Articles, photos and graphics for La Voz must adhere to legal, fair and honorable standards. Writers, photographers, videographers and graphic artists should be familiar with content guidelines developed over the years by La Voz editors. The editorial board makes all content decisions.

Accurate quotations

Journalists must take care to quote subjects accurately and to not take quotations out of context, giving them a different meaning. An inaccurate quote is not only dishonest, but could also lead to a lawsuit against the paper.

Anonymous sources

La Voz uses named sources and includes first and last names. The only exceptions to this rule must be pre-approved by the editor-in-chief and section editor, who will consider whether the source and the story are significant and what the consequences of naming the source would be. The reporter would need to share with the section editor and the editor-in-chief the source's first and last name and contact information. La Voz has granted anonymity to undocumented students and sexual assault victims. Editors should always consider the source's motives and avoid manipulation.

Children in stories and photos

Children and youth under 12 may not be identified or identifiable without a written release from a parent or guardian.

Conflicts of interest

Journalists should avoid covering people they know well and organizations they are involved in because of the appearance of a conflict of interest. Students involved with DASB Senate will not receive assignments involving the senate or its activities. If there is a conflict, it should be disclosed in the story.

Corrections

La Voz corrects errors of fact online and in print. Submit corrections by email to lavoz (at) fhda.edu, and include contact information.

Covering a controversy

When covering a controversy, a journalist must obtain two or more sides of the story honestly, factually, fairly and without bias.

Crime reporting

Victims of non-sexual crimes may be identified, but the publication is responsible for giving some protection to victims, such as giving imprecise addresses. Names of rape and sexual assault victims are generally not published; however, this may be negotiated between the victim.

and the publication. When in doubt, contact the Student Press Law Center for advice.

Fabrication

The use of composite or imaginary situations or characters is not allowed. Occasionally a columnist may use such an approach in developing a piece, but it must be made clear to the reader that the person or situation is fictional.

Fact vs. opinion

Journalists must be extremely careful to distinguish facts from opinion. Their own opinions should never be part of a news story, and opinions from sources must always be attributed. Reporters and editors must carefully review stories for subtle opinions. For example, “he said” is neutral, but “he claimed” subtly calls the integrity of the source into question by the reporter.

Manipulation of subjects

Readers expect photos and stories to be truthful. Reporters should not lead a source toward a particular response; photographers should not stage or pose news photos or video.

The content of a photo cannot be altered for news and features stories or standalone photos (except for contrast, brightness and cropping). A photo may be altered as a special effect but must be marked as “photo illustration.”

When using photos of victims of accidents, fires or natural disasters, staff should maintain the dignity of the subject as much as possible without undermining the truth of the event. La Voz staff should consider the question of privacy versus the public’s right to know.

Negative stereotypes

Avoid subtle stereotyping coverage and in selecting sources and subjects of photographs. Identify people as members of any population group only when essential for the reader’s understanding of the story. Take great care to avoid perpetuating negative group stereotyping. When identifiers are used, check the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual for proper usage.

Personal privacy vs. public right to know

Be aware of conflicts between personal privacy and the public’s right to know. Judge personal privacy issues on the basis of the news value of the situation, common sense and decency. Private individuals deserve a higher degree of privacy than public officials or figures. Intimate details of a person’s life, such as health or sexual activities, should be published with extreme care and only if the facts are important for the completeness of a story and reflect in a significant way upon the person’s public life.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the duplication of another person’s writing and is prohibited and illegal if the material is copyright protected. A comparable prohibition applies to the use of photos and graphics. Short passages consisting of another person’s words or writing may be used if they are attributed or quoted. Information obtained from a published work must be independently verified before it can be reported as new and original; otherwise the work must be attributed.

Material on the internet should be considered copyright protected, unless the author states otherwise in writing. Attribute all news and other websites you use to compile an article.

Profanity and offensive language

Profane and offensive words are generally not used in journalistic writing, nor are they acceptable in opinion writing.

Interviewees may use words viewed as vulgar and profane and La Voz may publish these words as part of a quote when they are essential to the reader’s understanding of the situation, or the character of the interviewee, with the editorial board’s approval.

Vulgar or offensive language should never overshadow other more important aspects of a story. Words describing sexual activities and body parts and functions should be used for accurate reporting of health stories and, in a more limited way, for certain crime stories.

Review of work prior to publication

A subject of a story or photograph prior to publication may not review the story in its entirety. After an interview, a reporter may (and often should) review quotes, facts and spelling with the subject who was interviewed, but should not show the interviewee the completed story.