Below are the policies The Daily Tar Heel abides by. All staff members are required to sign their agreement with these policies before beginning work, and violation of any part of them is grounds for dismissal.

The bylaws for DTH Media Corp., the nonprofit that publishes the DTH, can be read here. 

Mission statement

The Daily Tar Heel, the independent student-run publication of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, operates with the following mission:

• To aggressively pursue all news of the University, University community and all who are affected by the University; to consistently beat our competition in terms of breaking news and quality of content; to set the standard for the journalism industry in terms of innovation, accuracy and responsiveness to the community. 
• To serve as a learning laboratory for young journalists with a relaxed atmosphere but serious expectations; to equip all aspiring media professionals with the tools necessary not only to communicate information but also to understand the changing face of media; to train staff members in various aspects of reporting, editing and managing a daily news organization and publishing a daily newspaper; to provide a fun working environment for young professionals. 
• To advocate for the tradition of editorial and journalistic freedom among journalists; to be a leader in espousing the ethical standards of the industry; to serve as a beacon of journalistic integrity. 
• To represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill community as its flagship news organization and also to represent the area as Orange County’s news source of record.

Code of ethics

As one of the primary sources of our area’s news and information, we must always mind our public image and the perception the public holds of us. The best way we can ensure that image is safeguarded and our product is clean is to be unwavering in our stance on ethical decision-making, to make that stance as transparent as possible and to address reader concerns about ethics and all other content decisions. The DTH also follows the Society of Professional Journalists’ ethical standards, which focus on seeking truth and reporting it, minimizing harm, acting independently and being accountable.

Our priorities

• We are committed to truth and accuracy. Without accuracy, we lack credibility and readers’ trust — the foundation of our business. We do not plagiarize or unfairly accept others’ information as our own. All information we obtain from other sources will be correctly attributed. * We are focused on fair, impartial treatment of readers, sources and advertisers. 
• We strive to be as open and accountable to our readers as possible. We publish our names and contact information in every day’s paper and on our website, and we encourage reader participation and feedback. Especially incumbent upon us is a goal of involving those seldom-heard voices in our community. 
• We promise to admit when we mess up. When we make a mistake, the only way we can preserve our credibility is to admit that we made it, apologize and take steps to keep it from happening again. 
• We are dedicated to suggesting change and exposing societal wrongs. Through editorials and clearly labeled commentaries, we add our voice to a public forum that involves and engages as many readers as possible – especially those who disagree with us. 
• We are not afraid to get involved in our community. Our conflict of interest policy helps guide how we as journalists gather the news, but we encourage our employees to become active in charitable and civic activities.
• We are dedicated to representing the community we serve. That means covering our entire community — not just the majority — and it also means recruiting a diverse body of students that represent our audience.

Diversity, equity and inclusion statement

The DTH is dedicated to the mission of raising awareness about and covering underreported issues that affect underrepresented communities. We recognize that this can only be achieved by actively cultivating diversity, equity and inclusion internally and externally. Our newsroom acknowledges that diversity includes race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, life experience and expertise. 

We believe that good journalism requires a diverse staff that reflects the diverse communities we cover, and we are committed to cultivating a newsroom culture that champions this. We seek to accurately reflect these communities by drawing on a multifaceted range of story subjects, sources, experts and analysts. 

Conflict of interest policy

These are not black-and-white rules, but rather guiding principles to keep in mind throughout your career at the DTH. Please talk to your editors if you need to discuss something; we’re here to help.

Desk editors have the power to discipline through the DTH’s three strike policy and/or terminate staffers who violate these policies, though they are encouraged to provide a warning and open a dialogue rather than resorting to disciplinary action.

Appeals may be made to the editor-in-chief, who is the final arbiter of what constitutes a conflict of interest.

