Editorial Guidelines
AIM Media Indiana’s mission
AIM Media Indiana, owners of the Columbus Republic, Franklin Daily Journal, Greenfield Reporter, Seymour Tribune, Brown County Democrat and Pendleton Times-Post is committed to creating better-informed communities with journalism values that bolster our brands and help tell the stories which matter most to our readers.
Our brand of journalism consists of empowering the community by monitoring the actions of those in power, whose decisions affect the entire region, as well as exposing public corruption and holding officials at the highest levels of local, state and federal governments accountable. We are equally dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of the vulnerable, and to identifying and highlighting the people of our communities who are doing extraordinary things.
Our efforts are guided by a collaborative team of editors and reporters who objectively cover stories identified as content readers both want and need, and to do so across multiple platforms — via our digital products and in print.
Journalism Ethics
Our policy and commitment
AIM Media Indiana properties are committed to creating better-informed communities by promoting journalism values and telling the stories that matter most to our readers. Journalists for AIM Media Indiana realize that to accomplish our goals, they must hold themselves accountable, and follow a set of journalism ethics.
Our team of editors, reporters and photojournalists collaborate across many counties in Central Indiana to objectively cover the news, across digital and print platforms. They seek facts in pursuit of contextual truth without any agenda or bias, to more effectively keep the populace informed and to promote trust between the press and the public. We seek truth independently from any influence outside of the newsroom, and with compassion and self-accountability.
It’s equally important to remember that journalists are people too and are not detached from the issues they cover. In fact, their humanity is what drives them to be objective in their reporting. That sense of duty guides the newsroom, and their heart holds them accountable. Yes, we make the occasional error, because there can only ever be an expectation of fairness and fact-based reporting, but not of perfection. When we make a mistake, we act quickly to publish a correction once alerted to the error.
In such cases, corrections are only reserved for factual inaccuracies or errors and are not made to satisfy any cosmetic adjustments. We stress the finality of publication and do not entertain any such changes in order to maintain the history of the story’s original publishing.
Anonymity may be granted for sources who’ve demonstrated a clear threat faced, whether physical or professional in nature, should they be identified in news stories where they act in a whistleblowing capacity. These sources may be identified using a pseudonym, by first name only or in a generalized reference, which can range from their title to age and gender, and with an explanation for the reader about why their identity is concealed. The vulnerable — such as immigrants, children, victims of sexual abuse or living victims of domestic violence — may also be granted anonymity.
