Equal Access Public Media, Inc., has established policies and procedures to help guide us in building an accessible nonprofit corporation, creating quality news content, establishing trust with our audience. You can find our policies on this page.

Newsroom Policies 

Editorial independence 

Equal Access Public Media publications maintain strict editorial independence, meaning the publications will:

• Uphold the principles of the First Amendment.

• Report news in a transparent manner.

• Report the news free from political, commercial, and personal influence.

• Report the news with accuracy and fairness.

• Report facts of an issue. This may not always include “both-sides” or “all-sides.” In some cases, there are facts and deniers of facts, or there are facts and opinions. We aim to stick with fact.

EAPM News Process 

To ensure EAPM’s publications are offering the highest quality journalism to our audiences, our editors and reporters will:

• Be given time and space to get the story right, not first.

• Treat sources and information with an open mind as well as skepticism.

• Seek to give a better understanding of complex issues. To do this, EAPM will use the principles of solutions journalism, investigative journalism, and watchdog journalism. These types of journalism are deep dives into journalism that often take longer than others, but we believe our audiences deserve to be informed.

• Fact-check sources and information.

• Ask sources to clarify information and quotes when necessary.

• Treat communities and individuals with which we interact with respect.

• Be aware of people who need accommodations for interviews, such as interpreters or closed captioning, and provide those when necessary.

Editorial transparency 

Too often, the news gathering, reporting and publishing process is a mystery to the audience. EAPM’s publications will seek to demystify that process by: 

• Being transparent in reporting information.

• Being transparent in its use of technology.

• Being open and responsive to corrections.

• Avoiding conflicts of interest between staff and sources.

• Including an editor’s note and other clarifications if a conflict of interest is unavoidable.

• Identifying sources of information. We will not use information attributed to “an anonymous source.” EAPM maintains that while on occasion a source’s name must be protected for a person’s physical safety, EAPM publications in those cases will use an alternate name such as the person’s middle name, commonly used pseudonym, etc. These instances include when a source’s life or safety may be threatened by revealing their name. Journalists have used pseudonyms for sex workers, refugees, whistleblowers, and others revealing information that may threaten their life or livelihood. 

Corrections, feedback, complaints, and removal of content 

EAPM’s publications will always stive for factual accuracy, but mistakes and disagreements do happen. The following policy guides corrections, complaints, and removal of content. 

• If EAPM’s editors or reporters become aware of a factual error, corrections will be made in a timely manner and time-stamped note will be added to the story noting the correction.

• To report a factual error, email the editor of the publication.

• EAPM is open to feedback on our reporting.  The EAPM audience has the right to agree or disagree with EAPM publication’s reporting.

• Complaints, such as ethical violations, legal violations, or negligence, will be handled with the utmost seriousness and fully investigated by EAPM leadership. If necessary, EAPM leadership will involve legal counsel, law enforcement, and other appropriate third parties. To file a complaint, contact the managing editor or editor-in-chief.

• On occasion, EAPM publications may need to remove content for legal or ethical reasons. In such a situation, the page or location of the content will be replaced with an editor’s note explaining the removal.

Financial policies

Funding sources 

Equal Access Public Media, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation registered in Delaware.  

• Our federal EIN is 99-0687038.

• EAPM relies on donations, grants, gifts, foundation funding, and sponsorships to operate, and accepts other philanthropic support.

Fiscal sponsorship

Equal Access Public Media is fiscally sponsored by Alternative Newsweekly Foundation, also known as ANF.  

• ANF is a 501(c)(3) foundation incorporated in the District of Columbia.  

• ANF’s federal EIN is 30-0100369.

Donations to EAPM will be accepted by ANF on behalf of EAPM. Donations can be made by check, money order, stock, corporate-matching, and as in-kind donations. Donations should be directed to ANF at 253 Tennessee Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 with a memo noting directed-donation for EAPM. Cash donations can be made through Fundrazr on the EAPM site.

Financial independence 

• Although Equal Access Public Media relies on philanthropic funding to operate, the editorial department, which produces EAPM’s publications and journalism, maintains strict independence from all funding decisions and donor relations. 

• Acceptance of donations, grants, or sponsorships are not an endorsement of those donors, foundations, or sponsors. EAPM does not endorse products, corporations, organizations, people, politics, or positions.

Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Policies 

Policy on Artificial Intelligence 

As artificial intelligence (AI) has grown in use, Equal Access Public Media recognizes employees and those associated with EAPM will interact with various forms of AI in many ways. 

EAPM seeks to adhere to our mission in the way it uses and interacts with AI on an ongoing basis to create accessible news and to create accessible jobs. 

This policy was established with input from volunteers on an AI policy advisory committee. 

Use of AI as Augmentative and Assistive Communication (AAC) and Adaptive Tools 

EAPM recognizes that individuals have a variety of ways in which they communicate. 

Augmentative and Assistive (AAC) are ways people communicate other than talking. This may include:  

• communication boards or tablets. 

