​​

These guidelines apply to written stories, podcasts, videos, documentaries, social media packages, photography, websites, blogs and other multimedia journalism produced for StoryBytes student media publication.

​

Student journalists are expected to follow professional standards of accuracy, attribution, ethical reporting, AP style, copyright compliance and responsible use of artificial intelligence.

​

1. ACCURACY COMES FIRST

 

Accuracy is more important than being first. Before submitting or publishing a story, verify:

• Names and spelling

• Pronouns and titles

• Dates and locations

• Statistics and numbers

• Quotations

• Organizations and affiliations

• Links

• Historical information

• Claims made by sources

​

Never assume that information is correct simply because it appears online, on social media or in an AI-generated response. Whenever possible, trace information back to the original or primary source.

 

Professional resource:
SPJ Code of Ethics

 

2. FOLLOW AP STYLE

​

Journalistic writing should always follow the current Associated Press style.

 

Students should consult AP Style for questions involving:

• Names and titles

• Numbers

• Dates and times

• Abbreviations

• Capitalization

• Punctuation

• Addresses

• Academic degrees

• Race, ethnicity, gender and identity terminology

• Political terminology

• Technology and social media terminology

• Artificial intelligence

• Journalism terminology

 

Do not rely on Grammarly, ChatGPT or another AI system to determine AP style.

 

Professional resource:
AP Stylebook

 

3. ATTRIBUTE YOUR INFORMATION

 

Readers, viewers and listeners should know where information came from.

 

Attribute:

• Quotations

• Statistics

• Research

• Reports

• Studies

• Claims

• Information that you did not independently observe or establish

​

Direct quotations must accurately reproduce what the source said. Never change a quotation to make it sound better.

 

Paraphrasing another journalist's reporting without attribution can still constitute plagiarism.

 

Linking to the original source does not replace proper attribution.

 

4. CONDUCT ORIGINAL REPORTING

 

Journalism assignments should contain original reporting.

 

Depending upon the assignment, students may be expected to:

• Conduct interviews

• Attend events

• Observe locations

• Review primary documents

• Obtain original photographs, video or audio

• Verify information independently

​

Google searches, Wikipedia, press releases, previously published stories and AI-generated information should not replace original reporting.

​

Whenever possible, interview people directly rather than quoting what they told another publication.

 

5. USE APPROPRIATE AND DIVERSE SOURCES

 

Do not rely on the easiest person to reach. Consider whose knowledge or experience is necessary to tell the story accurately.

 

Depending on the topic, sources might include:

• Experts

• Officials

• Faculty

• Students

• Community members

• Witnesses

• Researchers

• People directly affected by the issue

• Primary documents and data

​

A substantive reported story generally should not depend upon a single source unless the nature of the assignment or story clearly warrants it.

 

6. GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND

 

If your story contains significant criticism, allegations or potentially damaging claims about a person or organization, make a reasonable effort to contact that person or organization for comment.

 

Do not wait until minutes before deadline.

​

Document your attempts to contact the source.

​

If the person does not respond, the story may appropriately state that the individual or organization did not respond to requests for comment.

​

7. USE ANONYMOUS SOURCES SPARINGLY

 

Journalists should normally identify their sources.

​

A source simply saying, “Don't use my name,” does not automatically justify anonymity.

 

Anonymity should generally be considered when:

• The information is important.

• The source has direct knowledge.

• Identifying the source could create genuine risk or harm.

• The information cannot reasonably be obtained on the record elsewhere.

• An editor/instructor has approved the arrangement when required.

​

Students should never invent sources or quotations.

 

Ethics resource:
SPJ Code of Ethics

 

8. SEPARATE NEWS FROM OPINION

 

News reporting should not tell audiences what to think.

​

Journalists should distinguish among:

• News

• Analysis

• Commentary

• Editorials

• Reviews

• Sponsored content

• Advertising

​

Reporters should not insert personal opinions into straight news stories.

​

Opinion pieces should be clearly identified as opinion.

​

9. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

Avoid reporting on organizations, events or individuals with whom you have a significant personal involvement when that involvement could compromise—or reasonably appear to compromise—your journalistic independence.

 

Tell your editor/advisor about potential conflicts before beginning the assignment.

 

Never accept payment, gifts or special treatment in exchange for favorable coverage or give payments for an interview.

​​​

 

MULTIMEDIA & COPYRIGHT

 

10. “I FOUND IT ONLINE” DOES NOT MEAN “I CAN USE IT”

 

Assume that photographs, illustrations, music, videos, graphics, memes, television footage, movie clips, social media posts and other creative works are copyrighted unless you have a legitimate basis for using them.

 

Giving credit does NOT automatically give you permission to use copyrighted material.

 

Neither does writing:

• “Photo courtesy of Google.”

• “Source: Instagram.”

• “No copyright infringement intended.”

• “For educational purposes only.”

Those statements do not create permission.