The guidelines are as follows:

• In general, think before you speak and speak the truth.
  • As journalists, social media is a tool for us — it adds value to what we write, helps us build on relationships and adds context to our work.
• No staff member outside of the opinion section may participate on any of student government’s three branches or in any administrative capacity. This includes any student government committees or external appointments, RHA (students are permitted to serve as resident advisers), Senior Marshals and the CAA. Opinion desk staff are permitted to have a small role in certain organizations, but such involvement must be cleared by the editor-in-chief and fully disclosed. 
• Staff members should not make the news. We offer the following guidelines for our staff: 
  • Refrain from large involvement in protests, demonstrations or controversies. Any activity should be done in a personal capacity, and the staffer acknowledges that they will not have any legal protections from the DTH unless covering the protest on behalf of the organization (as directed by your editor) and personal participation could affect the staffer’s ability to cover related stories in the future. Staffers should also refrain from wearing DTH merchandise if participating in a personal capacity. 
  • DTH staffers and editors are permitted to attend and show a physical presence at demonstrations.
  • For questions about this policy, please contact your editor on how you can become involved with demonstrations, protests, etc. 
• While on duty for an assignment, the responsibility to stay out of the action is heightened. 
• The DTH encourages employees to become involved in community activities and to donate time to civic and charity organizations as long as they are not part of that staffers’ primary coverage area. 
  • Ethical guidelines should not be regarded as a barrier to being a good citizen in the community.
• During elections, staff members may not sign any candidate’s petition and may not participate in any campaign activities. Involvement in social activities with candidates or members of campaigns during elections is strongly discouraged. 
• Do not make any public comments or participate in media interviews without talking first to the editor. Staffers are encouraged to give interviews related to their stories and serve as experts in their fields. 
• It is acceptable to sign petitions that directly influence the democratic process. However, staff members should refrain from signing petitions that may pose a conflict of interest to their area of coverage. This responsibility is heightened for desk editors, who manage entire content areas.
  • Signatures on petitions often lack context that individuals can provide in other modes, such as on social media. 
• Refrain from publishing partisan views on blogs, forums, social media sites and profiles. 

The DTH subscribes to a full-disclosure philosophy that asks each staff member to notify their desk editor of all affiliations and involvements outside of the paper to help avoid conflicts of interest:

• Editors must be informed if any staff member takes a prominent leadership position in another campus group. Working at the DTH does not preclude staff members from membership in other campus groups. But we ask that no staff member or editor take on any prominent leadership position in another campus group unless cleared by the editor-in-chief. 
  • If a staff member applies for a leadership position that could place them at odds with this policy if hired, that staff member must inform their editor before submitting the application to avoid the appearance of a conflict. In all circumstances of doubt regarding following this policy, staff members should consult an editor. If any controversy arises, the editor-in-chief will determine the appropriate course of action. 
  • If a conflict arises between a staffer’s job at the DTH and membership in another campus organization, that staffer could be asked to move desks or dial back their responsibilities in the organization in order to continue working as a staffer.
• Reporters cannot cover a story where they are friends with or are affiliated with anyone involved in that story. 
  • Under no circumstances should a reporter interview a roommate or close friend.
  • Reporters should be comfortable with their sources but should not go past a source/reporter relationship with anyone involved in that story.
  • In general, exercise professionalism when choosing, building a relationship with or reporting on a source.
• Staff members may work for other campus or community publications or news organizations, although duties must not overlap. 
  • For example, a University Desk reporter may not cover campus issues for another publication and may not write editorials about University-related topics. 
  • Staff members are prohibited from working for a publication that has a stated political agenda, e.g. The Carolina Review. 
  • News desk reporters may not work simultaneously on the advertising staff at The Daily Tar Heel, selling advertisements for publication in the print edition of the DTH, or on dailytarheel.com. 
  • Staffers working on non-reporting desks may hold positions in the DTH marketing department, but should refrain from selling advertisements for The Daily Tar Heel.

For DTH staffers enrolled in a class that requires students to produce content for a news source that is not The Daily Tar Heel:

• Generally, the DTH policy on alternate publications does not apply to required coursework. The newspaper does not infringe upon a student's ability to progress academically. 
• When it's possible, the DTH would prefer the student to pitch his or her work for publication in the DTH. 
• When it's possible, the DTH respectfully requests that staffers cover a beat or story for the alternate news source that is different from the stories and topics that they typically cover for the DTH. Staffers should let their editor know which beat they'll be working on for the alternative news outlet.

For staffers working on the same story, photo project, multimedia project, etc., for class and the DTH:

• Staffers must be honest and transparent with sources about the possible publication of a story. 
• It is fraud to represent oneself as a DTH staffer to sources if the story is solely for class. Additionally, it is against DTH policy to tell a source that content is only for class, and then publish it in the DTH.
• The DTH editor-in-chief has final authority over the content and publication of a story. Any staffer in a reporting class should pitch their story ideas to the appropriate section editor. If the editor is interested in the story, then it’s safe to tell sources the story is for class and for the DTH. 
• Staffers working on a story that’s only for class should be clear with sources with whom they've developed a relationship through the DTH. If not, the source might assume the story is for the DTH when it is not. 
• When finished with a story, the staffer should turn in their own work to the professor for class and to the editor for publication. The reporter should not give a professor a DTH-edited version of their work.
• Reporters must always remember to identify themselves as DTH reporters while on assignment. Misrepresenting, or not representing, a reporter’s role for an article is not acceptable. 

