Editorial policy of online media NikVesti
This document outlines the principles, rules and editorial guidelines that govern the NikVesti online media team.
We are an independent media that provides daily, balanced, reliable and timely information to the audience about important events in the South of Ukraine — Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odesa regions, as well as processes and publishes information about the situation in Ukraine and the world, which affects our target region.
Mission
To be a real local media. Immerse yourself in local problems, force the government and society to respond to them. Make the dark — transparent, the closed — open, the hidden and unclear — accessible and clear. Give your audience quick news and get them used to thoughtful content that makes them want to linger longer.
Our goal is to reliably, balanced and promptly inform the audience about events in the spheres of politics, economy, activities of local self-government bodies, social sphere, etc.
Ethical principles
We respect and adhere to ethical principles in accordance with JTI CWA 17493:2019 — accuracy, independence, impartiality, honesty, respect, transparency. When analyzing the facts and establishing their credibility, the staff of the publication use the maximum available tools and sources. Before publication, each material goes through three stages of verification to avoid factual, grammatical, stylistic and other errors.
To ensure these ethical standards, we carry out editorial review of materials before publication, properly separate journalistic materials from promotional materials, publicly identify media owners and authors of materials, their experience and education, have created and adhere to internal policies to resolve ethical conflicts and follow editorial standards, as well as we have open feedback channels with readers to correct errors.
The editors publish true information as far as it is possible to establish. Checking the facts, as well as their unbiased and objective presentation, is the duty of the journalists of the publication. A clear separation of facts and opinions is the main principle of our work.
You can contact the editors by e-mail nikvesti.com@gmail.com or by calling the editor-in-chief responsible for the content of the site +380675179086 (Kateryna Sereda).
We also recognize the Ukrainian journalist's Code of Ethics, approved on December 12, 2013 at the plenum of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NSJU) and by the decision of the Committee of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTU). With this in mind, you can complain about our materials on the website of the NGO Commission on Journalistic Ethics.
The editors categorically do not support and do not spread any form of propaganda of violence, cruelty or discrimination. All materials published on the platform must adhere to high ethical standards, not promote hatred, harass or call for violence. We are obliged to adhere to the principles of humanism, protection of human rights and prevention of all forms of violence.
Explicit content that may shock or traumatize viewers or readers is carefully reviewed by the editors before publication. In cases where the publication of such materials is necessary to inform the public, the editors are obliged to warn the audience about the presence of explicit content. We also adhere to ethical standards regarding the depiction of violence, trauma and other explicit scenes, limiting the publication of such content to cases of public importance.
Our values
1. Honesty. We report on what the editors know. We add appropriate markup to a post if we update it or correct factual errors.
2. Impartiality. In conflict situations, we provide the positions of both sides. We also grant the right of reply. We do not show bias towards those involved in criminal cases and do not call them criminals until a court decision, even if such bias is shown by official sources.
3. Openness to new things. We are ready to learn, try new formats and constantly develop.
4. Tolerance. We do not generalize or spread stereotypes about certain population groups.
5. Freedom of speech. We do not allow ourselves to be censored and nurture critical thinking in the team. We show solidarity with our colleagues when they are hindered in their professional activities.
6. Public interest. We systematically write on socially important topics, we have been conducting them for years. We communicate with readers, process their appeals to us, publishing relevant materials.
7. Human dignity. We do not call a person a criminal unless it is proven by a court of law. We respect each other in the team and the heroes of our publications.
Work with sources
Our journalists strive to use various sources of information to ensure objectivity and balance in coverage of events
In our work with social networks, we follow the approach proposed by the Institute of Mass Information: adhere to journalistic standards, carefully check facts and always try to obtain confirmation from primary sources. Publications in social networks cannot replace full-fledged news and should not be the only source for creating news (except when other sources are unavailable for objective reasons). If the event is not of a conflict nature and does not require coverage of the positions of different parties, or when additional information is not necessary, journalists can use data from the official page in the social network.
All statistical data used in the materials must be carefully checked for reliability. Journalists are obliged to use only official or reliable sources for collecting statistics. Before publication, the data must be checked by the editor to avoid errors or manipulation of figures. In cases of doubt about the accuracy of the data, it is necessary to contact experts or additionally check the information through alternative sources. When publishing the results of sociological research, the material should include details of the research methodology, sample size, margin of error, and other relevant information that allows readers to assess the reliability of the data.
The reader must understand the geographical context of any message: if the information in the material refers to a specific settlement or region, the editors are obliged to indicate the exact location from where the content is transmitted. This is necessary so that the audience does not get the generalized impression that the events concern a wider area or a larger number of people than they actually are. For example, the news about the outbreak of an epidemic in one of the villages should not be interpreted as «The Mykolaiv region has been hit by an epidemic.»
