Editorial Code

Editorial Charter of the Ukrainian News agency

 

1. Mission and goal of the agency.

1.1. Our mission is to inform people about the most important events in Ukraine and the world. To do it quickly, accurately, objectively and in a balanced manner.

1.2. We satisfy people's right to information. Our goal is to inform the reader, to tell them the truth about what is happening in Ukraine and the world. An informed reader is a person who is not subject to manipulation and fakes. Someone who has the opportunity to make their choice consciously. And a conscious choice is the basis for a successful democratic society!

1.3. Our goal is to produce truthful and unbiased news materials that the reader of the Ukrainian News will receive as soon as possible.

2. Editorial policy.

2.1. Main principles of editorial policy.

2.1.1. In its activities, the team of the Ukrainian News agency is guided by the principles of freedom of speech and views, democracy and equality of all citizens before the law. Our journalists and editors carry out their professional activities on the basis of current national legislation, as well as generally accepted standards of journalistic ethics.

2.1.2. The editorial staff of the news agency adheres to the recommendations of Google News regarding the creation and publication of content, guaranteeing high quality of materials, their factual accuracy and ethical standards of journalism.

2.2 Ethical principles of editorial policy.

2.2.1. The Ukrainian News is categorically against any manifestations of discrimination on any grounds.

2.2.2. In their materials, the authors of the Ukrainian News do not use words and images that can be interpreted as racist, xenophobic, homophobic, etc.

2.2.3. The editorial office tries to prevent employees from working on topics where they have a conflict of interest. If this cannot be avoided, the material must include an appropriate notice about the author's conflict of interest and the reasons why the editorial office decided to publish the material.

2.2.4. The Ukrainian News does not allow the distribution of:

• calls for violent change, overthrow of the constitutional order, violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, liquidation of the independence of Ukraine, information that justifies or promotes such actions;
• statements that incite hatred, hostility or cruelty towards individuals or groups of individuals on the basis of ethnic and social origin, citizenship, nationality, language, race, religion and beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability;
• statements that incite discrimination or harassment against individuals or groups of individuals on the basis of ethnic and social origin, citizenship, nationality, race, religion and beliefs, age, sex, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or any other grounds;
• propaganda or calls for terrorism and terrorist acts, information that justifies or approves such actions;
• pornographic materials, as well as materials that encourage sexual exploitation and violence against children, demonstrate sexual relations of children, use the image of children (visual recording of the image of children) in entertainment events of a sexual or erotic nature;
• propaganda of the use of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances;
• propaganda of cruelty to animals;
• instructions or advice on the manufacture, purchase or use of explosives, narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances;
• information that denies or justifies the criminal nature of the communist, Nazi, fascist and Russian totalitarian regimes;
• information that denies or questions the existence of the Ukrainian people and/or Ukrainian statehood and/or the Ukrainian language.

2.3. Political neutrality.

2.3.1. The agency's journalists work in the interests of the entire Ukrainian society, without giving preference to any group distinguished on the basis of ethnic and social origin, citizenship, nationality, race, religion and beliefs, age, language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc.

2.3.2. The pro-government political group (or coalition) is considered one of the equal political forces.

2.4. Policy on artificial intelligence (AI).

2.4.1. The Ukrainian News uses in its current work all modern technologies that, in its opinion, can strengthen the work of the editorial office and improve the reading experience of the resource users. In particular, the agency's employees use AI as a tool, primarily for analyzing and searching for data and creating illustrations, maps and infographics. At the same time, the editorial staff is committed to the responsible and transparent implementation of these technologies, so all materials created using AI are captioned accordingly to prevent unintentional misleading of users.

2.4.2. The Ukrainian News does not use AI as a source of information or as an expert on any issues.

2.5. Compliance with copyright and related rights.

2.5.1. The use of materials from other media is carried out in accordance with the Law of Ukraine On Copyright and Related Rights.

2.5.2. The Ukrainian News uses stock illustrations officially obtained from relevant services, or images whose license provides for their free use in the media. According to the rules, the copyright holder and/or original source is always indicated under photo/video materials,

2.5.3. The use of information obtained from other public information resources is allowed with the obligatory indication of the owner of this information. In the case of verbatim reprinting of certain information, this is done with the permission of the copyright holder, also with an appropriate reference and in exceptional cases.

