- Hear both sides
Usually, there are two sides to a story. In order to get a balanced and complete picture of a news fact or development, it’s important to call upon several parties to illustrate the different sides; this is called hearing both sides. If there is criticism, the person or organization in question will get the opportunity to respond to that. This way, the readers can form their own opinion on the matter, and this could start a debate. Hearing both sides can also prevent or correct misrepresentations of matters. Sometimes hearing the other side takes place later, for instance when people are not willing to comment at first, or if they cannot be reached. Then hearing the other side will take place a week later in a follow-up item for example. - Inspection of an interview
The editor is free to note statements at public meetings and use them in an article. It has to be clear to the person who is approached for an interview what story context the questions come from. If someone is interviewed individually – by telephone or face-to-face – this person can ask to inspect the interview. The editor doesn’t necessarily have to show the entire article, but only the passage which contains the interviewee’s statements. Corrections of factual errors and of the meaning of a statement within the context of the article are possible. The interviewee can put in a request for a correction, but the editor still has the final responsibility for the article. Also, the interviewee only has a say in the reproduction of his own statements, and not on the context or tenor of the story or statements made by others. If an editor refuses to change a quotation at the request of the interviewee, he has to justify his decision, for example by showing the notes of a conversation. At Univers, we work with a deadline. That means that a fast reaction is sometimes required. Journalist and interviewee make a clear agreement beforehand about the time frame in which the latter can respond to the article which is released for inspection. The interviewee must take into account that small adjustments may be made after the inspection. In the final stage before publication, the copy editor will also have a look at the article. He also produces the headlines and the introduction for the longer articles. The interviewee only gets to see the article again if there are drastic changes in the composition or tenor of the article. - Fictitious name
Univers basically wants to name its sources. There have to be compelling reasons to withhold the identity of an interviewee; for example when revealing someone’s name will have serious consequences for their profession or education. Univers can also choose to use a fictitious name in certain special cases, or only use a person’s first name in case of a sensitive subject that might cause the interviewee shame or fear if he were to be identified with his real name. But the editors do try to find people who are willing to be mentioned by name in the paper, even when it comes to sensitive subjects. The editors check whether the provided information is correct and can be verified before publishing an article with an anonymous source. It has to be mentioned at the bottom of the article that an anonymous source/fictitious name was used and why. - Complaints
If there is an article with real mistakes in Univers, the paper will place a correction a week later. Someone with a complaint about an article can always call the editor or send an email. Apart from that, it’s also possible to write to the editor. The maximum length for a letter is 300 words; longer articles could be shortened. The sender of the letter should state their name and course/function.
- Editorial Committee
If someone is dissatisfied with how complaints are dealt with, there is the opportunity to turn to the Editorial Committee. This committee plays a mediating role in complaint situations and is appointed by the Executive Board and the University Council. This committee consists of students, scientists and journalists who have been appointed because of their expertise in the area of media and communication. They will take the written complaint into account and give the complaining party the opportunity – personally at a meeting if desired – to explain their point of view.
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