WDUQ-FM News Code of Ethics

WDUQ's News Ethics Policy can be summed up in four words: truth, fairness, integrity and independence.

WDUQ-FM is committed to the highest standards of journalistic ethics and excellence. Fairness, integrity and independence are not goals, but the roadmap and the foundation for our reporting.

Journalism is the rigorous pursuit of truth. WDUQ strives to be comprehensive and balanced in its reporting by seeking diverse viewpoints and voices to tell the stories of our community and its residents.

At the core of all good journalism is fairness. WDUQ News treats our sources, listeners and the public with decency and respect. WDUQ gathers, produces and reports the news in context, with clarity and compassion but without speculation. We identify the differences between reporting and opinion.

Balanced coverage of an issue or candidate is critical to fairness. Because of the complexity of issues and/or campaigns, WDUQ does not assess balance of coverage based on an individual, 30-second news item. Instead, we focus on the body of news coverage broadcast over the long-term in days, weeks and months.

The faith of our listeners and the public in our news service rests on our integrity as journalists.

Editorial independence is a must to ensure the integrity of our reporting. WDUQ guards against conflicts of interest, real and perceived, that could compromise the credibility and independence of our reporting.

WDUQ is not influenced by the station's license holder, underwriters, granters or community promotional partners in the stories that we pursue and how we report them.

WDUQ is accountable when conflicts occur and discloses any unavoidable conflicts of interest.

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