Members of the opinion staff can become reporters provided that they do not cover stories or sources on which they’ve opined. 

No DTH journalist is for sale. We do not use our positions to gain personal advantages or considerations not available to the general public. We cannot accept gifts or any form of contribution from a source that is not available to the general public. 

• Gifts can take the form of meal payments, gift bags, etc. In all cases, our staff members politely return the gift. 
• We accept review tickets only for writers involved in the coverage of an event. Accepting free admission to specially designated press areas, e.g. press boxes at sporting events, is also permissible.

Code of conduct

All staff members are expected to exhibit good personal behavior and conduct themselves with courtesy while representing the DTH. Although not intended to be an exhaustive list, the following actions are considered inappropriate and may result in disciplinary action:

• Sexual harassment or discriminatory behavior.
• Physical violence or threats against other staff members.
• Extended absence without explanation.
• Abuse, unauthorized use or theft of DTH property or equipment.
• Careless work or negligence.
• Falsification of records.
• Habitual absenteeism or tardiness.
• Insubordination.

Disciplinary actions may include suspension for varying periods at the editor’s discretion or dismissal. Dismissal may follow after notice of termination was provided in writing to the staff member. Disciplined staff members may reapply to the DTH the semester after being dismissed. Appeals may be made to the editor-in-chief, who is the final arbiter of discipline. 

Social media policy 

The Daily Tar Heel encourages its reporters to be active on social media. We offer the following guidelines to our staff members:

• Understand that your profile and presence on social media represents yourself and the DTH. 
  • Be thoughtful with what you say and be respectful of others. 
  • Even if you do not include @dailytarheel in your profile, your name is associated with the paper and can easily be searched. 
  • Continue to be as professional as possible at all times.
  • If your name/photo is attached to a social media account, it must be held to these standards.
• Using your own name and photo is recommended, but you may choose any avatar you wish so long as it is in good taste and does not misrepresent yourself as someone you are not. If you are using your account for DTH reporting, identify yourself as a DTH reporter in your profile.
• Let your editor know if you plan to live-tweet an event. 
• You must disclose yourself as a DTH reporter to potential sources the same way you would if you were meeting face-to-face. 
• Remember that partisan preferences expressed on your profile could reflect a personal agenda to the public.
  • For this reason, we encourage DTH reporters to be mindful of their posting.
  • We invite DTH reporters to challenge events and viewpoints when the criticism is backed in fact, reporting or their lived experiences.
    • For example: If there are erroneous tweets about the nature of a protest (peaceful versus violent), and you are fully aware of the nature of the event, feel free to correct erroneous errors.
      • E.g. Erroneous tweet: “This protest was violent at Times Square”
      • You could respond: “Throughout the entire 3-hour protest, demonstrators were peacefully advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement.”
  • We also invite DTH reporters to hold all individuals accountable, though we ask that you be able to factually back up any claims or responses.
  • DTH staff members should feel encouraged to express anecdotes from their lives, or ones in which they know are factual.
  • DTH staff members are allowed to share other publications’ works, including opinion pieces, on their personal social media accounts 
• The DTH encourages staff members to offer constructive criticism of their peers’ work.  Promoting your peers and your own work via social media is encouraged. 
  • Do not use personally criticize competitors on social media. You are welcome to engage in constructive criticism of our work if your comments are factual and good-humored. 
• It is acceptable to "friend" sources, but do it evenly. For instance, if you cover the Chapel Hill Town Council, if you wish to follow one member on Twitter, you should follow all of them. 
• Feel free to respond to individuals who contact you via social media. If you aren't the appropriate person to answer their questions, refer them to whoever is.

Fabrication and plagiarism policy

Plagiarism (the presenting of someone's work as your own) and fabrication (the invention of quotes, sources or information) are not tolerated at the DTH. Also not tolerated is "patch writing," the minimal rewriting of a press release, background information or another news story without original reporting.

Any staffer who has plagiarized or fabricated work will be terminated. The work will be corrected or removed from the website.

