DEFINITIONS

“To give the news impartially without fear or favor” (Adolph Ochs, 1858-1935).

Impartially means reporting, editing, and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively, and without personal opinion or bias. Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is the greatest source of credibility. To provide the most complete report, a news organization must not just cover the news but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, regardless of any preconceived ideas on what might be most newsworthy. The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. A journalist’s role is therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and reveal only that to their readers, but rather to report completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth. When a newspaper delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.

Our mission is to deliver the news impartially, honestly, and without fear or favor. Impartiality requires reporting, editing, and presenting information objectively, fairly, and free of personal opinion or bias. Credibility, our greatest asset, stems from this commitment to impartiality.

We pursue truth by uncovering and reporting all verifiable facts, allowing readers to draw their conclusions based on their knowledge and experience. Journalism’s noble goal is not to declare the truth but to provide a complete and impartial account of events.

We uphold the highest ethical standards to maintain the trust of our readers. Accuracy, fairness, and freedom from conflicts of interest—both real and perceived—are paramount. These principles are not mere slogans but a living truth that guides every aspect of our work. Any breach of these standards undermines the credibility of our organization, our profession, and each of us as individuals.

From the Chattanooga Times Free Press

Nothing is more sacred to us than the readers' trust in us to tell the truth, to be accurate, fair and impartial. We must be free of conflicts of interest. As journalists, we cannot simply use these standards as slogans; they must be a living truth evident in everything we say, do, and print. Any failure, by any one of us, to follow these journalistic truths undermines the credibility of our newspaper as an entity, of each of us as individuals and of our craft.