2.6. Independence of the agency and interaction with the owners.

2.6.1. The owners of the Ukrainian News agency guarantee the creative team editorial independence and the absence of any forms of censorship.

2.6.2. The owners, relying on the professionalism of journalists, do not interfere directly in the production process, in particular, they do not impose or prohibit the coverage of individual topics. Responsibility for the content and thematic content of the materials lies with the heads of creative departments and directly with the authors of the publications.

2.6.3. Employees of the Ukrainian News recognize the right of the owners to effectively manage the agency as a business entity, the main purpose of which is to make a profit, and undertake to support it with their creative efforts. The team contributes to conducting effective, stable business, strengthening the authority and reputation of the Ukrainian News agency, and promoting cultural and universal values.

2.6.4. In the case of journalistic research of events, facts or topics that directly concern the interests of the owners, journalists are guided by the criteria of relevance of public discussion and the presence of public interest, and, in accordance with the principle of balance of opinions, must publish the positions of all parties.

3. Journalistic standards.

The agency's news stories are based on classic journalistic standards – reliability, accuracy, efficiency, completeness and balance of opinions and points of view.

3.1. Reliability.

3.1.1. The agency provides information of which it is confident in the reliability, truthfulness and reality.

3.1.2. Each news item must have a link to the source. This is either a primary source – a document, a public statement, a post on social networks from a verified account of a certain person, an exclusive message from a specific person or source, direct testimony from eyewitnesses to events, messages from the agency's own correspondents from the scene of events, or information from other reputable media outlets that the Ukrainian News trusts.

3.1.3. When covering events, a journalist always tries to use a variety of sources. Both communication with the direct authors of the topic being covered, and data from documents or registers, as well as the opinions of the expert community.

3.1.4. Sources must be profile and relevant to the events being covered. If interesting information or statistical data was noticed in other media or on social networks, then they must be checked through the primary source, if the institution or people are not identified in the news. Information from anonymous sources should be additionally checked in other sources and their use should be an exception when the information is of great public importance, and disclosure of the source carries threats and danger to it.

3.1.5. If the primary source is another media outlet, we always provide a direct link to the publication so that our reader has the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the original text.

3.1.6. The journalist bears personal responsibility for the veracity of the source's information. In especially important cases, the journalist must disclose information about the source to the editor-in-chief, who, thus, orders the publication of the news piece and is responsible for it. The editor-in-chief is obliged not to disclose information about the source. If the source gives consent, the publication may explain the reasons why the name of the source is not disclosed.

3.2. Accuracy.

3.2.1. The agency presents information as correctly and accurately as possible, in accordance with the words of the source or documents.

3.2.2. The news piece must contain a confirming quote from the words of the source or from a document.

3.2.3. Manipulation of facts, opinions, and purposeful shifting of emphasis in the news is prohibited.

3.2.4. While adhering to the accuracy of the presentation of information, the journalist and/or editor must also present a holistic picture of events, and if the sources cannot fully clarify the situation or provide contradictory information, this must be indicated in the text of the news piece or other publication on the agency's website.

3.3. Efficiency.

3.3.1. Information should be provided as quickly and efficiently as possible, but at the same time not neglecting other standards, verification of information and its confirmation from reliable sources.

3.3.2. It is not allowed to delay the publication of information, if it is confirmed, to clarify various details. They can be presented in other, additional news stories or comments.

3.4. Completeness of information.

3.4.1. It is not allowed to suppress part of the known information. All facts of the topic being covered are provided. Exceptions may be issues of security of journalists or sources, or requirements of Ukrainian legislation, including those regarding confidential information and personal data.

3.4.2. Journalists and editors must make every effort to obtain information if it is not enough for full coverage of the topic.

3.5. Balance of opinions.

3.5.1. All persons mentioned in the news piece or whose interests are affected by the information provided have the right to reply – to express their own opinion or give it an assessment.

3.5.2. When the news piece is the opinion of a certain well-known person on an important problem or event, an alternative opinion must also be presented. The journalist must make every effort to obtain the opinions and assessments of all interested parties. Moreover, comments and assessments must be separated from the facts that have become or were known regarding the topic being covered.