However, in certain cases, the indication of the exact location from which the content is transmitted may be limited to ensure the safety of journalists, event participants or others. From February 24, 2022, the Decree of the President of Ukraine on martial law is in force in Ukraine. In conditions of increased threat to life and health, the editors may decide not to disclose the specific location of the object or event in the material, complying with the requirements of the law. In such cases, it is important to strike a balance between providing sufficient information for the context and meeting security requirements.
If access to the location from which the content is transmitted, or to the information itself, has been provided with the assistance of external authorities (for example, military, government, municipal structures or international organizations), the editor must ensure the transparency of this process. In the material, it is necessary to indicate how or with whose help access to information or the place of events was provided. The reader should understand that the journalist did not have complete freedom of movement and could see and collect data only on those aspects that were available within the scope of the access granted. Such transparency will contribute to increasing the trust of the audience and the observance of journalistic standards of objectivity and impartiality.
Content from external sources is subject to the same scrutiny and held to the same standards as content created by our own journalists. This includes thorough fact-checking, verifying the credibility of sources, and ensuring compliance with ethical standards.
When using materials from external sources, the editorial office undertakes:
- verify the authenticity of information and the origin of materials;
- mark such materials as those obtained from third-party sources (indicate the external source in the text of the publication);
- adhere to ethical principles regarding interaction with providers of such content, avoiding manipulation or undue influence on the submission of materials.
Content created by bloggers or blog posts used on the site are subject to review. If such content contradicts editorial policy, ethical norms and fact-checking standards, it is not allowed to be published.
Third-party users may not post UGC (User-Generated Content) content in blogs on the site without pre-moderation. The editor-in-chief is responsible for moderation and review. Such materials must not contain defamatory, offensive language, invasion of privacy, incitement to violence, or hate speech or discrimination of any kind. Content must comply with legal regulations and ethical standards that exclude the dissemination of false or manipulative information. If violations of these requirements are detected, the material may be removed or corrected at the moderation stage. If violations are detected after publication of the material, the editor reserves the right to delete or edit the content with a corresponding message to the author
Journalists and editors have the right to protect the anonymity of their sources if their disclosure could create a risk to the source's security or adversely affect its activities. Anonymity can be used provided that the source provides reliable and verified information that meets the standards of quality and journalistic ethics. When interacting with anonymous sources, journalists must adhere to ethical standards, not allowing manipulation or pressure on sources to obtain information. The immediate supervisor has the right to know the source in case of extreme necessity, but on the condition that this information is kept confidential. These rights and obligations have been repeatedly established in the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
No source, regardless of its status or influence, can influence the content of the material or the final editing of the content. Journalists are obliged to maintain independence in their conclusions and avoid any actions that may lead to content manipulation. The editorial office undertakes not to allow situations where sources use their position to put pressure on journalists in order to change or distort information.
The editorial team may use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate certain types of content, such as weather information, calendar events, and publication metadata, including SEO titles and SEO descriptions for search engines. The editorial team may also use automatic translation tools, such as Google Translate, to translate materials into other languages, which are then reviewed and edited by a human proofreader-translator. In cases where AI-generated images or videos are used to illustrate content, we will clearly label such materials as being created with generative AI. This ensures transparency for our readers and adherence to ethical standards.
Error correction
The publication NikVesti strives to inform our readers of reliable facts as quickly as possible. If errors are detected, they are corrected in the shortest possible time by the author of the material or the editor.
In the event that factual errors, errors in the accuracy or completeness of information are corrected, then in the material of any genre or format, a corresponding note is added — Corrected, Clarified or Added, Updated.
You can report our errors to us using the editorial contact details, as well as directly to the authors and/or editors listed in the publication.
The editors undertake to be accountable to the audience, to respond to complaints, questions and suggestions of readers, as well as to adhere to the principles of impartiality and objectivity in every material
Right of rebuttal
Any person mentioned in the publication of the publication, parents of minors, as well as authorized representatives of legal entities have the right to contact the editorial office with a demand for refutation, if they believe that the information about them does not correspond to reality.
Such a request must be sent by e-mail or in paper form. Such a letter should clearly indicate which publication it is about and which facts the author considers unreliable, as well as how everything is in reality. The written rebuttal request must confirm the authority of the person making the claim. If the rebuttal request is sent by e-mail, then the authority of the claimant must be confirmed by an electronic digital signature.
NikVesti does not publish rebuttals by phone or on the basis of messages in messengers to editors and journalists.
The decision to publish a rebuttal, its format, text and title is adopted by the editors after evaluating the grounds for the rebuttal and negotiations with the party that sent the relevant request. NikVesti reserves the right to verify the facts and assessments expressed by the authors of claims, as well as to refuse publication of refutations with reasons.
