Editorial Ethics & Guidelines - PashtoScoop

PashtoScoop’s Editorial Ethics & Guidelines

LAST UPDATED: April 29, 2020

PashtoScoop Media’s portfolio of cross-platform editorial networks and partners across multiple mediums are driving the future of citizen journalism and entertainment. We generate relevant and engaging content for audiences who love to read trending stories, youngsters scrolling through memes and youth changemakers who want to bring a change in the social culture.

PashtoScoop works cloesly with a team of young, opinionated, culture-rich, energetic and open-minded contributors who believe in the freedom of expression and dare to ask questions. We believe in working with talented people, the judgment of our staff, the transcendent importance of serving the interests of the global Pashtun community, and a commitment to integrity and passion.

Through the PashtoSoop Media editorial guidelines, we aim to give our teams clear guidance about what to avoid and the public knowledge of what to expect.

At the same time, we understand that it is impossible to reduce the complexity of real life decisions to a simple checklist or rulebook. We encourage conversation and dialogue with colleagues and supervisors about concrete situations.

We will, however, keep working to craft and upade this ethics policy from time to time so it addresses every conceivable dilemma. As the needs of our editorial team and audiences change, our guidelines will adapt to ensure that PashtoScoop Media’s work is always deserving of our audiences’ trust.

Additional guidelines for the specific needs of each PashtoScoop Media editorial network appear on each network’s site.

Advertising and Revenue Partnerships
PashtoScoop is home to editorial networks, contriubtors and the business teams that enable them. In no case, however, do the efforts of these business teams interfere with the integrity of our editorial teams or the content they create.
These business teams include PashtoScoop Media divisions responsible for selling advertising and editorial sponsorships on our properties and our content network; advertising sponsored content across various services and social media platforms; branded content created by our creative studio PashtoScoop Originals.
 
To the extent that editorial content is made possible through the support of our sponsors, that content is clearly marked on the PashtoScoop Media network websites and social media accounts as content “Sponsored by” the applicable sponsor. In such cases, our sponsors may select which content they want to support, however we do not allow our PashtoScoop Media Sales teams, PashtoScoop Originals, or our sponsors to control or interfere with the editorial integrity of our editorial teams and the content they create.

Any content featured on a PashtoScoop Media network website and/or social media account that is sponsored / paid for by a particular company or advertiser, and that is developed by the PashtoScoop Media Sales teams or PashtoScoop Originals is clearly marked as “Advertiser Content”.
 
Third Party Affiliates: Some of our content contains affiliate links, which means that we may earn a commission if/when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links. In case our editorial teams have added affiliate links to our articles, we will include a disclosure within the content.
 
Sponsored Advertisements: Paid partnerships and sponsored advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of PashtoScoop Media or our editorial teams.

Conflicts of Interest, Activism and Disclosures

PashtoScoop Media team have editorial independence and our editorial staff and contributors take their content agenda seriously. In some instances, their content may involve or include a personal opinion, financial investment, or relevant political activity. Any editorial team member or contributor will be recused from a story and/or publicly disclose conflicts of interest. Our editorial staff will also refrain from demonstrating or donating to causes that could compromise their journalistic coverage of an issue.

PashtoScoop Media might also have a number of investors from time to time, which would be publicly disclosed on our content network sites. Our investors have no impact on our editorial independence and do not have any influence on our reporting processes.

Corrections, Updates and Deletions

PashtoScoop makes every effort to make sure our content is completely accurate prior to its publication. However, if a correction is required, we are transparent and will update a story if new information either adds to or corrects an aspect of the original story. We will issue corrections for a factual error or if a typo in the copy could cause audiences to misunderstand the story.

We almost always leave all editorial content live, with notes and corrections as needed. We may, in rare instances, remove content from our websites, social media pages, or related platforms for legal reasons or extenuating circumstances. We will note that we do so with an editorial note in those very rare circumstances. Removal will never be at the direction of, or be influenced by, our advertisers and will always be approved by editorial leadership.

Social Media

PashtoScoop hires our editorial employees for their strong, expert voices, and values their ability to build positive communities and influence on our platforms and their own. Because editorial staff’s roles or affiliation with PashtoScoop Media on social platforms also means that they are seen as representing PashtoScoop in those spaces, we ask all editorial staff to wield their voices with extra care, particularly when commenting on topics they cover.

When acting on behalf of PashtoScoop Media or editorial team, your behavior on social media is a reflection of both your personal and professional self and, as a voice of PashtoScoop and our editorial networks. We ask our editorial teams to apply the same journalistic integrity required in our editorial content when posting on social media, and to be conscious of their role within PashtoScoop Media and how their social posts could impact their work, the work of others, and PashtoScoop Media as whole.

News and Content Sourcing

PashtoScoop Media obtains news and other content from a variety of sources. Some of our sources do not wish to be named, and we grant anonymity when we know our sources to be credible and reliable, and that their story would otherwise not be told. We make best efforts to confirm the veracity of the information provided by anonymous sources and will not include any information we have not thoroughly vetted. It is our policy not to pay sources.

PashtoScoop Media Values

PashtoScoop Media Values remain our cornerstones at all times. In an industry that is constantly evolving, we will thrive on change and innovate to improve. We will always hold ourselves and our teammates to high standards and build an environment that cultivates passion, encourages collaboration, and respects all voices and identities.