3.5.3. If one of the parties has refused to comment, this must be stated in the publication.

3.6. Private and confidential information. Security issues.

3.6.1. The Ukrainian News respects privacy and confidentiality of information.

3.6.2. Consent to use audio and video materials, personal data from the managers of this information must be obtained and documented.

3.6.3. The editorial office pays special attention to the safety of persons mentioned in the news piece, who act as a source, or whose life and safety may be affected by the published information.

3.6.4. The author of the material and the editorial office in general must analyze the security factor and in a situation where there may be a threat to the life and health of persons, a refusal to publish and/or an appeal to law enforcement agencies is possible.

3.6.5. At the same time, the editorial office believes that the right to confidentiality of public figures, in particular politicians and public figures, is narrowed compared to other citizens. And if the public interest and public importance of the information outweigh the harm from its private or confidential component, then the information must be published. The decision is made by the editorial board separately in each such case.

4. Standards for the design of news.

News is a separate information genre, which is characterized by a concise presentation of key information regarding a certain event that occurred recently. News has its own recommended standards.

4.1. Title.

4.1.1. The title should not exceed 100 characters, including spaces. This is important for more effective indexing of news in search engines. It is worth remembering that long titles are truncated in the output. Therefore, it is better to put the key message at the beginning of the title. To save the number of characters in the titles, the use of abbreviations such as "K" for thousand, "m" for million, "UAH" for hryvnias is possible.

4.1.2. The title should contain keywords and be as unique as possible. The easiest way to check is to type the title into Google. If there is already news with this or a similar title, it is better to redo it.

4.1.3. It is FORBIDDEN to use special characters in titles (@,#,%,&, etc.).

4.1.4. Clickbait in titles is considered bad work style. This applies to both headlines with a question mark ("Will there be missile attacks today?" / "Should we expect rain?") and headlines without specifics ("It became known how many Russian ships were deployed to the Black Sea" / "The politician shocked with their statement"). Headlines should not have an emotional coloring, except in cases where it is a direct quote.

4.1.5. Numbers in headlines. It is advisable to write numbers from 1 to 9 in numerical value, and not in writing (the exception is the number 3 at the beginning of a sentence, which is visually similar to the letter "Z" in Ukrainian). It is better to write large numbers in the format "2.5 billion \ 500 million \ 20 thousand."

The words "Over" and "almost" can be used in headlines, but the word "near" and its analogues are prohibited. Also, use common sense, even if the speaker said something stupid. To save characters in the headline, you can round off the data by giving specific numbers in the body of the news. For example, the headline "Ukraine will receive EUR 1 billion in aid from Lithuania" will not be a mistake if the body says that Lithuania will provide Ukraine with EUR 998 million in aid.

4.1.6. Positions and surnames in headlines. Surnames are used only in cases where we are talking about a media and well-known person. Otherwise, regardless of the person's status, it is better to indicate their position.

4.2. Lead.

4.2.1. The first paragraph of the news (lead) is the second thing the reader sees. According to research, 70% of readers who open the news make a decision on whether to read it in full after the first paragraph.

4.2.2. The lead should be light, without unnecessary details. At the same time, it should answer the questions Who? Where? When? Did something (or something happened). It should also contain a link to the source of the information. The lead should not contain details and unnecessary numbers, especially if they provide additional information, and not reveal the essence of the news.

4.2.3. Note that some search engines display part of the lead, so this must be taken into account when writing. The first sentence of the lead should not be an exact copy of the headline.

4.3. Main text.

4.3.1. The Ukrainian News has a recognizable structure for presenting news: context, quote, additional context, position of other parties, background (back). This list is not exhaustive, and depending on the situation, some of its elements may be omitted.

The main thing is that the news should provide the reader with complete, versatile information that answers the maximum number of questions in the context of the event in question.

4.3.2. The main message of the news should be indicated in the headline and lead, and revealed in the lead and the first two – maximum three paragraphs after it. The main goal of such a presentation is to give the reader the most objective, balanced and complete information in the shortest possible time in a convenient format.

