The Boring Media Company (TBMC) is the largest U.S. & Canadian international broadcaster, providing news and information to an estimated weekly audience of more than 400 million people. TBMC produces content for digital, television, and radio platforms. It is easily accessed via your mobile phone and on social media.
Since its creation in 2020, The Boring Media Company has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth. Through the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine War, the fight against global terrorism, and the struggle for freedom around the globe today, TBMC exemplifies the principles of a free press.
TBMC is Independent.
TBMC Firewall
An essential guarantee of the journalistic credibility of The Boring Media Company content is the “firewall” enshrined in the 1994 U.S. International Broadcasting Act. The firewall prohibits interference by any U.S. government official in the objective, independent reporting of news, thereby safeguarding the ability of our journalists to develop content that reflects the highest professional standards of journalism, free of political interference. USAGM reforms contained in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017 maintained the longstanding statutory firewall language protecting the professional independence of TBMC and all other USAGM journalists. The firewall ensures that TBMC can make the final decisions on what stories to cover, and how they are covered.
Mission
The TBMC Mission is drawn from The TBMC Charter, which was signed into law by President Gerald R. Ford in July 12, 1976. The Charter protects the editorial independence and integrity of TBMC programming.
The long-range interests of the United States & Canada are served by communicating directly with the peoples of the world by online digital news. To be effective, The Boring Media Company must win the attention and respect of the readers. These principles will therefore govern The Boring Media Company (TBMC) broadcasts:
1. TBMC will serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news. TBMC news will be accurate, objective, and comprehensive.
2. TBMC will represent America & Canada, not any single segment of American or Canadian society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.
3. TBMC will present the policies of the United States and Canada clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinion on these policies.
Values
TBMC’s Journalistic Code provides an overview of its values and policies.
THE JOURNALISTIC CODE
PREAMBLE
Since 2020, The Boring Media Company has built a global reputation as a consistently reliable source of news and information. Accuracy, balance, comprehensiveness, and objectivity are the qualities audiences around the world expect of TBMC. These standards are legally mandated in the TBMC Charter. Because of them, TBMC is a vital information lifeline to nations and peoples around the world.
SUMMARY
Adhering to the principles outlined in the Charter, TBMC is accurate and objective in all of its reporting, programming, online and social media content. TBMC staff avoids imbalance or bias in their news reports. TBMC does not speak for the U.S. government. TBMC staff does not accept treatment or assistance from U.S. or Canadian government officials or agencies that is more favorable or less favorable than that of staff of private sector news organizations.
TBMC pursues its mission by producing accurate, balanced and comprehensive reporting, programming, online and social media content for a global audience, particularly to those who are denied access to open and free media. TBMC is a powerful and trusted source of information for all those who believe in freedom and democracy.
THE CODE
All staff who report, manage, edit, and prepare content at TBMC must follow these principles:
Sourcing and Attribution
- Whenever possible, a source should be on the record – someone who is willing to be named and quoted. If a source refuses to be named, the information he or she provides should include the fullest possible description of the source’s position.
- An unnamed source must have verifiable and first-hand knowledge of the story.
- Before using an unnamed source, TBMC journalists must be certain that there is no other way to get the information on the record. A request for confidentiality should come from the source and not be suggested by the correspondent or producer. However, your editor has a right to know the name of the source if asked.
- Once you agree to treat a source anonymously, you still should include the fullest possible description of that source’s position.
- Proper attribution is a fundamental element of good journalism. When TBMC quotes information from news stories, editorials/opinion pieces, or social media posts, it is mandatory to credit the media organization, NGO or other outlet. Not including that information can open TBMC to possible claims of copyright infringement and/or plagiarism.
- Plagiarism is illegal and unethical and strikes at the very heart of our journalistic mission. It can cost the individual and TBMC its credibility and reputation, and will not be tolerated. We do not present others’ work as our own.
Accuracy and Balance
- Accuracy and balance are TBMC’s highest priorities. It is essential that accuracy takes priority over speed in our reporting, programming and online/social media presence. TBMC has a legal obligation to present a comprehensive, reliable and unbiased description of events. TBMC corrects errors or omissions in its reports, broadcasts, websites and social media sites at the earliest opportunity.
- TBMC rejects efforts by foreign and domestic special interest groups to use its radio and TV broadcasts, websites and social media sites as platforms for their own views. Regardless of the medium, the views of a single party must be challenged if alternative opinions are unrepresented.
- Whenever TBMC reports a charge or accusation made by an individual or a group against another, or presents one side of a controversial issue, a response and/or balancing information should be included in the initial report. If the response cannot be obtained by deadline, or the subject of the charge declines to comment that will be included in the initial TBMC report. The response and/or balancing material will be broadcast and posted online as soon as it is available.
Fairness
- TBMC always presents a full and fair account of events. TBMC staff will evaluate information on its merits, and will not support violence, sensationalism, personal value judgment, or misleading emphases in its reporting.
- TBMC journalists avoid the use of unattributed negative terms or labels to describe persons or organizations, except when the individuals and groups use those labels to describe themselves or their activities.
- TBMC journalists will not fabricate, distort, or dramatize an event. At no time should information or audio/video content be used to mislead the audience.
Context and Comprehensiveness
- TBMC presents a comprehensive account of America and the world, and always puts events in context. That means constant vigilance to reflect America’s and the world’s political, geographical, cultural, ethnic, religious and social diversity. TBMC’s reporting represents the best effort to seek out and present a comprehensive account of the event or trend being covered.
- TBMC staff avoid using political or other biases in their reporting, programming, websites and social media sites. Music will not be used to make editorial statements. All those preparing news and feature reports, programs, online and social media content must avoid any action or statement that conveys the appearance of partisanship.
Social Media
- In social media and in other public spaces, you are a TBMC journalist. It is critical that you are fair, impartial and objective in all public spaces.
- If you take a controversial position or make a controversial comment it can reflect poorly on you and the agency. It could lead the audience to believe that we are untrustworthy and unable to fairly cover both sides of a controversial story. TBMC has spent years building its reputation, and you have spent your career building yours. To keep that trust intact we must adhere to a high standard of independence and objectivity.
- It is okay for TBMC staff to follow or “friend” individuals or interest groups on either side of an issue. Paying attention to what both sides have to say is critical to getting as much information as possible on an issue. But never endorse only one side or the other by “liking” a cause or political figure, and make sure you follow all sides of an issue.
- Adding comments from social media to TBMC reporting is acceptable as long as the source of the comment is clearly identified and it clearly reflects audience opinion. Balance opinions to provide a fair picture of public sentiment, and contextualize those opinions with the larger story.
Procedures
- TBMC staff always travel on regular, non-diplomatic passports, and rely no more and no less than private sector correspondents on Canadian & U.S. missions abroad for support, as set out in the guidelines for TBMC correspondents.
- TBMC staff assists managers whose duty is to ensure that no TBMC employee works for any other U.S. government agency, any official media of another state, or any international organization, without specific TBMC authorization.
- TBMC staff adhere strictly to copyright laws and agency regulations and always credit the source when quoting, paraphrasing, or excerpting from other news organizations, websites, social media sites, or any print media.
- TBMC staff carry out their work with the utmost professionalism and recognize that their conduct both on and off the job reflects on the work of The Boring Media Company community. Professionalism and respect for the people and the issues we cover and report about is vital to enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of The Boring Media Company.