About

The Trojan Tribune Editorial Policy

Mission Statement The Trojan Tribune is the student-run news publication of Wayzata High School. Our mission is to provide accurate, fair, and relevant news and information to the student body, staff, and community. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity, serving as a forum for student expression and a platform for reporting on issues that matter to our audience.

Section 1: Journalistic Principles

1.1 Accuracy and Fact-Checking All content published in The Trojan Tribune must be thoroughly fact-checked and verified. Journalists are responsible for confirming the accuracy of all names, dates, quotes, statistics, and events. Sources should be credible and, wherever possible, cross-referenced. We will not publish rumors or unverified information.

1.2 Fairness and Objectivity We are committed to providing balanced and fair coverage. When reporting on controversial topics or events, journalists must seek out and include multiple perspectives. While complete objectivity may be impossible, we will strive to present information in a neutral manner, separating reporting from personal opinion.

1.3 Attribution and Sourcing All information must be properly attributed to its source. The use of anonymous sources should be a last resort and must be approved by the Editor-in-Chief or a faculty advisor, with a clear explanation of why the source’s identity must be protected.

Section 2: Content Guidelines

2.1 Original Content and Plagiarism All articles, images, and other content must be original work. Plagiarism in any form, including the uncredited use of text, ideas, images, or multimedia, is strictly prohibited. Any staff member found to be plagiarizing will face immediate disciplinary action and potential removal from the staff.

2.2 Opinion and Commentary Signed opinion pieces, editorials, and reviews represent the views of the author and not necessarily those of The Trojan Tribune staff, its faculty advisor, or Wayzata High School. Opinion content will be clearly labeled as such to distinguish it from news reporting.

2.3 Respect and Inclusivity We are committed to creating a respectful and inclusive environment. The Trojan Tribune will not publish content that is libelous, slanderous, obscene, or that promotes hate speech, discrimination, or violence. Content will not target individuals based on their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

Section 3: Staff Responsibilities and Policy Enforcement

3.1 Editorial Authority The Editor-in-Chief and the editorial board have final authority over all content decisions, including what is published and when. They are responsible for ensuring all content adheres to this policy.

3.2 Corrections Policy We are human and mistakes can happen. If an error of fact is found in a published article, we will promptly correct it. Minor spelling or grammar errors will be fixed without a formal note, but substantive factual errors will be corrected with a clearly marked note at the end of the article explaining the correction.

3.3 Content Removal Published articles will not be removed or altered at the request of individuals unless the content is found to contain a factual error, violate this policy, or a legal concern is identified. All requests for content removal must be reviewed and approved by the Editor-in-Chief and the faculty advisor.

3.4 Confidentiality All staff members are expected to maintain the confidentiality of sources and internal editorial discussions. Information not intended for public release should not be shared outside of the staff.

Section 4: Review and Revision

This editorial policy will be reviewed and approved by the entire staff at the beginning of each school year. Amendments may be proposed by any staff member and must be approved by a majority vote of the editorial board.