CONTRIBUTOR EDITORIAL POLICY PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the contributor team of The Australia Times (TAT), a new innovative media organisation that
aims to inform, educate, teach, entertain and support the community at large by facilitating communication
between all Australians. TAT is a place where we publish grand ideas and commentary from interesting
everyday people. As a contributor it is your role to be proactive in contributions and supply your work to
TAT on your deadline date while keeping to the following guidelines and policies.
Scope
The TAT Contributor Policy applies to all content produced, acquired, commissioned or otherwise obtained
by an individual, and submitted to TAT for broadcast or publication by TAT on all platforms.
Contributors and Principles
TATs editorial independence and integrity is essential in getting the trust and respect of the community and
building a respected TAT brand. Editors have the editorial authority and responsibility over contributors. The
Editor in Chief has the ultimate editorial authority over editors. It is the contributors responsibility to ensure
their work complies with this document upon submission, and the editors responsibility to ensure all work
complies with this document upon publication.
Contributors
- Please ensure that your editor has your email address, your real name (and your pen name/s if you use
any), and a phone number.
- When editing contributors content, no more than 10% of the work can be altered. If a greater proportion of
the content requires modification, editors will return the content for the writer to re-work. Editors must give
the edited content back to the author for approval before submission. Contributors must have the final
approval for their work that will go to publication.
- It is the responsibility of editors to organise, set deadlines, and decide the nature and length of content
from contributors.
- Contributors hereby agree that by submitting any work they agree with the requirements of this document.
It is the responsibility of each contributor to read this document. A condition of submitting any articles,
photographs, or any other material is that they cannot be withdrawn once a magazine has been laid out.
Principles
- Keep in mind we are a non-aligned grassroots national online organisation; always maintain the
independence and integrity of TAT according to this.
- External activities of individuals undertaking work for TAT must not undermine the independence and
integrity of the TATs editorial content.
- When in doubt about an editorial matter, refer it up to the next most senior person for advice or decision
(either the, Editor, Editor in Chief or Chief of Staff).
- Give proper notice to your editor or the appropriate senior manager when editorial content is likely to
cause controversy or have an extraordinary impact.

Accuracy and Copyright

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The Australia Times has a responsibility to ensure the accuracy of fact-base content (i.e. news) and the
correct sources of copyright of all content including text, images and video. It is the contributors
responsibility to ensure the accuracy and correct copyright of their content before it is submitted to TAT for
publication.
- Ensure all content carries the correct copyright. Acknowledging where you acquired an image or text from
is not enough; permission is needed to use image or text by the owner of that image or text; unless it is
acquired from a free public domain source such as Wikimedia or Wikicommons.
- Flickr can be a good source of free images, please check the additional information on the page to check
the status of the rights reserved. Contributors are encouraged to contact outlets or persons for use of
images and seek permission, while offering a link from the image to their website.
- A document outlining the requirements for use of images is available at
http://www.theaustraliatimes.org.au/
- Make every possible effort to ensure that material facts are accurate and presented in context and in a
way that will not materially mislead the audience. In some cases, this may require labels or extra
explanatory information. Please ensure that quotes are accurate and correctly attributed.
- Do not misrepresent the work of others as your own, this is plagiarism.

Advertising
As a contributor you are not expected to find advertisers but it is assumed during your work youll come
across good potential advertisers, and good charities that could benefit from free advertisements.
Please direct all advertising enquiries to: advertising@theaustraliatimes.com or give potential advertisers
this contact.

Corrections and Clarifications

Contributors must incorporate a willingness to correct errors and clarify ambiguous or misleading
information, and make efforts for swift correction of such information. Editors will (by all their means) avoid
publishing information that is likely to significantly and materially mislead the reader.

TAT Etiquette - Fair and Honest dealing

In our efforts to become a well trusted and respected organisation, your dealings with people as you go
about your work is reflecting on TAT and we ask that you be fair and honest with outsiders, and kind,
always. When dealing with participants for TAT content, or anyone likely to be affected by TAT content
consider the following:
- When dealing with interviewees, volunteer photographers and other participants while obtaining TAT
content, ensure they are informed of the nature of the article you hope to write, the purpose of their
involvement and how the result will be presented. At all times, be polite and courteous and maintain a high
level of professional integrity.
- Respect the wishes of people or organisations if they decline or refuse to participate.
- TAT does not support deception of people to obtain content, nor the use of deceptive images of people or
places linked to Tat content. (in very rare circumstances it may be justified for good cause but always check
with a senior staff if this is the case).
The Australia Times Pty Ltd
P O BOX 150 Glen Waverley Vic 3150
03 9738 1203

- Where allegations are made about a person or organisation, make reasonable efforts in the circumstances
to provide them with a fair opportunity to respond.
- When reporting on any situation, we must ensure that all view points are provided. If one or more
stakeholders choose to make no comment that is their prerogative but it does not represent their side of the
argument. Unless a reasonable effort is made to ensure all view points are provided, the article must be
published as an "Opinion". If a stake holder is unavailable to provide their view point, this does not equate
to making a reasonable effort.
- Assurances given in relation to conditions of participation, use of content, confidentiality or anonymity
must be honoured. When uncertain about these issues, contact senior management.
- Contributors are not a protected source per se given they write the article. If there is an issue, or a
controversy relating to an article, editors should refer it to Kelly Sargent or David Abouav for advice, or a
decision.
Harm and offence
TAT produces a large array of material that aims to inform, educate, teach, entertain and support the
community at large by facilitating communication between all Australians. Its possible TAT may publish
challenging content which may offended some of the public some of the time; such content must have a
clear editorial purpose.
TAT is aimed at the whole community and must take the whole community into consideration; first and
foremost TAT is a G rated publication but should there be content of a higher classification, appropriate
steps and warnings will be taken to advise readers of this. If inadvertent or unexpected actions occur to
cause harm and offence the appropriate actions will be taken to mitigate this. Editors will avoid the
unjustified use of stereotypes or discriminatory content that could reasonably be interpreted as condoning
or encouraging prejudice in content or attitude; you must be kind when going about doing anything with
TAT.
Public Participation
While content produced by TAT must and will comply with the standards written herein. TAT provides
opportunities for individuals and organisations to engage in an online space through its forums and by
commenting on articles. It takes no responsibility for the content produced there by the public.
TAT does not require content generated and submitted by individuals and organisations on these forums or
in the comments to meet the standard of accuracy required of content generated by TAT. TAT may decline
to broadcast or publish, or may edit, remove, or clarify content generated by public participants on our
forums and in the comments
Version 2- updated 4th July 2015 by M. Gregory

The Australia Times Pty Ltd

P O BOX 150 Glen Waverley Vic 3150

03 9738 1203