This Editorial Code of Conduct sets out the standards that guide the work of The Loon (London Ontario Online News). It is intended to help staff, contributors and readers understand the principles that underpin our reporting and the processes we follow to produce accurate, fair and independent journalism in the public interest.
The policies contained in this Code apply to all editorial content published by The Loon, regardless of platform. While every member of the editorial team shares responsibility for upholding these standards, the Editor-in-Chief (henceforth referred to as the Editor), is responsible for their interpretation and application.
The Loon’s reputation depends on earning and maintaining the trust of our readers through responsible reporting, transparency, accountability and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Incorporating the following policies:
Editorial Values and Principles
Corrections, Clarifications and Unpublishing Policy
Fact-Checking and Verification Policy
Anonymous Sources Policy
Conflict of Interest, Transparency and Independence Policy
Photography and Photo Editing Policy
Note: any and all policies are intended to complement future corporate policies, especially HR policies such as a staff code of conduct.
Editorial Values and Principles
Our core values:
Truth is paramount. We tell the truth and base our work on the principles of veritas, fair comment and public interest reporting.
We make a clear distinction between fact and opinion wherever we can, framing all content appropriately.
We are independent of government, political parties and big business. We will present all matters thoughtfully and, where possible, objectively. And, we reject toxic discourse. We never farm hate-clicks.
We are active participants in our community and will seek to promote it with positivity.
We follow the science and we listen to experts.
We support fact-based storytelling and prioritize cooperation over competition with our peers. Public interest wins every time.
Education is vital. We encourage informed awareness of public interest issues.
We recognize a duty to preserve our work, archiving it well.
We are open to feedback and we make our own decisions as independent storytellers and content creators.
Further principles and practices:
Accuracy and integrity lead the way.
We will never falsify any content, including quotes.
We will identify ourselves as contributors to The Loon unless there is a strong reason not to do so.
The Loon takes a collaborative approach. We always attribute the work of others.
Staff must not act against the interests of the Loon, and the actions of all staff must align with its Values.
We recognize that staff may balance several roles with their work for the Loon. The Loon does not seek any ownership of work completed by staff elsewhere.
Corrections and Clarifications Policy
The Loon (London Ontario Online News is committed to accurate, fair and trustworthy storytelling. We recognize that errors can occur, however careful we may be. When mistakes are identified, we will correct them promptly, transparently and in a manner that maintains the public record.
All staff, contributors and editors share responsibility for identifying and correcting errors.
Reporting Errors
Any member of the editorial team who becomes aware of a potential error must notify the Editor as soon as possible.
Readers may also report concerns through the contact information at the bottom of this page.
Assessing Errors
The Editor will review reported errors and determine whether:
No correction is required;
A clarification should be published;
A factual correction is required; or
Additional editorial action is necessary.
Where appropriate, the Editor will consult the content contributor and any relevant source before approving a correction.
Corrections
The Loon will correct significant factual errors in any published content, including:
News stories;
Opinion articles where factual statements are incorrect;
Headlines;
Captions;
Photographs;
Graphics;
And social media posts where practical.
Corrections should be made as soon as reasonably possible after the error has been verified.
Correction notices will clearly explain what was incorrect and provide the accurate information. They will not obscure or minimize the nature of the error.
Clarifications
Where published information is technically accurate but may reasonably mislead readers, The Loon may publish a clarification to improve understanding.
Clarifications should distinguish between correcting an error and providing additional context.
Digital Content
For digital publications, factual errors will be corrected promptly once verified.
Where a correction materially changes the meaning of a published article, a correction note will be appended to the article indicating:
The date of the correction;
And a brief explanation of what was changed.
Minor corrections, such as typographical errors that do not affect meaning, may be made without a correction note.
Opinion Content
Opinion writers are responsible for the factual accuracy of statements made in their work.
Material factual errors in opinion articles will be corrected using the same standards as news reporting. Where appropriate, the correction may be accompanied by an editor’s note explaining the change.
Responsibility
Corrections are intended to improve the public record, not assign blame.
Where an error resulted from the editorial process rather than the original reporting, the Loon may note that the error occurred during editing.
Unpublishing
The Loon (London Ontario Online News) generally does not remove published content from its website.
Requests to remove or substantially alter published material will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, including:
Court orders or legal requirements;
Demonstrably false information that cannot reasonably be corrected;
Serious privacy or safety concerns;
Or other compelling public-interest considerations.
When content is removed, The Loon will normally retain a public notice indicating that the content has been withdrawn and, where appropriate, explain the reason for its removal.
Accountability
The Editor is responsible for approving all published corrections, clarifications and decisions regarding unpublishing.
This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure it reflects accepted professional standards and applicable law.
Fact-Checking and Verification Policy
The Loon is committed to accurate, fair and evidence-based storytelling. Every article published by The Loon must be supported by sufficient reporting and verification to justify the facts presented and any conclusions drawn.
Fact-checking is the responsibility of the content contributor creating the content. Accuracy is a shared editorial value, but primary responsibility rests with the content contributor.
Responsibility of the content contributor
Before publication, content contributors are expected to:
Verify all material facts using reliable and, wherever practical, independent sources;
Maintain notes, recordings, documents or other evidence supporting factual statements;
Distinguish clearly between verified fact, analysis and opinion;
Ensure quotations accurately reflect what was said and are not taken out of context;
Attribute information appropriately and avoid presenting unverified claims as fact.
Where uncertainty remains, it should be acknowledged within the story rather than omitted or presented as established fact.
Fairness and Verification
The Loon expects its content contributors to approach reporting with an open mind and to test their own assumptions.
Content contributors should:
Seek information from multiple credible sources where appropriate;
Consider relevant perspectives on matters of public interest;
Evaluate the credibility, expertise and independence of sources;
Avoid relying solely on anonymous, partisan or interested sources where independent verification is available;
And reach conclusions that are supported by the available evidence.
