At momentous and emotional times like these, we need to remind
ourselves about our responsibilities as journalists and how those
responsibilities intersect with personal feelings and beliefs.

For a newspaper, the First Amendment doesn't just mean the
right of people to express themselves freely, though it does mean
that. For us, as a prime practitioner of First Amendment
responsibility, it also means being fair, thorough, objective and
credible.

Credibility is key here. If we're not credible, we lose public trust.

In the face of this war, newspapers around the country are
grappling with the convergence of professional responsibilities
and personal feelings of staff members.

The New York Times, the L.A. Times and the Baltimore Sun, for
instance, have very specific and strict prohibitions on their
newsroom staffers taking part in political activities; that includes demonstrations, marches, etc.

Other papers, including The Chronicle, have more flexibility in their conflict-of-interest policies. But we do have a policy in place. You can read it on Chronweb. Here are the portions that may be applicable to the current circumstances:

CONFLICT OR INTEREST: A newsroom's most valuable asset is its reputation.

Without a reputation for accurate, fair and balanced reporting, we lose readers' trust.

We keep that trust not only with honest journalism, but also with our on- and off-the-job behavior.

We recognize that staff members may wish to participate in
outside activities including political and community affairs,
supporting political candidates, expressing opinions and making
money outside of The Chronicle.

At the same time, unfettered exercise of these activities can
impinge on The Chronicle's reputation for fairness, balance and
accuracy.

When these two legitimate interests - an employee's and the
newspaper's -conflict, The Chronicle will make every effort to
resolve the issue with common sense and consultation. Some
conflicts have no easy solution, however, and we urge any staffer
with a potential conflict to talk with his or her supervisor, the
executive editor or his designee. Early disclosure and discussion
are essential to good resolutions.

POLITICAL ACTIVITIES: The Chronicle does not forbid employees
from engaging in political activities but needs to prevent any
appearance of any conflict of interest. Staff members who wish to
become involved with any political cause or campaign should take
care not to create the appearance of a conflict of interest. When there is a possible question, staff members should consult
with the executive editor or his designee.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: While The Chronicle encourages
participation in community affairs, staff members should exercise
care to avoid involvements that create either the appearance or
reality of conflict of interest between those involvements and
their journalistic duties. Any significant or potentially controversial community involvement should be brought to the attention of the executive editor or his designee.

Given this policy, we'd like to reinforce the following points:

1. If you're going to participate in a public way in any demonstrations involving the war, you must clear it with a
department head who will then notify one of us. If you cover a
beat or handle stories, photos, etc. that may involve the conflict, your publicly-expressed opinions may create at least the appearance of a conflict of interest and bias.

As our excellent Sunday Business section story indicated, $4
billion in local business is somehow tied into this war; the vast
majority of us in the newsroom are involved with journalism that
touches the conflict.

2. The Staff basket. This is a larger issue, but the Staff basket should be for internal and work-related takes. Arguably, a
flag on the building is work-related. Political tracts and polemics from other publications are not.

Historically, internal dialogue gets outside the building and into other publications in about an instant. So the Staff basket is in reality often a public press release in the guise of an internal bulletin board.

When the basket consists solely of takes opposing the war, it can give the appearance that there's only one view here. Is that
really an accurate reflection of newsroom opinion? Of everyone's
opinion in the newsroom? Certainly they are not views shared by
all our readers. At a minimum, it could hurt our credibility and
our ability to be seen as accurate and fair.

Please refrain from posting either anti- or pro-war tracts and
inflicting them on all your colleagues.

It's precisely because we are at war and emotions are so raw that we are redoubling our efforts and stressing our responsibilities as professionals.

Every other institution in the world other than the press is trying to spin this - that's what governments and official institutions do. It is our obligation to seek the truth.

Our fervor as journalists should be to fulfill that mission.

Thanks.

Narda/Rosey/Phil