• generative speech devices and apps.

• other technology. 

Increasingly, AAC tech is using language learning models, a form of AI. 

Adaptive technology for disabled people also includes: 

• screen readers.

• voice typing features in software. 

• Braille translators.

• other technology. 

Language learning models are used in many of these technologies.  

We encourage individuals working for and associated with EAPM to use the technologies that best suit their needs. 

Use of AI as Personal Assistive Tools 

AI can be useful in assistive tools and technology, including: 

• the creation of workflows.

• helping to reduce repetitive tasks.

• assisting with minor program functions.

Employees may find AI useful in everyday tasks, such as: 

• transcribing interviews.

• assembling data. 

• scheduling interviews.

• acting as a virtual assistant. 

If the use of AI is assistive and helpful, does not replace the employee, and is verified by the employee themselves, we encourage the use of technology by the employee.  

Use of AI in Research, Fact Checking, Spell Checking, and Grammar Checking 

EAPM believes AI has merits in research and working with data. AI is now also a built-in component to spell-checking and grammar checking in word processing and editing programs. It can be a useful tool in fact-checking. However, like the human mind, AI can make mistakes or “hallucinate.”  

While EAPM permits and encourages the use of AI tools in research, data computations, fact checking, spell checking, grammar checking, etc., all credibility lies with the journalists and editors. All work requires final human verification and approval.  

Use of AI and other technology in Accessibility for End Users 

One of the two missions of EAPM is to provide accessibility in news. EAPM believes all people should have access to quality, accessible news. To that end, EAPM may employ AI and other technology to provide accessible content, including: 

• web site integrations.

• pre-recorded AI audio readouts of text.

• closed captioning of video made by AI.

• AI transcribing of audio.

• other technology, which will be noted for the end user.

When EAPM uses AI to create transcripts, audio readouts, captioning, etc., the end-product must be edited by staff before distribution. Additionally, a note will be included that the product was made using AI. 

Use of AI in Original Content for Publication 

One of the two missions of EAPM is the creation of accessible jobs. EAPM believes that journalists should be putting out original content. Just as journalists are expected not to plagiarize, they should not use AI to create or manipulate content, known as generative AI. To that end, EAPM strictly prohibits the use of generative AI in: 

• Authorship of original copy, such as in articles, headlines, summaries, photo captions, pullout, etc.

• Creation of original graphics.

• Manipulation of photographs.

• Manipulation of video.

• Manipulation of audio.

Security 

EAPM encourages employees to avoid sharing personal data outside of EAPM-approved technological environments for work-related purposes and to avoid entering such data into any non-EAPM approved AI environment. EAPM seeks to limit the use of employee data in AI. 

Use of EAPM Content in Language Learning Models 

EAPM does not approve sharing or entering original journalistic content into any language learning models or other AI models for training or consumption. If EAPM is approached for a relationship to train an LLM or other AI models on its content, the editor-in-chief will consider specific exceptions on a case-by-case basis. 

Policy updates 

As technology changes, the publisher and editor-in-chief may feel the need to update this policy. At such a time, the publisher and editor-in-chief will convene an AI policy advisory committee to examine this policy and changes in the AI and technology landscape. This AI policy advisory committee will then present its findings with a recommendation to revise the policy if necessary. 

 

Privacy and Information Policy 

Your data and information 

Equal Access Public Media, Inc., seeks to limit the amount of data it collects from its audience.  

EAPM or third parties may collect data in some instances. 

• Data such as name, email address, and phone number may be collected when filling out a contact web form or when signing up for newsletters.

• Data such as name, email address, credit or debit card information, and other personal identifying information will be collected by Fundrazr when making a donation. Please see Fundrazr’s privacy policy for more information.

• Additional questions may be directed to info@equalaccesspublicmedia.org.

Our data and information

Equal Access Public Media, Inc., retains all rights to all original content published by EAPM and its publications. To republish EAPM content, please credit and link to the original EAPM content. 

Our content is news. It is intended to inform and educate the public. While our news is prepared with a wide audience in mind, not all news is appropriate for children. Some news may include topics that may be upsetting or inappropriate for children or may include language that is inappropriate for children. Parents should be advised to read and discuss news with their children for the best possible understanding. 

 

Accessibility Policy 

At Equal Access Public Media, Inc., accessibility is at the core of our mission.  

EAPM believes accessibility for both our audience and our employees comes first. We are building our website with the newest Web Content Accessibility (WCAG) standards in mind. We are using both universal design and inclusive technology.  

However, several things remain true:  

1. We are humans trying to achieve the goal of accessibility.

2. Accessibility is infinite.

3. Infinite accessibility allows us to continue to innovate.

4. Innovation may lead us to make errors.

While we will always seek guidance on accessibility from experts and community, as well as test and edit our products before releasing them to the public, if our efforts to make a more accessible product go awry, please let us know by emailing us at info@equalaccesspublicmedia.org..