The NEWS will keep right on doing what it has done, standing up for the right and fighting the wrong, even if the right happens to be the underdog as is so apt to be the case, defending the downtrodden, and advocating with all its might the best interest of Bangor and Eastern Maine.
More than all that, it will continue to give all the news of the day every day, without fear or favor.
That was the Bangor Daily News’ creed as published on June 18, 1890, the first anniversary of the paper.
Its writing is a little old-fashioned, but more than 135 years later, the core idea behind it continues to sustain our work and clarify our purpose: We fight for the state that we love through high-quality journalism that connects Mainers.
That is a high-minded ideal. But unlike advocacy groups that might fight for a specific policy or political outcome, our daily charge is to seek the truth, report it fairly and present it compellingly to help our readers.
Thirty years ago, that wasn’t controversial. But today the very purpose and practice of reporting is questioned and threatened. We feel that now is the time to address what exactly it is that we’re trying to do here.
Every day, powerful people are hiding information that matters to you. Our first job is to reveal it. Our second job is to cover whatever else is novel and important.
Our chief tool is objective reporting. That means we start each story with a question, not an answer. We interview people and write down, word for word, what they say. We knock on doors and talk to as many people as possible before the deadline. We get official documents from reliable sources.
Being objective doesn’t mean we leave our humanity at the door or pretend to not have opinions. We are not impartial about murder, corruption, domestic violence, racism, misogyny, government waste, incompetence, hypocrisy, crumbling infrastructure, chronic crises and other clearly bad things. They outrage us.
We believe all people should be treated with respect. We believe that officials should lead with competence, transparency and in the best interests of the public. We believe that the challenges facing our state deserve rigorous and honest examination and that policymakers should act urgently to fix them. We believe that journalism can be a force for good by providing the information people need to positively engage with their communities.
We are not aligned with a political party nor do we see ourselves as the resistance or the gatekeepers of some mainstream orthodoxy.
Because we publish at the pace our readers expect (instantly, if not sooner! and rightfully so) we pursue the truth episodically. We get daily bites at the apple, but it’s impossible to capture every nuance or interview every source in a way that will satisfy everyone.
Because we’re human, we make factual errors. But we’re journalists, so we correct them.
Here are a few of our newsroom guidelines, though we also follow the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics:
- Our voice emphasizes clarity, compassion and honesty.
- We see ourselves as helpful guides to a state that we love.
- We do not pay sources, accept any gifts, promise favorable coverage or allow subjects to review stories before publication.
- We work for our readers, not the people we cover.
- We’re transparent when we mess up and fix wherever we erred.
- Just because we’re journalists does not mean we can’t volunteer or serve on non-political boards or be involved in our communities, but we are politically neutral in public.
- Facts are not in dispute. Perspectives on those facts vary, so we take measures to reflect the sides of a debate. We avoid “he said, she said” reporting that gives false equivalence to two sides of an issue, especially if they are founded on misinformation or hate.
- We deliver news urgently, but it’s more important to be right than to be first.
- We highlight diverse voices. That includes people with different viewpoints and backgrounds. Our coverage should be a reflection of the communities we serve.
Our pledge to you is that we will pursue our mission and seek the truth every day.
If you feel we haven’t walked the walk in our reporting, let us know by emailing [email protected]. Every note we receive is read and considered.
