Applications
This Editorial Charter is a ‘living document’ adjusted to the organization’s needs as it develops. On a routine basis and as needed, the Editorial Charter should be revised and adjusted to reflect the changes in journalistic practices.
While all contributors to Nawaat are subject to this Editorial Charter and expected to adhere to its stipulations, the Editorial board is ultimately responsible for soliciting input and incorporating revisions to the Editorial Charter. Nawaat’s founders and the advisory board should review and approve changes to the Editorial Charter.
PRELIMINARIES
General Remarks
This Charter expresses the editorial line of publications (print and digital) disseminated via Nawaat. As such, the Editorial Charter reflects Nawaat’s vision of alternative journalism that upholds liberty as a core value and is anchored in fairness, accuracy, and transparency.
All contributors (founders, authors, bloggers, journalists, translators, and others) undertake to respect this Charter. The Editorial Charter should be viewed as supportive, not restrictive, of how and what Nawaat editorial staff do. The Editorial Charter is a living reference document designed to define the general principles associated with all Nawaat publications and to assist the editorial team’s day-to-day activities.
The Charter serves as a reference for Nawaat staff and contributors who are invited to integrate its principles in their journalistic practices and as an invitation to Nawaat to continue and develop the thinking that guides its work.
Mission Statement
Provide free, independent and alternative journalism of public interest to counter the dominant narrative and to defend rights and freedoms.
Explanation Of Nawaat’s Mission
Being independent of political or economic interferences and free from political dominance, social dictation, religious norms and cultural conditioning, Nawaat provides in-depth journalism drawing on a multitude of sources and a variety of references, favoring field work and proximity. Our public interest journalism aims to counter the dominant narrative and to serve underserved, underprivileged and marginalized communities by covering topics that are rarely covered by mainstream media.
EDITORIAL CHARTER
Guiding Objectives
- Acknowledging Nawaat’s activist and oppositional roots, this Editorial Charter reflects its commitment to speak up for the powerless in society by adopting journalistic techniques such as interviewing, attribution and investigation while exercising a critique of mainstream discourses.
- As part of Tunisian media, Nawaat is independent of state or commercial interests, committed to the issues of minorities and disenfranchised populations, and investigates power dynamics in society.
- As part of global media, Nawaat is engaged with human rights and social justice in the Maghreb region, across the Arab world, and beyond.
- The purpose of the Editorial Charter is to protect and foster the bond of trust between Nawaat and its readers. It helps our audiences understand Nawaat’s ambitions and obligations and ensures that our content meets their expectations.
- The Editorial Charter guides the integrity of the journalistic practice, the editorial process, and published content. It reflects Nawaat’s commitment to the highest editorial standards when publishing trusted, fact-based, informed, insightful, transparent, and useful journalism.
- Nawaat’s journalism encourages robust debates on issues of public interest. Still, in doing so, it aims to be an alternative platform for in-depth reporting instead of mainstream media’s opinion or hard news offerings.
- While the editorial Charter is framed primarily regarding published articles, it applies to all content, including blogs, audio-visual content, podcasts, social media posts, and other forms of public communication.
- The editorial Charter cannot anticipate all events, situations, and possibilities and instead offers guiding principles to assist contributors to make reasoned decisions, editors to offer sound judgments, and readers to evaluate outcomes.
Editorial Independence
Nawaat’s editorial integrity and independence are at the core of its journalistic practice. Nawaat aims to be free of political and commercial influence, yet it adheres to its activist ethos. Our founders, board members, funders, and partners acknowledge that editorial decisions are made on merit and that Nawaat supports independent thinking. All funding sources will be acknowledged transparently and publicly disclosed in a timely way. Editorial staff and contributors will act in a way that preserves the independence and integrity of the publication process.
Journalistic Principles
Freedom Of Expression, Opinion, And Information
Nawaat affirms its respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article, 19 which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
In practice, Nawaat adheres to right of freedom of expression which guarantees to freely communicate ideas, views, opinions and to seek, receive and share information. Nawaat also considers that these freedoms are essential for its mission of fostering open and informed debate in society.
Loyalty To Citizens
Since its beginning, Nawaat earned and nurtured the public’s trust by showing our ultimate allegiance to the public interest and human rights. While technology, formats, and people may change, the trust in Nawaat should endure.
At Nawaat, our loyalty is to Tunisian citizens, not public office. This loyalty means that we are not impartial or neutral to the matters that affect citizens. This separates Nawaat from other forms of communication whose loyalty is to those who have political and/or economic power.
This commitment to citizens means that we seek to convey a representative picture of the constituent groups in society. We do not just cover the news but search and discover stories about those absent, underreported, or misrepresented.
Monitor Of Power
At Nawaat, we monitor those whose power and position most affect citizens. We are not neutral, we make decisions to cover stories of public interest, and we take victims’ sides. However, our journalistic methods are objective rested on a transparent approach to evidence. Seeking out multiple perspectives, disclosing as much as possible about sources, and asking the difficult questions all point to the principle of verification – a core element of monitoring power.
We focus on the management, the execution, and the effects of political, economic, cultural, religious, and social power. This includes reporting on successes and failures. We cherish our independence because it allows us not to be seduced by sources, intimidated by power, or compromised by self-interest. Such independence should not be demeaned in frivolous use or exploited for political or commercial gain.
Diversity And Inclusion
At Nawaat, we are committed to diversity and inclusion in our content and editorial staff. This means seeking out traditionally marginalized or under-represented perspectives and recruiting authors of diverse cultural backgrounds, gender, age, and geographic location.
Authorship & editing Process
Editors Commissioning And Approvals
Editors seek quality, diverse, and fact-based journalism from staff journalists and contributors. Nawaat will not avoid contentions or complex issues and will offer content in a considerate and constructive manner. Editors encourage authors to explore all serious angles of an issue. This does not mean that all perspectives must be included or given equal rights.
Nawaat recognizes that its content may take a position on a controversial or newsworthy topic and present a specific perspective to the possible exclusion of other ideas. In such instances, relevant facts should not be excluded. Editors assure that Nawaat’s content reflects relevant facts, diversity of perspectives, and alternative views on controversial or contested issues over a suitable time.
Whereas the author is responsible for the content’s copy, the editor remains responsible for the content’s publication including the headline, visuals, and captions. The push and pull between editors and authors are welcomed and nurtured rather than resisted to balance the author’s and the audience’s expectations and ensure adherence to the editorial guiding principles.
Harm, Offense, Discrimination
Nawaat supports the freedom of expression but takes the utmost care to protect vulnerable groups and avoid causing unnecessary harm. Nawaat’s content shall not spread disinformation nor incite, promote, justify or tolerate hate speech. However, this does not mean that Nawaat will avoid publishing material that illustrates existing prejudices in our society as long as the reporting is based on evidence and does not perpetuate stereotypes or stigmas.
Editors and authors should thoroughly discuss alternatives and provide content warnings as needed. When it is deemed necessary to publish confronting or upsetting images, full consideration should be offered to avoid causing harm.
Errors, Corrections & Retractions
Nawaat strives for accuracy and fairness at all times and encourages readers to advise us of any significant errors. If a mistake has been made, we will correct it as soon as possible fully, quickly, publicly, and candidly.
Nawaat is dedicated to providing an informed and transparent forum for public debate. The full retraction of an article is the last resort, and the editors will consider it when:
- If it is a legal requirement.
- If the article contains significant flaws that make it unsalvageable.
- If an investigation reveals that the article did not follow our editorial process.
If apiece is corrected or retracted, an explanation will be provided to our readers.
