Nubian Television is dedicated to presenting viewers with program and non-program material of the highest caliber. An integral part of this commitment has been the development of broadcast guidelines and standards that the Program Practices Department applies to both program and non-program material (the latter including commercials, public-service announcements and on-air promotions).
Nubian Television program standards express important commitments and responsibilities to viewers in a manner that respects the creativity of the programs presented. The review process involves an interaction among producers, program executives and Program Practices executives, who ensure that Nubian Television entertainment programs conform to generally accepted standards of public taste. As those standards evolve, Nubian Television strives to be contemporary.
The extent and degree of Program Practices involvement in ongoing series, ranging from general consultation to close episode review and supervision, depend on the nature and subject matter of the series generally and of particular episodes.
Nubian Television takes into account the suitability of material for the particular time period in which it is to be broadcast and the corresponding differences in audience composition and expectations. The Program Practices editors review material for excessive or gratuitous violence, sexuality, nudity and inappropriate language. They ensure that character portrayals are sensitive to current ethnic, religious, sexual and other significant social concerns. When controversial issues are addressed in entertainment programming, they review the material for balance and accuracy.
While controversial and sensitive material may need to be included in Nubian Television content, material that is gratuitously offensive (e.g., extreme violence, racial epithets, sexism, graphic language, or nudity) should not be included unless it is essential to understanding the matter at hand and does not violate federal law against broadcasting indecent and profane content. Material that is included merely to shock or draw attention and that does not impart valuable information is gratuitous. Given that questions of taste cannot be answered in the abstract, specific issues should be resolved in consultation with Nubian Television Programming, Digital, and Standards & Practices staff in light of contemporary standards of taste, the law, and the newsworthiness of the material. If Nubian Television concludes that the exclusion of such material would distort an important reality or impair the content’s artistic quality, Nubian Television may condition distribution of the content on providing audiences and member stations with sufficiently clear advance notice.
Under no circumstance will Nubian Television broadcast any content, PSA, or advertisement that we determine is detrimental to African Americans, Africans and the African diaspora worldwide.
Editorial independence is essential to serving the public interest and preserving the public’s trust. Content distributed by Nubian Television must be free of undue influence from third-party funders, political interests, and other outside forces. Nubian Television must remain unwavering in its commitment to distributing content that exemplifies ethical and journalistic integrity rather than advancing commercial interests. This obligation is achieved through the good-faith professional judgment of producers and Nubian Television staff and by carefully listening to the public. Editorial independence gives producers the intellectual freedom to achieve the other principles.
Accuracy means honesty, fidelity to facts, and humility on the part of producers and Nubian Television staff to question their own assumptions about the subjects they are handling. Accuracy includes more than simply verifying whether information is correct; facts must be placed in sufficient context based on the nature of the piece to ensure that the public is not misled. For example, facts can lack necessary context if they are presented in a way that omits important details, quotes someone without correctly reflecting what the person was asked, or distorts what occurred. Producers must also be mindful of the language used to frame the facts to avoid deceiving or misleading the audience or encouraging false inferences. A commitment to accuracy also requires gathering, updating, and promptly correcting information as a story develops. Producers must exercise the highest level of care in verifying information, especially when it relates to any accusations of wrongdoing.
Transparency is the principle that content should be produced in a way that allows the audience to evaluate the credibility of the work and determine for themselves whether it is trustworthy. Producers must be open with the audience—to the extent practical—about how the work was done. Being transparent is the proof, in effect, that the editorial principles outlined in these standards are living principles that inform a professional and ethical editorial process—not simply words on a page. While specific methods may vary by circumstance and platform, transparency means respecting that the audience is entitled to understand significant underlying editorial decisions. If producers arrive at a certain conclusion or a point of view, the audience should be able to evaluate how that conclusion or view was reached. Producers who face difficult editorial decisions should consider explaining why certain choices were made; if relevant questions cannot be answered, producers should endeavor to explain why. Sources must be clearly identified, and, in those rare instances when confidential sources need to be used, producers must explain the decision to allow anonymity. Transparency also means using labels or other disclosures when presenting information that might be unclear or confusing to the audience. Finally, transparency requires that producers disclose to the audience all sources of funding for the production and distribution of content.
Producers and Nubian Television staff must remain accountable and responsive to the audience, Nubian Television’s public editor, and Nubian Television member stations. Accountability requires producers to stand by their work and to be prepared and willing to respond to relevant inquiries about it, including through active and thoughtful digital engagement with the audience. Accountability also means that producers must adhere to the highest professional standards of conduct and diligently pursue and report the truth. Conflicts of interest must be avoided, and any real or perceived conflicts that could have the appearance of influencing content must be disclosed to Nubian Television. Producers must correct errors, in close consultation with Nubian Television, as soon as they determine that errors occurred. Producers must also work closely with Nubian Television to respond in a timely manner, and to the best of their abilities, to questions or criticisms from the public about significant editorial decisions or ethical issues related to content.