Daylight San Diego Ethics Code

Preamble

At Daylight San Diego, our mission is to illuminate stories that matter — especially those from communities that have historically been overlooked, underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream media. As a nonprofit, community-centered and nonpartisan newsroom, we recognize the profound responsibility that comes with public trust.

This Ethics Code is a living document intended to guide our staff, freelancers and contributors in upholding integrity, accountability and fairness in all aspects of our journalism. It also includes a written statement confirming what financial transactions to Daylight San Diego does — and does not — entitle donors and advertisers to.

1. Accuracy and Fairness

We are committed to reporting the truth, verifying facts rigorously and correcting errors transparently and promptly.
We aim for fairness by giving subjects of coverage a meaningful opportunity to respond to claims or accusations.
We acknowledge our biases and work actively to challenge them through thoughtful reporting and inclusive sourcing.

2. Independence and Integrity

Our journalism is free from undue influence, whether political, commercial or personal. We do not accept gifts, favors or special treatment that could compromise — or appear to compromise — our independence.
We disclose potential conflicts of interest and recuse ourselves from coverage where impartiality might be compromised.
While we encourage our reporters to cover stories in the communities they come from — bringing valuable lived experience and cultural insight — we do not permit staff to report on movements or organizations in which they are personally involved.
We identify ourselves as journalists when doing newsgathering or other reporting work. However, it is acceptable for a journalist to refrain from displaying their press identification should it put their life at risk, such as when covering a protest in which participants or law enforcement may target reporters. If asked, a journalist should never lie about their profession.

3. Community-Centered Journalism

We are accountable to the people and communities we serve — not just our peers in journalism. We practice “listening-first” journalism and seek community input in story planning whenever possible.
We commit to trauma-informed reporting, especially when covering communities affected by systemic harm or violence.
We believe in building long-term relationships — not parachuting into communities only when there’s a crisis.

4. Transparency

We explain our editorial choices, sourcing methods and corrections publicly.
When using anonymous sources, we do so only when necessary (including, but not limited to, situations where the person’ job, health or life may be at risk) and with editorial oversight. We provide readers with as much context as possible without compromising safety.
We disclose when content has been sponsored, republished or altered after publication.

5. Equity and Representation

We strive for diverse representation in sources, stories, staff and leadership.
We are intentional about language, imagery and framing that can uphold or challenge harmful narratives.
We evaluate our coverage regularly for balance, inclusion and impact, adjusting our practices as needed.

6. Accountability

We welcome feedback, criticism and community engagement as part of our editorial process.
Staff members are expected to report ethical concerns or violations internally. A culture of speaking up is essential.
Repeated or egregious violations of this code may result in disciplinary action, including termination.

Personal social media use by staff should not undermine Daylight’s credibility or nonpartisanship. Staff should be mindful of how their posts may be perceived.
We encourage authenticity but expect professionalism in both digital and in-person interactions.

8. Donors, Advertisers and Other Funders

As a nonprofit newsroom, our budget will be covered by a variety of revenue streams, including donations, grants, advertisements, merchandise sales and event ticket/vendor sales.
We are committed to publicly thanking our donors for transparency, but editorial independence is non-negotiable. While some grants and donations may be focused on covering specific topics in San Diego County, donations do not shape the reporting, sourcing or editorial framing of our stories.
Our funding sources do not influence editorial decisions. All editorial decisions are made solely by our newsroom, guided by journalistic values — not by funders.

9. AI Policy

We believe journalism should be produced by members of the community, not computers.
Artificial intelligence may be used in some cases, such as transcribing interview recordings, but it never creates content for us. All published materials will be reported, written and fact-checked by humans.

Implementation and Review

This code will be reviewed annually with input from staff and board members. Ethical questions or dilemmas not covered in this document should be discussed with the editorial team and addressed with transparency and thoughtfulness.