4.3.3. Quote in the text. The verb that reflects the action of the author of the quote (declared, reported, noted, emphasized, stated, summarized, etc.) is always in the past tense. The description of the quote may contain additional context:

"This is all a lie and slander!" said XXX, adding that he had never personally met XXX.

4.3.4. The back can contain either the background of the news, which adds additional context to the reader, or report on other news on the same topic, which may potentially be interesting to the reader.

4.3.5. The back must necessarily contain hyperlinks to other news. You should not refer to news that is several years old, except when it comes to events that are directly related to the main news.

4.4. Main image.

Image is 50% of the reader's decision to continue reading the news or not. The image also allows you to set the mood for the news.

4.4.1. The image should correspond to the essence of the news and be understandable without context.

4.4.2. Image caption. The image caption consists of two parts. Short description (Last name for a person, name (if the illustration shows a specific object), description of the image for other cases (for example, a photo with children at desks can be described as "Children at school").

The second part is the authorship of the photo. If there is a specific copyright owner, then we indicate them directly (for example, "Mila Jovovich. Photo Depositfoto). If the image is taken from social networks, then we indicate not only the network, but also the account from which the image was taken ("Milla Jovovich. Photo Instagram @millajovovich"). The same situation is with illustrations from Telegram channels. If the photo is published by official sources, then you can indicate them without additional links ("Milla Jovovich in Kyiv, 2024. Photo SSU"). If the photo is taken from another media outlet, then indicate the name of the media outlet (it is important to understand that not all photos published by media outlets belong to them, so FT, for example, may have a photo of Getty Images. Always look at the original source in the description of the illustration. But, if the media itself is the owner of the photo, then the caption should contain only the name of the site or domain, without hyperlinks: *image name*. Photo: ABC News, Ukrainska Pravda, Reuters, Sport.ua, etc. If you took the photo by yourself, you can indicate your own name and surname, or the Ukrainian News.

4.4.3. If you cannot establish the authorship of the image, do not use it!

Also, do not use images of things that are unfamiliar to you (or you do not have the professional competence to evaluate (identify) the object in the photo)

4.4.4. It is forbidden to use commercial photos and images to which the agency does not have the relevant rights. Please note that the fact that you have indicated the author or copyright holder of the photo does not allow you to use it. Also, the fact that someone posted the photo on social networks does not give you the right to use it. Even if, for example, you took a photo from the Oscar ceremony from a celebrity’s official Instagram, and this photo belongs to Getty Images, they will still contact us with a demand to remove the photo and compensate for the damages.

4.4.5. Images generated with the help of AI. The Ukrainian News uses such a type of images in its work, but always warns the reader about it. In general, UN does not limit the use of the AI ​​tool, but calls not to abuse it and not to use it to create photo fakes, etc.

4.4.6. The same principles of use and publication apply to video materials, including in the agency's social networks.

4.5. Publication of 18+ news.

4.5.1. Publication of news in the 18+ category occurs exclusively after approval by the editor-in-chief, they have the appropriate marking. This section includes not only materials containing erotic images, but also photo-video materials on which physical harm is filmed from close or medium shots, there is a large amount of blood. Detailed scenes of murder, etc.

4.6. Use of Russian media and media of the aggressor country.

4.6.1. If the agency has the opportunity not to take information from Russian media, then we do not take it. If an editor/journalist plans to write about events in the Russian Federation, or about events related to the Russian Federation in the international arena, they should look for information in international media. The Ukrainian News assumes that most Russian media are propagandistic, work under pressure from the authorities or voluntarily spread Kremlin narratives.

4.6.2. If an editor/journalist uses expert analytics, then it is worth checking whether they are cooperating (directly or indirectly) with the Russian Federation. After all, there are Western experts who are actively promoting the Kremlin narratives in the global information space and we should not be their relays.

4.6.3 If an expert is actively quoted by Russian media, and most of their statements are related to the fact that "everything will be bad in Ukraine", then it is worth looking for additional sources of information and checking the quotes that you planned to use. If such an expert is the only source of information, then it is not worth using it for news, because it cannot be verified.

4.6.4 The Ukrainian News complies with the requirements of the law On Media", according to which, in particular, it is prohibited to cover the activities of Russian authorities without being accompanied by a message about the status of the aggressor state (occupation state).