The Daily Tar Heel refrains from using information from other news sources in stories. Staffers should independently verify everything through interviews, official documents, etc. The editor-in-chief may approve the use of another news source's investigation or scoop if it is crucial to the story. In those cases, the information must be attributed and hyperlinked to the news source in the text and at the top of the story until the DTH can independently verify the information. When the DTH confirms the information independently, the attribution can be moved or removed, at the discretion of the editor-in-chief.

When The Daily Tar Heel aggregates or curates news from other sources online, the staff must credit and link to the original news source, and take care not to quote large portions of the original story. 

Alternate publications policy

All work for other publications must be authorized by the editor-in-chief. The editor will be receptive to staff members who want to gain additional journalism experience outside of The Daily Tar Heel. However, not disclosing involvement in other publications, either print or online, is grounds for immediate termination. Staff members may work for other campus and community publications, although duties must not overlap. For example, a University Desk reporter may not cover campus issues for another publication and may not write editorials about University-related topics.

Staff members are prohibited from working for a publication that has a stated political agenda, e.g. The Carolina Review. Staff members also agree not to share any information obtained at the DTH with the alternative publication. Additionally, anything published in and for the DTH is solely the property of the DTH and only can be republished after obtaining permission from the editor-in-chief. This includes any information, photos, video, audio, interviews, sources or any other content generated by a DTH staff member while using DTH equipment or the DTH name and media. Staff members also remember that they represent The Daily Tar Heel in all public forums. In that vein, personal blogs and social media accounts should maintain good journalistic standards, such as linking to another news article if that’s where the information came from rather than making it appear as if the staff member learned it through independent reporting. Refer to the social media policy.

Anonymous source policy

It is the policy of The Daily Tar Heel not to publish anonymous or off-the-record information unless there is no alternative method of obtaining the information and said information is important enough to abandon our core ideal of always identifying any piece of information or any quote not self-generated. In general, sources going off the record is discouraged. Reporters should only do so if the information might prove useful in tracking down future stories and leads. 

If sources are unwilling to go on the record with said information, reporters should try and confirm the information in a public way through other avenues. If a known source asks that all information be kept off the record and already has told a reporter the information, all that information should be kept on the record. 

The editor-in-chief will be the ultimate arbiter in determining when this rule of thumb might be bent. Any information that cannot be confirmed on the record and that is of a highly groundbreaking and provocative nature should be brought to the editor-in-chief’s attention. The editor-in-chief is to make the ultimate call as to whether the information may be published without attribution. 

If a source asks to be anonymous, reporters will immediately ask their supervising editor before promising anonymity. The editor will discuss the content with newsroom management as soon as possible and before deadline. Anonymous sources must be cleared with the editor-in-chief with enough time to find replacement sources or to verify the accuracy of the anonymous source. Consider a source’s motives before asking the editor-in-chief to allow their anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Reporters must make clear why a source is anonymous in their story after clearing anonymity with the editor-in-chief.

Stories must have two independent sources if an anonymous source is quoted in the story unless otherwise approved by the editor-in-chief.

Corrections policy

Fundamental to The Daily Tar Heel's mission of provoking thought and inspiring action is accuracy. Failure to report accurately undermines the publication's credibility in the eyes of our readers and peers. As a general rule, the DTH does not run any piece of information that we are not 100 percent sure is correct. That being said, mistakes are inevitable. Reporters and editors must be responsive and forthright in dealing with accuracy issues. The news organization serves as a historical record and any blemishes must be corrected. As such, the DTH has implemented the following policy with respect to running corrections:

• It shouldn’t take a complaint from a source to run a correction. Anytime a member of the DTH staff becomes aware of a potential error, he or she should immediately refer it to their desk editor and the managing editor(s). If a staffer or editor knows there is an error in a story before or after publication and does not notify the managing editor(s), that is grounds for termination.
• Upon notification, editors will immediately examine the error. Is it a mistake? Why did it happen? How can it be corrected? 
• A call about a correction should not be treated as a headache but as an opportunity to make amends and ensure that our credibility does not suffer. Showing sources that we care about being accurate is essential to our success and often the best way to avoid legal troubles. Calls or emails from sources or readers about potential mistakes should be returned or handled promptly by an editor. If a correction is warranted, the editor and reporter will issue a sincere apology to the caller. 
• Corrections will be printed in the next week's paper and will run prominently on page 2. Corrections to online stories will be noted on our website. 
• A staffer will fill out a correction form and submit it to the managing editor(s) as soon as he or she becomes aware of the mistake. Information to be included on the form are date and page of publication, reason for error and an explanation for what can be done in the future to avoid similar mistakes. 
• When discussing corrections with the source, editors and reporters should be respectful and courteous.
• The editor-in-chief will be the final arbiter as to what constitutes a correction or clarification.

