The Ark is a community newspaper serving Tiburon, Belvedere and Strawberry. Our purpose is to give readers accurate, fair and thorough information about the community and the institutions that shape daily life here. This code states the principles that guide our work. It is modeled on the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and the Associated Press Statement of News Values and Principles, adapted for a local newsroom.

 

This is a statement of abiding principles, not a rigid set of rules. It should be read as a whole. Questions or concerns about our journalism can be sent to the editor at editor@thearknewspaper.com.

 

Seek truth and report it

 

Our journalism should be accurate and fair, and we should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting the news.

 

We take responsibility for the accuracy of our work and verify information before we publish it, using original sources whenever possible. Neither speed nor format excuses inaccuracy. We provide context and take care not to oversimplify or misrepresent a story in a headline, summary or social post. We gather, update and correct information throughout the life of a story. We follow the Associated Press Stylebook, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style," supplemented by our own house style.

 

A reporter's work is the product of the reporter's own reading, analysis and writing. Artificial intelligence tools may help with utilities such as transcription, copy editing and basic research, but they may not be used to synthesize, draft or write story content, and they are never a substitute for a reporter reading the source material and reaching their own conclusions. A reporter is fully responsible for everything filed under their byline.

 

We identify sources as clearly as we can so readers can judge their reliability and motives. We grant anonymity only when a source may face real danger, retribution or other harm, has information that is vital and cannot be obtained any other way, and provides facts rather than opinion or speculation. We explain in the story why anonymity was granted, and we seek more than one source whenever possible. We consider a source's motives before promising anonymity, and we keep the promises we make.

 

We diligently seek out the people we write about, especially anyone facing criticism or an allegation of wrongdoing, and give them a fair chance to respond. We avoid undercover or surreptitious newsgathering unless traditional, open methods will not yield information vital to the public, and we identify ourselves as Ark journalists when reporting.

 

We hold those with power accountable and work to keep the public's business open, including public meetings and public records. We tell the story of the full diversity of our community and seek out voices that are seldom heard, especially those historically underrepresented in local coverage. We build sources across the full range of the community rather than returning to the same familiar few.

 

We examine how our own values and experiences may shape our reporting, and we avoid stereotyping. We describe people as they describe themselves, and we use accurate, respectful and current language for race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age and immigration status. We mention these characteristics only when they are relevant to the story and can explain their relevance. We do not let assumptions about any group stand in for reporting.

 

We clearly label opinion, commentary, advocacy and sponsored content. We never deliberately distort facts or context, including in photographs and other visual material; illustrations and re-enactments are clearly labeled. We never plagiarize, and we always attribute.

 

We value the letters and guest commentary our readers send as a forum for community debate. We verify that a letter comes from the person who signed it, and we edit submissions for length, clarity, accuracy, taste and legal concerns without altering the writer's meaning. We do not knowingly publish false statements of fact, and we hold opinion writers to the same standard of fairness we set for ourselves.

 

Minimize harm

 

We treat sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as people deserving of respect.

 

We balance the public's need for information against potential harm. The pursuit of news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness. We show compassion for those affected by our coverage and use heightened sensitivity with juveniles, victims of sex crimes, and people who are inexperienced with the press or unable to give consent.

 

We recognize that legal access to information is not the same as an ethical justification to publish, and that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public officials and others who seek influence or attention. We generally do not identify victims of sexual assault, or minors accused of or witnessing crimes, absent a compelling reason and editor approval. We weigh the long-term reach and permanence of online publication, and we avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.

 

Cover crime and justice with care

 

How we cover crime can follow people for the rest of their lives, and the harm falls hardest on those with the least power to answer it. We report on crime to inform the community, not to punish, shame or entertain.

 

We distinguish clearly between an arrest, a charge and a conviction, and we treat people who are accused as innocent until a court decides otherwise. We attribute allegations to the authority making them, and we make clear when an account comes only from police or one side of a dispute. A police statement is a starting point for reporting, not a verified fact.

 

We are cautious about naming people who have been arrested or charged but not convicted, especially in low-level cases, and we weigh that decision against the lasting harm a name can cause. When we name someone accused of a crime, we make a reasonable effort to report the outcome of the case, including charges that are dropped, dismissed or end in acquittal. We do not publish booking photos, or "mug shots," as a matter of routine, and we use them only when there is a clear public-safety or news reason.

 

We name a suspect's race, ethnicity, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity only when it is demonstrably relevant, such as in a detailed police description of a person still sought in a specific crime. We hold those who enforce the law to the same scrutiny we apply to anyone with power, and we work to identify the officers and officials involved in newsworthy uses of force.

 

We will consider requests to update, add context to or, in limited cases, remove older coverage of minor crimes when a person can show the material causes ongoing harm and no longer serves the public. Such decisions rest with the editor, and we favor updating the record over erasing it.

 

Act independently

 

Our highest obligation is to serve the public, free of any interest other than the reader's right to know.

 

We avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived, and disclose any that are unavoidable. We refuse gifts, favors, free travel, fees and special treatment, and we avoid outside political or commercial activity that could compromise our integrity or credibility. Items of nominal value, such as a press-event coffee mug, and review materials are the only exceptions. We do not pay for interviews or access to news, and we are wary of sources offering information in exchange for favors or money.

 

We deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors and other special interests, and we resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage. We keep a clear line between news and advertising, and we prominently label any sponsored content. The Ark's ownership is disclosed publicly, and our newsroom operates independently of our business and advertising functions.

 

Be accountable and transparent

 

We take responsibility for our work and explain our decisions to readers.

 

We respond promptly to questions about the accuracy, fairness and clarity of our reporting, and we acknowledge and correct our mistakes promptly and prominently. We welcome civil dialogue with the community about how and why we cover the news. We hold ourselves to the same standards we expect of others, and we will expose unethical conduct in journalism, including our own.

 

Updated June 2026. Questions about this policy may be directed to the editor at editor@thearknewspaper.com.