Newsroom Ethics Policy
People ought to trust us. It irks us when they don't.
All we have are our principles.
We have forgone lucrative careers in medicine, business and law in order to defend democracy, free speech and the American way. Without us, Ann Landers would be just another know-it-all.
Prominent correction: Some of us failed science and math.
Readers don't know our sacrifices.
We suffer through elections without benefit of bumper stickers. We know which politicians are idiots but can't scream it in a crowded room.
We lunch with millionaires but can't let them pick up the check.
Meanwhile, our siblings, who drive better cars, expect us to shower them with Bucs tickets and Disney passes. Our neighbors, who boast of knowing us, want publicity. We fail, unable to profile their tire stores on Page 1.
We feel quietly superior at high school reunions. But that's pretty much the end to the fun.
Credibility is a platform for words and ideas.
Without it, no one can hear us.
It's not a stomping ground for our personal viewpoints.
And it can't take the weight of our personal gain.
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