4.7. Responsibility for content provided by the general public (UGC or Eyewitness News content).

4.7.1. The Ukrainian News has two sections of the site that provide for the publication of materials that are not created by the editorial staff (third-party authors) – "Publications" (where articles are mainly published) and "View" (where thoughts and opinions are published).

4.7.2. All the principles used by the editorial staff in their work are applied to all texts published in the specified sections. The texts must comply with the editorial standards, as well as generally accepted norms of journalism. Also, the texts must not violate the legislation of Ukraine.

4.7.3. It is prohibited to post content that:

• contains calls for violence, incitement of international, racial or religious hatred
• promotes terrorism and extremist activities
• violates the copyrights of third parties
• spreads disinformation and unverified data
• advertises goods or services without the appropriate mark provided for by the legislation of Ukraine.

4.7.4. In case of violations of the rules, users of the resource can notify the editorial office via e-mail specified in the Contacts section.

4.7.5. Before publication, all content provided by the general public undergoes editorial pre-moderation for compliance with the agency's standards and the legislation of Ukraine.

4.7.6. Each user of the site has the opportunity to offer their content for publication via the communication channels specified in the Contacts section.

4.7.7. If the content for the "View" section is taken from other sources (for example, a publication on social networks), the text must contain a link to the original source of information.

4.7.8. The content in the "View" section may not correspond to the views and beliefs of the editorial staff of the Ukrainian News.

4.7.9. The content in the "View" section is published in full, without editorial edits. The author bears full responsibility for the content of the publication. An exception may be if the author uses abusive language or certain parts of his text may fall under the prohibitions for publication described above, but the text itself has great public importance. The presence of cuts is indicated by quotation marks or other symbols and the need for such edits is explained separately in the editorial insert.

4.8. Reaction to comments from external parties.

4.8.1. The Ukrainian News is open to comments and suggestions from both readers and the public.

4.8.2. Letters sent with complaints to the address specified on the site, or received by special software methods, must be processed and analyzed for validity by the editor-in-chief or a specialized journalist on the instructions of the editor-in-chief.

4.8.3. If the complaint is recognized as justified, the editorial office writes a letter of explanation to the author of the complaint, and/or publishes a corrected or clarified news item.

4.8.4. If the author and the editor-in-chief have doubts and disagreements regarding the extent to which journalistic standards were met in the materials related to a specific complaint, the issue is considered by the editorial board.

4.8.5. The editorial office does not respond to complaints that are made using non-normative and abusive language, written in an offensive tone, or those that do not relate to the work of the editorial office and the topics described.

4.9. Making changes to published news.

4.9.1. There is an exclusive list of cases when significant changes can be made to the news:

• The journalist (editor) made a mistake and it must be corrected.
• The original source reported an error in the primary information.
• A complaint from the public appeared, which the editor-in-chief or the editorial board recognized as justified.
• A refutation of the information (or the position of the other party) appeared.
• A court decision that has entered into force.
• Updated data that is not enough for a separate news item has appeared.
• The event occurs in real time and the information is constantly updated.

4.9.2. Registration of changes.

4.9.2.1 Corrected If the journalist (editor) made a mistake in the news (for example, incorrectly translated information from the original source, mixed up names, positions, etc.), then such changes are reflected in the last paragraph of the news. The explanation must indicate what exactly was changed (deleted) from the news and for what reason.

4.9.2.2. Updated or Supplemented. If information appears that needs to be added to the news, it is added in a separate block, which begins with information about the update date in the format "Updated **.**.**** year (date) **:** (time)". This is followed by all the necessary information that the author considers necessary to add. It can be divided into paragraphs, contain quotes, etc. There can also be several updates, each of which begins with the time of the changes.

4.9.2.3. Currently updated In exceptional situations, it becomes necessary to update the news in real time. In such cases, the algorithm of actions is similar to the previous point, but you can not specify the date, but only the time. After all, such news is most often associated with a specific event and, if it lasts more than 24 hours, then, most likely, it can be made into several news items, not one.

4.9.3. All cases of making significant changes to the text of the news that are not provided for by these rules must be agreed with the editor-in-chief or the editorial board on an individual basis.

