Rejecting False Balance in News

EAPM Commits to Evidence-Based Reporting during Second Trump Administration

EAPM will adhere to our policies, standards, style guide as we uphold facts 

In light of the results of the 2024 Presidential election, we want to discuss how we intend to cover the Trump administration when we begin publishing our daily outlet and in future additional publications. 

We defined editorial policies well ahead of production, which include reporting facts of an issue.

EAPM defined this point as being free from “both-sidesism” – that facts drive what we will report.  Although we will cover issues of misinformation or disinformation, we will not give those who present misinformation or disinformation credence as presenting “another side” to facts.

As an example: 

• • President-elect Donald Trump, Vice president-elect J.D. Vance, campaign staff, and campaign surrogates have presented misinformation and lies as facts during the campaign.

During the Trump administration, EAPM will clearly state when false data or statistics are presented by the Trump administration, and will not hesitate to label it misinformation, disinformation, or a lie. That is part of fact checking. 

Additional examples of our evidence-based coverage include: 

• • Candidate Trump, campaign staff, and his surrogates made a number of claims, including creating “camps” for deportation of up to “30 million immigrants,” – a number nearly double that of the actual number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. at any given time per U.S. government data.
  • Then-candidate Trump suggested he would be a dictator “on day one.”
  • Then-candidate Trump promised to implement tariffs on foreign goods of up to 50 percent, which would dramatically increase prices Americans pay at the store,
  • Then-candidate Trump’s surrogates wrote a playbook called Project 2025 which promised to remake the American government and erode rights of women and the LGBTQIA community.  

When we start publishing, we promise to watch closely for what comes of these promises and explain in clear, factual, easily understandable language what this means to you. We will use facts, correct definitions of words, and explain tough–to–understand policy.  

EAPM will never shy away from the facts 

Because EAPM is dedicated to facts, as well as making news clear and understandable, we will:

• • Not waver from using correct terminology.
  • Not waver from using commonly used definitions that apply to such actions.
  • Act as a watchdog of this administration, as we would with any administration.
  • Investigate waste, fraud, wrongdoing, and governance against the will of the people.
  • Do our best to make information clear to our news audience.

Our reporters will not be swayed by political pressure. We will cover this administration without fear or favor.  

We are setting forth this statement well ahead of production of EAPM’s daily news outlet with the understanding that facts are more important than ever – because EAPM always stands on the side of facts. 

— Stacy Kess, founding editor/editor-in-chief, and E. Simone Jenerson, publisher
Nov. 6, 2024