions might include circumstances where an event is being covered live and the action is unexpected or spontaneous, or where the event is so highly newsworthy as to warrant broadcast or posting.

If it happens during live coverage, explain to the audience what has happened as quickly as possible, and move on. (Also see Covering and Reporting Suicides, p. 10)

The decision to air or post images or audio of a suicide, execution or similar event will be made by a supervisor, the Senior Executive Producer and/or Executive Editor.

The broadcasting or posting of graphic, profane, racist or other objectionable language should be determined if it is essential to the newsworthiness of the story.

Material of a sexual nature is also a cause for concern, as people of all ages listen to, watch and read VOA news stories. Questions to be asked: Is the material essential to the story? Should video be digitized in some way so as not to be offensive? Would you want your children to see such images?

If it’s determined the material will be broadcast, a mandatory warning needs to be provided far enough ahead of the story to make sure children do not see or hear the material. If the material is posted online, it should not be on the homepage. Rather, a link to the story should appear on the homepage, with a warning that sexual/graphic images are included with the story.

The decision to air or post images or audio of these kinds will be made by a supervisor, the Senior Executive Producer and/or Executive Editor.

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INTERVIEWS

When interviewing in the field, it helps to understand that even in the current media environment, most people are not comfortable being interviewed and consider recording equipment to be invasive, especially when you’re dealing with sensitive subjects. One way to reduce that unease or tension is to first talk to an interview subject WITHOUT the equipment. Put the person at ease; make him or her feel comfortable talking to you before proceeding with the actual interview.

When setting up an interview, the subject may ask what questions will be asked or how the interview will be treated when produced. It’s OK to outline in advance general points of interest and the general subject areas you intend to cover.

You SHOULD NOT provide actual questions to be asked, nor promise you will not ask questions outside the areas you have outlined, nor promise how subjects will be treated on the air.

Any agreement that certain questions will or will not be asked would be an exception, to be decided on a case-by-case basis in consultation with your supervisor and/or VOA senior management as warranted.

If an agreement is approved, the agreement should be mentioned in the introduction to the interview.

If an interviewee requires VOA to use a name or title we ordinarily would not use, that too should be mentioned in the introduction to the interview.

Do not promise an interviewee that he or she will be able to find the interview on the website, unless you have already verified through your assignment process that the interview will be included with a web story, or that you will include it in a blog entry.

SHOOTING/EDITING TV INTERVIEWS

When shooting a two-camera interview, it’s acceptable for a reporter to register appropriate visual expressions, such as smiling at a joke. What is NOT acceptable is editing in a visual reaction that is out of sequence to the answer being given.

Equally unacceptable is separating questions from answers. The 10th answer of an interview should not be edited as if it were the response to the 4th question, even if it seems to make the reporter’s or producer’s editorial point clearer.

Interviews taped with one camera can present editing difficulties and therefore reverse questions (questions asked after the interview is done, with the camera reversed to tape the interviewer), while not ideal, are allowed. Reverse questions should be true to the original questions and if done, the interviewee or representative should be made aware and should be invited to be present.

In this situation, because the reverse shots are happening after the actual interview, the reporter or producer should not reflect an expression (smile, frown, nod) that might be seen as agreement or disagreement with what the subject is saying.

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PUBLIC FIGURES

Questions and reporting about the private lives of public figures should be relevant. For example, the questioning is appropriate when intended to expose inconsistency, lying, hypocrisy and most certainly, illegal activity. In the case of candidates for public office, information about these actions often enables voters to ascertain the character of a candidate or public official.

VOA’s reporting should not be based on rumor, speculation or gossip, but instead by applying the rigorous standards for any story. Reporting should rely on “on the record” statements and actions of public figures. Information from normally reliable sources not willing to be identified should be very closely examined.

The passage of time is an important consideration in determining what is relevant, and may affect current relevance. When information is dated we should evaluate with particular scrutiny, in the case of a political figure, how important such information is for the public’s ability to judge that person’s qualifications and fitness to hold public office.

Each situation should be considered separately and there is no blanket rule prohibiting reporting private activities from many years ago.

For interviews, be very discriminating when using information from sources and/or sourced information from another news organization when asking a question to a guest about his/her private life. Sourcing in this, as in any controversial or sensitive story, should follow VOA’s two-source rule.

