CCJ Tools

As the number of information sources increases, we must work harder to maintain our credibility -- our competitive edge as a newspaper and our link to the community.

Journalists are entrusted with a special responsibility to report the news fairly and honestly, untainted by personal bias or outside influence. Uncompromised objectivity is essential if any publication is to retain the respect and appreciation of its readers.

Army Times Publishing Co. is committed to the highest level of individual and corporate integrity in news gathering, production and distribution.

Our "code of conduct" includes:

Click below for a link to the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE)'s reprint of the New York Times Code of Conduct.

http://www.asne.org/images/newyorktimesethics.pdf

How different papers maintain training with reporters to cover their home area.

Manage your time. Cut down on the distractions, on the things that waste time, or take up too much time in your day. It requires discipline, but it will pay off in more time to produce enterprise stories.

We have taken many steps to improve communications between editors and reporters. If too little consultation between reporters and editors takes place at the beginning of the news gathering process, stories don't meet expectations.

Television is often at a disadvantage when it comes to covering court stories. Even when cameras are allowed in court, the video and audio quality is often marginal. Stories often wind up being told with soundbites from lawyers interviewed in a hurry (up against a wall) and file video from the crime scene.

Reporters covering the "sprawl beat" for television often find themselves grappling with a complex issue that is difficult to explain. And they frequently struggle to find pictures that adequately convey what's at stake.

One of the most basic building blocks of journalism is the interview. It sounds obvious, but reporters have to talk to people to learn what's really going on.