Right of reply
If the information in the publication «NikVesti» is reliable, but calls into question the reputation of an individual or legal entity, then the editors may grant the right of reply.
The decision on the format of the answer (news, interview, blog) is made by the editors. The text of such a publication does not refute the editorial material, but it may contain new facts, position and context that affect the audience's assessment of the situation. The editors inform the author of the claim about the date and format of publication of his response.
Removal of materials
In exceptional cases, if a significant number of errors were made in the publication and the standards of work with information stated above are significantly violated, NikVesti can delete the material with an indication of the fact and the reason for deletion.
We do not remove content that someone did not like. We do not remove material that someone deems to be «out of date». However, everyone has the right to an answer, and NikVesti is open to a comprehensive discussion of the materials published on the website of the publication.
Advertising marking
The editors strive to ensure a clear distinction between different types of content to increase transparency and trust on the part of the audience
All advertising materials placed on the NikVesti site must be labeled.
Such publications contain the mark «Advertising», «Promoted», «Political advertising». The authorship of the material may indicate that it was prepared by the press service of the department/institution/company.
The «Press Release» label separates content provided by external organizations that are not related to journalism (for example, government institutions, public organizations, businesses). This allows the audience to distinguish between original journalistic materials and content created by external organizations.
NikVesti does not place so-called plugola or unbranded paid advertising — neither in the news feed nor in the articles.
We adhere to journalistic standards in news, analytical materials, reports and other NikVesti formats.
A blog is a material in which the author freely expresses his personal opinion on a certain issue. The editors of NikVesti may not share the opinion of the author of the blog.
The media site clearly separates news from the subjective opinions of bloggers. The news content is based solely on facts and does not include the personal views of the authors. Opinion articles are clearly marked as author's and so that the audience understands that they are not objective news.
Scope of editorial policy
The editorial policy applies to all employees of the editorial office, including journalists, editors, authors and other persons involved in the process of preparation and publication of materials. This also applies to freelancers and third-party authors who work with the editors on a permanent or temporary basis.
Responsibility, control and changes to editorial processes
The person responsible for compliance with the instructions of this policy by the media team is the editor-in-chief of NikVesti Kateryna Sereda. The public or readers of the site can contact her via e-mail to send their complaint or suggestion. All complaints received are dealt with in a fair, reasonable and timely manner. We are committed to providing a transparent process for processing complaints and providing reasoned responses in a timely manner, adhering to ethical standards and principles of objectivity.
Authors, editors, editor-in-chief and technical staff are responsible for following the instructions in the production of content, according to their duties at various stages of the process of creating material before its publication.
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Author (journalist): responsible for creating authentic, verified content in accordance with editorial policy. The author is obliged to verify the facts, adhere to ethical standards and avoid conflicts of interest. The author is obliged to verify the facts, adhere to ethical standards and avoid real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest.
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Editor: Responsible for proofreading and editing materials, ensuring content conforms to editorial policy, checking sources, and conducting final fact-checking. The editor also coordinates the work of other process participants. The editor can admit the material to publication, if the editor-in-chief has assigned these duties to him.
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Editor-in-Chief: responsible for approving materials for publication, resolves contentious issues, has the final say in cases of conflict between the author and the editor.
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Technical department: ensures correct formatting and technical preparation of materials for publication, is responsible for multimedia support and final publication on the platform.
The editors always strive for accuracy and reliability of information. Journalists check every fact using reliable sources, and also adhere to editorial guidelines that ensure high quality materials. The editorial process includes content and fact-checking before publication, as well as control by the editor-in-chief and other responsible editors, which ensures that publications comply with editorial policy
The mechanism for periodic review of editorial processes includes regular evaluation of the effectiveness of work procedures. For this, key performance indicators (KPIs) are developed, which are used to assess the quality of content, compliance with editorial standards, and timeliness of publications. Twice a year (or more often if necessary) during editorial meetings, the team discusses the need to review procedures and KPIs in order to constantly improve editorial processes and maintain a high level of work.
Cooperation and development
We adhere to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion when recruiting staff through open competition. We publicly announce available vacancies. We care about the well-being of our employees and promote their professional development.
Ownership structure and management
NikVesti is officially registered in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine. Online media NikVesti was included in the register of subjects in the field of media in accordance with the decision of the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting №475 dated 07.06.2023. Media ID R40-00984.
The founder of the online media NikVesti is the Private Enterprise NikVesti Production (IDRPOU code 35722502) with the following ownership structure:
- 90% — Yanishevska Oksana (co-founder), yanishevskaoksana@gmail.com
- 10% — Dereniuha Oleh (director and co-founder), derenuga@gmail.com