(Also see Attribution And Sources, p. 13)

Open-ended questions based on little or no evidence are strongly discouraged. For example, the question “Have you ever taken a bribe,” should not be asked unless based on our reporting, there is a compelling and journalistically justifiable reason to ask it.

If VOA presenters, correspondents or producers are unsure of the appropriateness of their questioning or reporting regarding the private life of a public figure, they should consult with their supervisor, and when appropriate with the Senior Executive Producer, Executive Editor and the Office of General Counsel.

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ANONYMITY

There may be reasons to agree to anonymity for an interview subject, whether for radio, TV or online.

For example, we may not wish to jeopardize the subject’s safety or subject him or her or family members to harm or undue embarrassment. But there may be legal considerations as well in granting anonymity to interview subjects.

Always question an interviewee’s motives before promising anonymity. Clarify and confirm the conditions agreed to in exchange for the information. Anonymity for interviewees can be defined by degree. In establishing the degree of anonymity, describe the process to be used (e.g. blurring of faces, digitizing the voice, videotaping in shadow) but do not guarantee a particular result.

The failure to adequately disguise an interview subject or a misunderstanding over the steps agreed to disguise an interview subject can result in a legal claim.

Generally, we want to avoid promising anonymity for people trying to evade law enforcement.

Exceptions should be cleared with your supervisor, the Senior Executive Producer and/or Executive Editor and the Office of General Counsel.

AMBUSH INTERVIEWS

So-called “ambush” interviews, where a person who has refused to be interviewed is approached without notice by a reporter or producer, are discouraged and should be avoided. An “ambush” is different than a “stakeout,” where cameras are set up to get comments from individuals who are going to or leaving meetings and/or work.

Deciding to do an ambush interview should not be taken lightly. Supervisors, the Senior Executive Producer and the Office of General Counsel should be advised in advance of any such plans.

ADVANCE SCRIPTS/SCREENING

You should not show a script to a third party not affiliated with VOA or BBG in advance of the story’s airing. You can call an interviewee and review portions of a script in order to fact check. As part of the reporting process you may also show portions of other interviews or other footage prepared for the report to an interview subject to obtain their reaction or comment for use in the same report. You should videotape the individual watching the other interview or other footage whenever possible.

Advance screenings of VOA news stories are not permitted without the prior approval of senior management. An exception: press screenings for review purposes.

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REQUESTS FOR UNAIRED/UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL

As a general policy, VOA should not give third parties access to unaired or unpublished material or discuss the existence of such materials. Any requests for such information should be referred to senior management and the Office of General Counsel.

PAYMENT

VOA does not pay people for interviews. It may, however, be appropriate to pay certain travel-related expenses for an interviewee. Any questions should be referred to senior management and the Office of General Counsel.

SUBJECT TAPING INTERVIEW

On occasion a subject may ask to do his or her own recording of an interview. That is permissible as long as the subject understands the taping is for personal use only, not for broadcast, publication or other distribution. VOA will not provide a dub, either audio or video, of the raw interview to an interview subject.

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DIGITAL MEDIA

SOCIAL MEDIA

All VOA journalists are encouraged to participate in social media. By joining networks that are popular in your target regions you can forge closer relationships with your audience, discover new angles and stories and experiment with different ways of covering the news. Just remember that on social media and other public forums, you are a journalist. It is critical that you are fair, impartial and objective in all public spaces. It’s also important to remember that social media is more than Facebook and Twitter.

Niche audiences often have their own niche social networks, like Sina Weibo in China or Orkut in India and Brazil. Get to know which ones are popular with your audience and experiment with them.

Whatever your topic or medium, there’s probably a social network around it.

SOCIAL MEDIA AS REPORTING TOOL

Reporting has always been about amplifying certain voices from the public. But rather than a list of carefully cultivated sources that reporters have traditionally relied upon, social media can present millions of competing voices that we must select from wisely. Whether you call it citizen journalism, user-generated content or social media, our readers often report the news before we are able to verify the facts. While it’s good to highlight those voices, it is critical to verify rumors before reporting them as fact.

There are techniques for confirming the validity of certain accounts, including examination of how long the account has been in existence, looking at the account’s message history, and scrutiny of photo streams or other bits of the user’s digital trail. If you have doubts, reach out to your local social media lead for guidance. You must do your due diligence before relying on a source as credible. In other words, report the story.

Do not retweet or pass along unconfirmed rumors without a clear indication that the information is not yet verified.

For example: @VOA_News Lots of reports and photos of this blast.