Campaign Overview: Why the Pledge Initiative Matters

The Ethical Journalism Pledge Initiative is a public-facing effort driven by Boycott Media to formally encourage and secure commitments from individual journalists and entire newsrooms to uphold the highest standards of transparency and integrity. In an environment dominated by media consolidation and bias, a public declaration of ethical intent serves as a crucial line of defense for the public interest. This initiative provides a tangible measure of a news organization's commitment to community service over corporate profit.

The Need for a Public Commitment

While most journalists strive for ethical reporting, the structural pressures from consolidated ownership can make integrity difficult to maintain. A public pledge gives reporters a platform to resist undue influence and assures the public that their news source values honesty and fairness.

• The pledge holds journalists accountable to their readers, not just to their corporate management.
• It raises the standard for quality, unbiased reporting across the local media landscape.
• It provides clear criteria for the public to evaluate whether their local news outlets are meeting their ethical obligations.

The Five-Point Ethical Pledge

We are calling on all local journalists and newsrooms to publicly commit to the following five principles of ethical journalism:

1. Transparency of Funding: Disclosure of any direct financial relationship with subjects being covered or politically active groups.
2. Commitment to Representation: Active effort to seek out and include diverse voices and perspectives in all coverage areas.
3. Correction Protocol: A clear, prompt, and publicly accessible procedure for correcting all factual errors and omissions.
4. No Hidden Agendas: Guarantee that editorial decisions are free from influence by advertisers, owners' political affiliations, or investors' business interests.
5. Distinction of Opinion: Clear and explicit separation between news reporting, analysis, and opinion pieces on all platforms.

How to Demand the Pledge

The success of this initiative relies on widespread public support. Your voice is what drives change in newsrooms.

1. Demand the Pledge: Use the action button above to generate a pre-written email that we send to local news editors and publishers, formally requesting that their staff take the pledge.
2. Contact Individual Reporters: Use social media to respectfully ask your favorite local journalists to personally sign and promote the pledge.
3. Track the List: We maintain a public list of every journalist and newsroom that has signed the pledge. Share this list and support the outlets that commit to ethical standards.