Election season policy

We do not wish to alienate any politically minded staff members, and we make decisions regarding political activity and campaign materials for the good of the paper. Our rationale is based on the organization's integrity and our commitment to being a nonpartisan news source.

All staff members, except those who work for the opinion section, should not publicly announce their partisan affiliations. This certainly does not mean staff members cannot join organizations such as the Young Democrats or the College Republicans (although writers on the City & State Desk cannot do so, per the desk’s specialized conflict of interest policy), but it does mean staff members should refrain from activities such as endorsing or lobbying for a particular candidate.

Accordingly, we ask that staff members not post their candidate preferences or partisan views in forums including but not limited to:

• Bumper stickers 
• Stickers, pins, patches, etc. on a staff member’s person or personal effects 
• Email signatures 
• Personal blogs or social media accounts (see alternate publications and social media policies)

It is acceptable to sign petitions that directly influence the democratic process. However, staff members should refrain from signing petitions that may pose a conflict of interest to their area of coverage. This responsibility is heightened for desk editors, who manage entire content areas. (See conflict of interest policy for more details and context).

DTH staff members may not sign petitions to get student government candidates on a ballot. This includes student body president, senior class president, Student Congress, CAA president and RHA president. Staff in one or more of the categories above absolutely may vote in all elections, but their names should stay off petitions in order to avoid endorsement of a particular candidate or viewpoint.

We neither desire to nor intend to censor any member of the DTH’s staff — to do so would be antithetical to the paper’s mission, history and ideals. For instance, there’s nothing wrong with staff members talking to their friends about politics or with attending campus- or community-based meetings. These guidelines simply are here to provide a framework for thinking about these actions and to avoid conflicts of interest.

Manipulation of archives policy 

The Daily Tar Heel and its website, dailytarheel.com, strive to report the truth as accurately as possible on news events of the day. Online archives are a part of the institutional memory of the newspaper and a historical record of our community. As such, we will not remove nor attempt to hide from commercial search engines any material in our online archives - news stories, story comments, editorials, opinion columns, photographs or graphic illustrations. If an error in our archived content is brought to our attention and documented to our satisfaction, we will append the original article with an editor's note acknowledging the change made to the original archive. That decision is solely at the discretion of the current student editorial management.

To make a complaint that archived content is inaccurate, contact the editor-in-chief in writing by letter or email with the following information:

• Name, telephone number and email address, 
• The URL address of the content in question, and 
• The specific content that is inaccurate and an explanation of how the information is inaccurate.

In the case of content published more than one year ago, the complainant must provide reasonable proof to the editor-in-chief that the content in question is no longer accurate. For example, a copy of expungement papers should be provided in case any criminal charges are dropped. If published more than a year ago, contested quotes are highly unlikely to be amended without written or audio documentation.

If the contested content was published less than a year ago, normal internal procedures for checking the material's accuracy will apply, and you may be asked to provide written documentation. Updates or corrections may be added if the material is factually inaccurate, but nothing will be removed. In the event of a correction, a note detailing the date and time of the change will be included.

The request will be reviewed and checked by the editor and if the editor determines it to be valid, an update or correction will be posted.

Community guidelines for Daily Tar Heel social media comments

The comments you read should engage you. These guidelines are designed to preserve a level of discussion that is welcoming of all views while allowing for disagreement.

• We won't tolerate comments that insult others by using gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual preference or disabilities. 
• We remove comments if we know them to be false. 
• We won't tolerate comments that are obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit. 
• We won't tolerate comments that violate the privacy of others.

We don't edit comments, but we reserve the right to remove them if they violate these guidelines. And we reserve the right to remove comments that violate the spirit of these guidelines as well. 

DTH staff members should consider the same judgment and guidelines when commenting on DTH social media accounts as they would when posting on their public personal social media accounts (refer to the social media policy for more details). DTH staff members may provide information or insight into the reporting process but should refrain from expressing an opinion or engaging in arguments or debates.

Terms of Use