​

Copyright resources:

• U.S. Copyright Office — Copyright Basics and Educational Resources

• U.S. Copyright Office — Copyright Learning Engine

 

11. IMAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHS

 

The safest options are:

1. Take the photograph yourself.

2. Obtain permission from the photographer/copyright owner.

3. Use an image supplied specifically for media/publication use when its terms permit your use.

4. Use public-domain material.

5. Use appropriately licensed Creative Commons material and comply with the specific license.

6. Use copyrighted material only when your particular journalistic use has a defensible legal basis, such as fair use.

​

Never download an image from Google Images and assume that it is free to use.

 

Remember that Google Images is a search tool, not a photo agency and not a copyright license.

 

When required by the license or publication policy, credit the creator and source.

 

Licensing resource:
Creative Commons — Understanding CC Licenses​

 

12. MUSIC

 

Do not place a popular song under a podcast, documentary, news package, Instagram Reel or other project simply because:

• You purchased the song.

• You subscribe to Spotify or Apple Music.

• The clip is short.

• The project is for school.

• You are not making money.

• You credit the artist.

• “Everyone uses it on TikTok.”

 

None of these automatically gives you the necessary rights.

 

For background music, students should use music that they:

• Created themselves;

• Have permission or an appropriate license to use;

• Obtained from a legitimate royalty-free/licensed source under terms permitting the intended use; or

• Can otherwise lawfully use.

 

Be especially careful when a project will be published publicly, entered in a competition, placed on a website, distributed as a podcast or posted to social media.

 

13. VIDEO, MOVIE AND TELEVISION CLIPS

 

Movie, television, streaming and online video footage is generally copyrighted.

 

A journalism or media project may sometimes incorporate limited copyrighted material for purposes such as criticism, commentary or news reporting, but that does not mean students may use footage simply because it improves the appearance of their project.

 

Ask:

• Why is this particular clip necessary to tell or analyze the story?

 

Using a movie clip to analyze that movie is very different from using the same clip merely as attractive B-roll.

 

Copyright resource:
U.S. Copyright Office — Fair Use

 

14. THERE IS NO “30-SECOND RULE”

 

There is no universal rule that says you may legally use:

• 30 seconds of a song

• 10 seconds of a movie

• 10% of a copyrighted work

• One photograph

• A certain number of words

 

Fair use is evaluated according to the circumstances of each use.

 

The U.S. Copyright Office identifies four statutory considerations:

1. Purpose and character of the use

2. Nature of the copyrighted work

3. Amount and substantiality used

4. Effect on the potential market for the original

 

News reporting, criticism, commentary, teaching, scholarship and research are specifically identified in copyright law as purposes that may qualify for fair use, but the category alone does not automatically make a particular use fair.

 

Required resource:
U.S. Copyright Office — Fair Use Index and Explanation

 

15. CLASSROOM USE IS DIFFERENT FROM PUBLICATION

 

Something an instructor may legally display during a face-to-face class is not necessarily something a student journalist may upload publicly to:

• YouTube

• Instagram

• TikTok

• Spotify

• A publication website

• A podcast feed

• A digital magazine

• A competition entry

 

Always consider the final destination of your work.

 

A multimedia project intended for public distribution should be treated as a publication, not merely as something being shown in class.

 

16. SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY FREE CONTENT

 

A photograph, TikTok, Instagram Reel, YouTube video, X post or other social media content may still contain copyrighted material.

 

Do not assume that because something is public, it is public domain.

 

When social media content itself is newsworthy, consult your instructor/editor about the appropriate way to quote, embed, screenshot or otherwise incorporate it.

​

​

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

 

17. AI MAY ASSIST JOURNALISM; IT MAY NOT FABRICATE JOURNALISM

 

AI may never be used to fabricate:

• Sources

• Interviews

• Quotations

• Statistics

• Events

• Eyewitness accounts

• Photographs presented as documentary photographs

• Video presented as authentic footage

• Audio presented as a real person's voice

• Documents or evidence

 

AI-generated information must be independently verified before it is used journalistically.

 

Students remain responsible for every word, image, sound, fact and source appearing under their byline.

 

No AI should be used to create or edit original work. 

 

When AI materially contributes to a published project, disclose its use according to the instructor's/publication's AI policy.​

 

 

BEFORE YOU PUBLISH: THE FIVE-QUESTION TEST

 

Before submitting or publishing any story, podcast, video or multimedia project, ask yourself:

 

1. IS IT TRUE?
Have I verified the information?

 

2. CAN I PROVE IT?
Do I know where every important fact came from?

 

3. IS IT FAIR?
Have I represented the people involved accurately and given appropriate parties an opportunity to respond?

 

4. IS IT MINE TO USE?
Do I own, have permission/license for, or have a defensible legal basis for every photograph, video clip, song, graphic and other copyrighted element?

 

5. WOULD I DEFEND THIS DECISION PUBLICLY?
Could I explain my reporting, editing, sourcing, AI and copyright decisions to my sources, audience, editor and instructor?

 

When in doubt, STOP AND ASK YOUR EDITOR OR ADVISOR BEFORE PUBLISHING.

 

Core Professional Resources

• AP Stylebook

• Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics

• U.S. Copyright Office — Fair Use

• U.S. Copyright Office — Copyright Education Resources

• Creative Commons