4. Newsroom policy A newsroom policy refers to a document or documents created or used by a media outlet and sets out the essential guidelines and rules for all employees and freelancers to abide by when producing content. The policies are important because they help to uphold the integrity of the media industry, maintain public trust in journalism, and ensure that journalists and news media organisations are held accountable for their work. This policy can include, among other things, the news organisation's position on the source of funding such as adverts, donations, commercial programmes, ownership, and whether it is privately funded by an individual or by an organisation, as well as corrections and privacy pages. The policy should also state the structure for decision making in the newsroom, and the management structure that is responsible for the entire organisation. The availability and accessibility of newsroom policies is important to build trust, as they enable internal and external stakeholders to understand the standards and expectations for news reporting. In an analysis of newsroom social media policies, the African Centre for Media Excellence3 (ACME) said that 'while existing editorial guidelines might comprehensively cover journalistic standards, they may not address all the nuances of fast-evolving digital platforms'. This chart reflects the current status of editorial policies in newsrooms. (Source: CivicSignal MediaData) 3 Newsrooms should apply social media policies fairly, African Centre for Media Excellence, March 2023 Cite this report as: Mwale et al, 'Transparency and trust: newsroom policies in Zambia', African Data and Democracy Observatory, April 2023. . 5 5