The Word from the EAPM Style and Accessibility Guide

Editorial and AI policies

Editorial independence

The Word on Style and Accessibility (The Word) is a publication of the EAPM Style and Accessibility Guide, which is a project of Equal Access Public Media.

Equal Access Public Media publications and projects maintain strict editorial independence, meaning the publications will:

  • Uphold the principles of the First Amendment.
  • Report news in a transparent manner.
  • Report the news free from political, commercial, and personal influence.
  • Report the news with accuracy and fairness.
  • Report facts of an issue. This may not always include both-sides or all-sides. In some cases, there are facts and deniers of facts, or there are facts and opinions. We aim to stick with fact.

Editorial process

To ensure EAPM’s, include The Word publications and projects are offering the highest quality journalism to our audiences, our editors and reporters will:

  • Be given time and space to get the story right, not first.
  • Treat sources and information with an open mind as well as skepticism.
  • Seek to give a better understanding of complex issues. To do this, EAPM will use the principles of solutions journalism, investigative journalism, and watchdog journalism. These types of journalism are deep dives into journalism that often take longer than others, but we believe our audiences deserve to be informed.
  • Fact-check sources and information.
  • Ask sources to clarify information and quotes when necessary.
  • Treat communities and individuals with which we interact with respect.
  • Be aware of people who need accommodations for interviews, such as interpreters or closed captioning, and provide those when necessary

Editorial transparency

Too often, the news gathering, reporting and publishing process is a mystery to the audience. EAPM’s publications will seek to demystify that process by:

  • Being transparent in reporting information.
  • Being transparent in its use of technology.
  • Being open and responsive to corrections.
  • Avoiding conflicts of interest between staff and sources.
  • Including an editor’s note and other clarifications if a conflict of interest is unavoidable.
  • Identifying sources of information. We will not use information attributed to “an anonymous source.” EAPM maintains that while on occasion a source’s name must be protected for a person’s physical safety, EAPM publications in those cases will use an alternate name such as the person’s middle name, commonly used pseudonym, etc. These instances include when a source’s life or safety may be threatened by revealing their name. Journalists have used pseudonyms for sex workers, refugees, whistleblowers, and others revealing information that may threaten their life or livelihood.

Corrections, feedback, complaints, and removal of content

EAPM’s publications, including the EAPM Style and Accessibility Guide and The Word, will always strive for factual accuracy, but mistakes and disagreements do happen. The following policy guides corrections, complaints, and removal of content.

  • If The Word’s editors become aware of a factual error, corrections will be made in a timely manner and time-stamped note will be added to the story noting the correction.
  • To report a factual error, email the editor of the publication at style@equalaccesspublicmedia.org.
  • EAPM is open to feedback on our reporting.  The EAPM audience has the right to agree or disagree with EAPM publication’s work.
  • Complaints, such as ethical violations, legal violations, or negligence, will be handled with the utmost seriousness and fully investigated by EAPM leadership. If necessary, EAPM leadership will involve legal counsel, law enforcement, and other appropriate third parties. To file a complaint, contact the managing editor or chief of editorial.
  • On occasion, EAPM publications, including The Word, may need to remove content for legal or ethical reasons. In such a situation, the page or location of the content will be replaced with an editor’s note explaining the removal.

Use of AI as augmentative and assistive communication (AAC) and adaptive tools

EAPM recognizes that individuals have a variety of ways in which they communicate.

Augmentative and Assistive (AAC) are ways people communicate other than talking. This may include:

  • communication boards or tablets.
  • generative speech devices and apps.
  • other technology.

Increasingly, AAC tech is using language learning models, a form of AI.

Adaptive technology for disabled people also includes:

  • screen readers.
  • voice typing features in software.
  • Braille translators.
  • and other technology.

Language learning models are used in many of these technologies. We encourage individuals working for and associated with EAPM to use the technologies that best suit their needs and help them best adapt in a work environment.

Use of AI as personal assistive tools

AI can be useful in assistive tools and technology, including:

  • the creation of workflows.
  • helping to reduce repetitive tasks.
  • assisting with minor program functions.

Employees may find AI useful in everyday tasks, such as:

  • transcribing interviews.
  • assembling data.
  • scheduling interviews.
  • acting as a virtual assistant.

If the use of AI is assistive and helpful, does not replace the employee, and is verified by the employee themselves, we encourage the use of technology by the employee.

Use of AI in research, fact checking, spell checking, and grammar checking

EAPM believes AI has merits in research and working with data. AI is now also a built-in component to spell-checking and grammar checking in word processing and editing programs. It can be a useful tool in fact-checking. However, like the human mind, AI can make mistakes or “hallucinate.”

While EAPM permits and encourages the use of AI tools in research, data computations, fact checking, spell checking, grammar checking, and in other processes, all credibility lies with the journalists and editors. All work requires final human verification and approval.

Use of AI and other technology in accessibility for end users

One of the two missions of EAPM is to provide accessibility in news. EAPM believes all people should have access to quality, accessible news. To that end, EAPM may employ AI and other technology to provide accessible content, including:

  • web site integrations.
  • pre-recorded AI audio readouts of text.
  • closed captioning of video made by AI.
  • AI transcribing of audio.
  • other technology, which will be noted for the end user.

When EAPM uses AI to create transcripts, audio readouts, captioning, etc., the end-product must be edited by staff before distribution. Additionally, a note will be included that the product was made using AI.

Use of AI in original content for publication

One of the two missions of EAPM is the creation of accessible jobs. EAPM believes that journalists should be creating content. Just as journalists are expected not to plagiarize, they should not use AI to create or manipulate content, known as generative AI. To that end, EAPM strictly prohibits the use of generative AI and large language models in:

  • Authorship of original copy, such as in articles, headlines, summaries, photo captions, pullout, etc.
  • Creation of original graphics.
  • Manipulation of photographs.
  • Manipulation of video.
  • Manipulation of audio.

Use of EAPM Content in Language Learning Models

EAPM does not approve sharing or entering original journalistic content into any language learning models or other AI models for training or consumption. If EAPM is approached for a relationship to train an LLM or other AI models on its content, the editor-in-chief will consider specific exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

Policy updates

As technology changes, the chief of operations and chief of editorial may feel the need to update this policy. At such a time, the publisher and editor-in-chief will convene an AI policy advisory committee to examine this policy and changes in the AI and technology landscape. This AI policy advisory committee will then present its findings with a recommendation to revise the policy if necessary.

General EAPM policies

For more in-depth EAPM policies, including financial policies, please see EAPM‘s organizational policies.