Preamble

Since 1942, The Voice of America has built a global reputation as a

consistently reliable source of news and information. Accuracy, balance,

comprehensiveness, and objectivity are attributes audiences around the

world have come to expect of VOA broadcasters and their product. These

standards are legally mandated in VOA Charter (Public Laws 94-350 and

103-415). Because of them, VOA has become an inspiration and information

lifeline to nations and peoples around the world.

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Summary

Adhering to the principles outlined in the Charter, VOA reporters and

broadcasters must strive for accuracy and objectivity in all their work.

They do not speak for the U.S. government. They accept no treatment or

assistance from U.S. government officials or agencies that is more

favorable or less favorable than that granted to staff of private sector

news agencies. Furthermore, VOA professionals, careful to preserve the

integrity of their organization, strive for excellence and avoid imbalance

or bias in their broadcasts.

The Voice of America pursues its mission today in a world conflict-ridden

and unstable in the post Cold War era. Broadcasting accurate, balanced, and

complete information to the people of the world, and particularly to those

who are denied access to accurate news, serves the national interest and is

a powerful source of inspiration and hope for all those who believe in

freedom and democracy.

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The Code

All staff who report, manage, edit, and prepare programming at VOA in both

central and language services therefore subscribe to these principles:

Sourcing

normally requires a minimum of two independent (non-VOA) sources before any

newswriter, correspondent, or stringer may broadcast information as fact in

any language.

confirmed by a VOA journalist or significant news drawn from an official

announcement of a nation or an organization. In those rare instances when a

secondary source offers exclusive significant news (e.g., a verified news

agency exclusive interview with a chief of state or prominent newsmaker),

this story is attributed to the originating agency by name.

Accuracy and Balance

priority. Accuracy always comes before speed in VOA central service and

language programming. VOA has a legal obligation to present a comprehensive

description of events, reporting an issue in a reliable and unbiased way.

Though funded by the U.S. government, VOA airs all relevant facts and

opinions on important news events and issues. VOA corrects errors or

omissions in its own broadcasts at the earliest opportunity.

or domestic, to use its broadcasts as a platform for their own views. This

applies to all programs and program segments, including opinion or press

roundups, programs discussing letters, listener comments, or call-in shows.

In the case of call-ins, views of a single party must be challenged by the

interviewer if alternative opinions are unrepresented. In interviews,

points of possible discussion are submitted in advance if requested by an

interviewee of stature (e.g., a chief of state). However, VOA journalists

always retain the right and responsibility to pursue newsworthy angles,

including entirely fresh lines of questioning, during such interviews.

group against another, or presents one side of a controversial issue, a

response and/or balancing information will be included in the first use of

a news item or feature containing that material. If the balancing

information cannot be obtained by the program deadline, or the subject of

the charge declines to comment, that will be made clear in VOA's account,

and the balancing material will be broadcast as soon as it is available.

Fairness

opinions of mankind." VOA is required to present a full and fair account of

events. VOA broadcasters evaluate information solely on its merits,

rejecting incitements to violence, sensationalism, personal value

judgements, or misleading emphasis. Attributions are specific and complete.

political affairs writers, and program hosts) avoid at all times the use of

unattributed pejorative terms or labels to describe persons or

organizations, except when the individuals and groups use those labels to

describe themselves or their activities.

meticulously avoid fabricating, distorting, or dramatizing an event. If

sound at an event illustrates the reporter's account of that event and is

edited for time, the remaining sound effect reflects what occurred in an

accurate and balanced way. If there is a risk of misleading the audience,

no use will be made of sound effects not actually recorded at the event

being described.

Context and Comprehensiveness

events in context. That means constant vigilance to reflect America's and

the world's political, geographical, cultural, ethnic,religious, and social

diversity. VOA programming represents the broadcast team's best effort to

seek out and present a comprehensive account of the event or trend being

reported.

that add political coloration or bias to their reportage or current affairs

programming. Music will not be used to make editorial statements. VOA

journalists and all those preparing news and feature programming avoid any

action or statement that might convey the appearance of partisanship.

Procedures

political views behind. the accuracy, quality, and credibility of the Voice

of America are its most important assets, and they rest on listeners'

perception of VOA an objective source of world, regional, and U.S. news and

information. To that end, all VOA journalists will:

1.Always travel on regular, non-diplomatic passports, and rely no more and

no less than private sector correspondents on U.S. missions abroad for

support, as set out in the guidelines for VOA correspondents.

2.Assist managers whose duty is to ensure that no VOA employee, contract

employee, or stringer works for any other U.S. government agency, any

official media of another state, or any international organization, without

specific VOA authorization.

3.Adhere strictly to copyright laws and agency regulations and always

credit the source when quoting, paraphrasing, or excerpting from other

broadcasting organizations, books, periodicals, or any other print media.

In addition to these journalistic standards and principles, VOA employees

recognize that their conduct both on and off the job can reflect on the

work of the Voice of America community. They adhere to the highest

standards of journalistic professionalism and integrity. They work to

foster teamwork, goodwill and civil discourse in the workplace and with

their colleagues everywhere in the world, all to enhance the credibility

and effectiveness of the Voice of America.