The overall integrity of The Tributary depends upon the ability of its individual news employees to exercise their ethical judgment to protect their journalistic work.

No assignment over protest. A news employee shall not be required to perform, over the employee’s protest, any practice which in the employee’s judgment compromises the employee’s integrity. This shall include but not be limited to: 

• An employee shall not be required to write, process or prepare anything for publication in such a way as to distort any facts or to create an impression which the employee knows to be false. 
• Journalists will not be required to produce advertising, advertorial, sponsored or marketing materials.
• An employee, who is assigned to write or prepare any material for publication which the employee believes compromises the employee’s integrity, may refuse the assignment.

No additional work. An employee shall not be required to use the employee’s position as an employee for any purpose other than performing the duties of the employee’s position.

No byline over protest. An employee’s byline or credit line shall not be used over the employee’s protest, nor shall it be used without their knowledge and consent.

Editing. Substantive changes in material submitted shall be brought to the employee’s attention for consultation before publication. 

Corrections. If a question arises as to the accuracy of printed material, no correction or retraction of that material shall be printed without prior consultation with the employee concerned.

Letters to the editor. An employee whose work or person is mentioned in a to-be-published letter to the editor, editorial or other published work shall be informed of such letter prior to publication and shall have the right to respond to such letter simultaneously and adequately on the page on which it is published.