The Shiawassee Signal is committed to the highest standards of journalistic ethics. This policy governs how we report, what we publish, and how we correct our work.
Our editorial decisions are made exclusively by our journalists. Advertisers, sponsors, and outside parties have no influence over our news coverage. We do not accept payments to write favorable stories or omit unfavorable ones. Paid content, when we publish it, is always clearly labeled as such and separated from news content.
We verify information before publishing. We use multiple sources when possible. When we rely on a single source, we tell you. We do not publish rumors or unverified claims as fact. When we are uncertain about something, we say so.
We seek comment from everyone named in a story who might be portrayed in an unfavorable light. We give people a reasonable opportunity to respond before publication. We apply the same scrutiny to all parties regardless of political affiliation, personal relationship, or advertiser status.
We name our reporters and editors. We disclose conflicts of interest. If a staff member has a personal connection to a story we are covering, we disclose that connection or assign the story to another reporter.
We correct our mistakes promptly, clearly, and without euphemism. Corrections are published on the original article and in our corrections log. We do not silently edit stories to fix errors — all substantive changes are noted. View our corrections log.
We prefer named sources and use anonymous sources only when the information is significant and cannot be obtained any other way. When we grant anonymity, we know the identity of the source and have evaluated their credibility. We explain to readers why a source is not being named.
Staff members do not cover organizations they belong to, businesses they have a financial stake in, or individuals with whom they have a close personal relationship. Staff members do not accept gifts, free travel, or other benefits from sources or potential sources.
Signal journalists represent our publication in their public social media activity. Staff members do not post content that could compromise their ability to cover a beat fairly, express partisan political views publicly, or share unverified information as fact.
If you have a question about our ethics policy or a concern about our coverage, please contact us. We take these questions seriously and will respond.