5. Advertising or sponsorship materials.

5.1. The advertising activity of the Ukrainian News website is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine On Advertising.

5.2. The editorial office does not allow hidden advertising. All materials published on a commercial or partnership basis are marked with appropriate boxes so that the reader has complete information and the context of the publication.

5.3. Affiliate and advertising materials must not violate the basic principles of journalism, contain inaccurate or manipulative information, or mislead the reader in any other way, and, of course, must not contain information that may violate applicable law or negatively affect the reputation of the agency.

5.4. Agency journalists cannot be a party to the negotiation process regarding affiliate materials or programs and must forward possible proposals for such cooperation to the marketing department or agency management.

5.5. Journalists cannot receive gifts from companies, organizations, or individuals with whom they may have working contacts. There may be exceptions for small presents or souvenirs for holidays, personal birthdays, journalist's day, or industry holidays of individual companies. In accordance with the Law On Prevention of Corruption, such gifts must comply with generally accepted ideas about hospitality.

5.6. Gifts worth more than USD 100 must be returned and the agency management must be notified.

6. Improvement and support for employees.

The Ukrainian News agency has been operating for over 30 years. And we know that self-improvement is the only way to develop. The Ukrainian News team is made up of living people who may not know something or simply make a mistake. We work every day to become better than we were yesterday.

6.1. Safety.

6.1.1 The safety of our employees is our main value. The Ukrainian News takes all possible measures to ensure its compliance, including providing employees with the necessary protective equipment to perform editorial tasks, insuring their life and health if necessary, and providing rehabilitation assistance.

6.1.2. The editor-in-chief or a member of the editorial board who issues editorial assignments to employees must be clearly and distinctly aware of the level of danger involved in their execution, and also assess whether the employee has sufficient competence to work in such conditions. If he sees that such conditions are not met, the task must be assigned to another employee or canceled.

6.2. Training in editorial instructions.

6.2.1. All journalists and editors of the Ukrainian News must undergo a training course designed for them before being allowed to work, as well as study the principles of editorial policy and rules for posting news and publications.

6.2.2. All employees are provided with methodological materials that allow them to familiarize themselves with the principles of journalism, editorial instructions and requirements established by legal and ethical norms.

6.2.3. Also, each new employee is assigned a curator, to whom they can contact on any issues related to the production process.

6.3. Continuous training.

6.3.1. The management of the Ukrainian News constantly holds events aimed at improving the skills of the agency's employees.

6.3.2. We welcome the opportunity to improve skills by involving third-party tools, such as master classes, trainings, etc. and maximally promote the participation of our employees in such events. Such events should not have a clear political bias or manipulative nature of their training programs.

6.3.3. Agency employees regularly participate in training events of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. The Union involves experienced agency employees as trainers in experience exchange and advanced training programs. The editorial office has a primary center of the NUJU.

6.4. Support and advice.

6.4.1. The Ukrainian News provides a clear and stable support structure for its employees. Each employee of the news agency has the opportunity to seek advice from a responsible person on any issues related to the work of the agency.

6.4.2. The Ukrainian News also provides legal support to its employees, if necessary, when this is related to their professional activities within the framework of the agency's work. The agency has a permanent contract with a professional law firm that represents the interests of the editorial office in courts and protects the rights of the editorial office's journalists.

7. Compliance with the statute and amendments to it.

7.1. The editor-in-chief and the editor-in-chief of the portal must monitor compliance with the agency's standards and take measures to correct materials that do not fully comply with them and work with journalists and editors regarding identified errors and inconsistencies.

7.2. If a journalist or editor grossly or systematically violates the agency's standards, disciplinary sanctions may be applied to them, including dismissal.

7.3. The standards must be periodically analyzed for relevance and compliance with the current situation in the media sphere and revised if necessary. They must contain current legislative requirements.

7.4. Changes to the standards are made jointly by the editorial board.

7.5. The editorial board includes the editor-in-chief and heads of the agency's departments. The editorial board may co-opt other agency employees who participate in the production of content products.

7.6. The fundamental principles of journalism and editorial policy (listed in sections 2 and 3) must be preserved when the statute is amended. This point cannot be excluded from the statute.