Code of Ethics — News Broadcaster Live
News Broadcaster Live is a live U.S. news service published by 24World Media under a single editorial promise: “Live news, as it happens, around the clock.” In breaking coverage, the temptation to publish first competes constantly with the duty to publish correctly. This Code of Ethics resolves that tension in favor of the reader. It binds every editor, reporter, producer, and contributor working on newsbroadcasterlive.com, sets expectations that readers can hold us to, and is reviewed annually by senior editorial leadership. Questions about this Code may be directed to us through the Contact page; formal correspondence may be sent to 24World Media, 1411 N Sterling Ave, Palatine, IL 60067, United States.
1. Accuracy Above Speed
Accuracy is our license to operate live. We publish no factual claim we have not verified to a standard proportionate to its impact: routine developments require a credible primary or on-record source; consequential claims — deaths, arrests, accusations, closures, financial figures — require confirmation from a responsible authority or two independent credible sources wherever feasible. Where only a single source is available in a fast-moving event, we say so explicitly and label the detail as developing or unconfirmed. We never present speculation as fact, never invent detail to fill gaps, and never allow a headline to assert more than the reporting supports.
2. Sourcing, Attribution, and Anonymous Sources
Claims are attributed to named sources by default, so readers can judge credibility for themselves. Anonymous sources are used only when the information is important, cannot be obtained on the record, and the source’s identity and motivation are known to the assigning editor; the article must explain, in general terms, why anonymity was granted. We do not pay for news, do not promise outcomes in exchange for information, and protect confidential sources’ identities to the fullest extent permitted by law. Documents, data, photographs, and video are authenticated before publication; file imagery is labeled as such, and user-generated media is published only after review for authenticity and context.
3. Fairness, Right of Reply, and Live Updates
Developing stories often begin with a single side — an official statement, an allegation, a charge sheet. Fairness requires that we identify such material as one side’s account, actively seek response from subjects of critical coverage, and incorporate that response prominently when received, including in updates to stories already published. People accused of wrongdoing are described as accused, not guilty; ongoing investigations are reported without prejudgment. Live-update threads preserve the timeline honestly: new facts are added as new updates, and earlier material that proves wrong is corrected in place with a visible note, never quietly deleted to conceal a mistake.
4. Independence and Conflicts of Interest
Our journalists must avoid financial, personal, or political interests that could compromise — or appear to compromise — their reporting. Staff may not hold roles in campaigns or advocacy organizations related to their beats, may not accept gifts, travel, or favors beyond nominal courtesy from sources or subjects, and must disclose unavoidable conflicts to their editor before publication so coverage can be reassigned or the conflict disclosed to readers. Advertising and sponsored content are handled by separate commercial teams; advertisers, sponsors, and business partners receive no preview of, and exercise no influence over, editorial content. Sponsored material is always clearly labeled.
5. Respect, Harm Minimization, and Vulnerable People
Live coverage must not compound harm. We exercise restraint in identifying victims of crime, accidents, and disasters until authorities confirm next-of-kin notification, except where identification is essential to public safety. We do not publish graphic imagery without clear editorial justification, and we warn readers when disturbing material is necessary. Coverage of suicide, mental-health crises, minors, and grieving families follows recognized sensitivity guidelines, avoids sensational detail, and includes help resources where appropriate. Our “as it happens” desk balances the public’s right to know against the risk that real-time detail — tactical police positions, unverified suspect descriptions, precise shelter locations under threat — could endanger life; safety governs close calls.
6. Transparency, Corrections, and Accountability
We explain our methods when it helps readers evaluate a story: how we confirmed a video, why a figure changed, what remains unknown. Errors are corrected promptly and visibly under our Corrections policy, with substantive changes noted in the article. We do not alter published material silently, do not plagiarize, and fabricate nothing — violations of this Code, up to and including fabrication or deliberate deception, are grounds for discipline including dismissal. Editors conduct periodic reviews of live coverage for compliance with this Code, log recurring failures, and revise training and workflow accordingly. Above all, this newsroom recognizes that around-the-clock speed is valuable only when readers can trust what arrives. Accuracy, fairness, independence, and compassion are how we keep that trust, story by story, update by update.