Representing Views
The Loon seeks to represent people, organizations and issues fairly and in context. Our reporting is grounded in verified facts and in fairness, and we work to ensure that differing views are accurately represented so readers can understand the issues fully.
Where additional context or perspective would strengthen a story, we will make reasonable efforts to approach those involved and invite their views, in the public interest. We will present those views in the context of the established facts and avoid creating false balance where the evidence clearly points in one direction.
We do not pursue sensationalism or controversy for the sake of audience growth. The Loon measures its success by the quality and credibility of its work, not by spikes in traffic. We aim to report thoughtfully, represent views fairly, and avoid unnecessary drama or inflammatory language.
When an opportunity to comment is offered, content contributors should retain evidence that the request was made. Where no response is received within a reasonable timeframe, the story should note that the opportunity to comment was provided.
Sources
The Loon expects content contributors to select sources carefully.
Sources should, wherever practical:
Have direct knowledge of the subject matter;
Possess relevant expertise or lived experience;
Represent the community or issue being discussed fairly;
And be used in sufficient number and diversity to avoid creating a misleading impression.
The credibility of every source should be considered before publication.
Peer Review
The Loon is a small independent newsroom and does not maintain a formal copy-editing or dedicated fact-checking department.
Wherever reasonably possible, published content should be reviewed by another member of the editorial team before publication. A fresh set of eyes can identify errors, omissions or questions that the original content contributor may have overlooked.
This review supports the reporting process but does not transfer responsibility for accuracy. The content contributor remains accountable for the factual accuracy of their work.
Verification of Third-Party Material
Information obtained from news releases, social media, public submissions or other third-party sources should be independently verified wherever practical before publication.
Photographs, documents and other digital materials should be authenticated whenever their authenticity is material to the story.
Corrections
If a factual error is identified after publication, the Loon will correct it promptly in accordance with its Corrections, Clarifications and Unpublishing Policy. Willingness to correct mistakes is an essential part of maintaining public trust.
Anonymous Sources Policy
In some circumstances, our work requires us to republish information from a confidential source.
This is an exception and never the norm, and must be done with our Values in mind, and always to convey the truth and to act in the public interest.
We always ensure we know the identity of who is speaking, and we keep it confidential only when there is a strong reason to do so.
This type of work will always be undertaken with the support of the Editor and/or senior staff.
Conflict of Interest, Transparency and Independence Policy
Staff of The Loon must not use their connection with the company to solicit free or discounted gifts and services.
If accepting a gift, service or other advantage, they must ensure it does not affect their objectivity or their work with The Loon. Where there is an obvious ethical conflict, an editorial staffer may recuse themselves and ask a colleague to support; they should also consider making a public disclosure in their content. The Loon does not seek any ownership of work completed by staff elsewhere.
It is obvious and acceptable that The Loon editorial staff should express views in public on a variety of issues. In doing this, especially on social media, all staff must ensure it does not negatively affect The Loon and the normal principles of accuracy and fairness are employed. Hate speech and personal attacks are always unacceptable and will never be used on behalf of The Loon.
Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by advertisers, donors, sponsors or external interests.
Photography and Photo Editing Policy
Purpose
The Loon uses photography to inform the public accurately and fairly. Images published by The Loon must reflect events truthfully and uphold the same standards of accuracy, independence and accountability that apply to in the rest of our work.
Photography Standards
Photographs published by the Loon must be obtained and used ethically and responsibly.
Content contributors will:
Avoid imagery or captions that stereotype individuals or communities on the basis of race, ethnicity, Indigenous identity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, socioeconomic status or any other protected characteristic;
Respect the dignity and privacy of people who are experiencing grief, trauma or other difficult circumstances;
Make reasonable efforts, where appropriate, to obtain permission from a parent or legal guardian before identifying or prominently photographing children under the age of 16, recognizing that exceptions may exist where publication is clearly in the public interest or the images are taken in a public setting;
Carefully consider whether identifying criminal suspects before charges have been laid is justified by a clear public interest and consistent with Canadian law;
Comply with applicable privacy legislation and publication restrictions in the jurisdiction where reporting occurs.
Accuracy and Authenticity
Photographs published by The Loon must accurately represent the scene that was photographed.
The Loon will not publish images that have been manipulated in a way that materially alters the events, people or circumstances being depicted.
When photographs supplied by third parties are used, reasonable steps will be taken to verify their authenticity before publication.
Credit will be given to the photographer or originating organization whenever practicable.
Photo Editing
Routine editing is permitted only to improve the technical quality of an image.
Acceptable adjustments include:
Exposure;
Colour balance;
Contrast;
Cropping that does not alter the editorial meaning of the image;
And removal of sensor dust or other technical imperfections.
Editing must never add, remove or materially alter people, objects or events within a documentary photograph.
The excessive use of filters, colour saturation, burning, dodging or artificial enhancement that changes the editorial meaning of an image is prohibited.
Photo Illustrations
Images that have been digitally created, composited or materially altered for illustrative purposes must be clearly identified as Photo Illustration.
Photo illustrations must not be presented in a manner that could reasonably lead readers to believe they are authentic documentary photographs.
Artificial Intelligence
The Loon does not use AI-generated images to depict real news events.
Where AI-generated or AI-assisted imagery is used for illustrative purposes, it will be clearly labelled so readers understand that the image is not a documentary photograph.
Editorial Oversight
The Editor is responsible for ensuring that photographs and photo illustrations published by The Loon comply with this policy.
Questions regarding the authenticity, ethical use or editing of images will be resolved before publication whenever reasonably possible.
Further information
Contact us: londonontarioonlinenews [at] gmail.com