Ethics Policy | The Gazette News | Independent. Human-Centred. Impactful

Effective Date: March 2026 | Last Updated: March 2026 | Version 1.0 | Ethics Policy

Why This Policy Exists

The credibility of The Gazette News rests on the trust of our readers. That trust is earned through the accuracy of our journalism and the integrity of the people who produce it. Readers need to know that when a Gazette journalist publishes a story, that story was produced without the journalist owing anything — financially, personally, or professionally — to anyone with a stake in its outcome.

This Ethics Policy sets out the specific rules that govern the personal and professional conduct of every journalist, editor, and contributor working for or with The Gazette News. These rules are not negotiable. They apply to all staff and contributors regardless of seniority, beat, or employment status.

1. Gifts, Hospitality and Payments

The absolute rule: No journalist or editor of The Gazette News may accept any gift, payment, benefit, or hospitality from a news source, political figure, government agency, company, or any individual or organisation that is or could become the subject of our journalism.

This rule applies without exception to:

Cash payments of any amount
Gift cards, vouchers, or store credits
Meals, drinks, or entertainment of significant value — defined as anything beyond a working lunch of modest value in the course of a specific editorial meeting
Luxury goods, electronics, clothing, or personal items
Free travel, hotel accommodation, or event tickets not directly required for a specific editorial assignment
Discounted services or preferential treatment from companies or institutions covered by The Gazette News

Press trips and events: Journalists may attend press trips and events funded by third parties — including government agencies, companies, and NGOs — only where all of the following conditions are met:

The Gazette News retains full editorial control over whether and what to publish from the trip
There is no obligation — express or implied — to produce favourable coverage in exchange for attendance
The fact that travel or attendance was sponsored by a third party is disclosed in any resulting published article

Any invitation to a press trip or funded event must be declared to the editor before acceptance.

2. Financial Interests and Investments

Every journalist and contributor working for The Gazette News must disclose to the editor any financial interest that could create — or reasonably be perceived to create — a conflict with their editorial responsibilities.

Disclosable financial interests include:

Shareholding or investment in any publicly traded or private company that is or could become the subject of coverage
Business partnerships, directorships, or consultancy arrangements with companies in sectors covered by the journalist
Financial instruments whose value would be affected by the outcome of a story being reported — including shares, options, bonds, or cryptocurrency holdings in relevant sectors
Spousal, family member, or close personal associate financial interests that the journalist is aware of and that are material to their coverage

Action on disclosure: Upon disclosure, the editor will determine whether the interest is material and whether the journalist should be reassigned, required to divest, or permitted to continue with an appropriate disclaimer.

Journalists who are unsure whether a financial interest requires disclosure should disclose it and seek guidance. The default position is always to disclose.

3. Political Activity and Party Affiliation

The Gazette News maintains editorial independence from all political parties and political interests. No journalist or editor working for The Gazette News may:

Hold an active political party membership or carry a party card while employed by or regularly contributing to The Gazette News
Publicly campaign for, endorse, or canvass on behalf of any political party or electoral candidate
Accept appointment to any government position — elected, appointed, or advisory — while working for The Gazette News
Make public financial donations to political parties or electoral campaigns
Participate in politically partisan activity on social media — including retweeting, liking, or publicly endorsing partisan political content — where their Gazette News affiliation is known or visible

Personal political views: The Gazette News recognises that journalists are citizens with political views and electoral rights. Journalists may vote and hold private political opinions. The restriction in this policy is on public partisan political activity that could compromise the appearance of impartiality in their journalism or the independence of The Gazette News as an institution.

4. Outside Employment and Secondary Income

Journalists and contributors working regularly for The Gazette News must declare any secondary employment, freelance work, or income-generating activity to the editor before undertaking it.

Activities that require prior declaration include:

Freelance journalism for other publications covering the same beat
Public relations, communications, or media consultancy work
Paid speaking engagements, event appearances, or conference participation in capacities related to their journalism beat
Academic, research, or advisory roles that involve areas covered by their journalism
Social media content creation, influencer activity, or brand partnerships in any capacity

The editor will assess whether the declared activity conflicts with the journalist’s editorial responsibilities and will communicate a decision within five working days.

5. Source Relationships

The relationships between journalists and their sources are among the most ethically complex in journalism. The Gazette News sets the following standards:

Professional distance: Journalists maintain professional distance from sources in their coverage area. Close personal friendships with news sources create the appearance — and the reality — of compromised journalism, even where the journalist’s intentions are entirely honest.

Social media contact: Following sources on social media, accepting connection requests, or engaging in regular personal social media interaction with sources in a journalist’s coverage area requires care. The test is simple: would a reader, knowing of this relationship, have reasonable grounds to question the journalist’s impartiality? If yes, the relationship requires disclosure to the editor.

Sexual or romantic relationships with sources: Journalists may not maintain sexual or romantic relationships with sources in their active coverage area. Any such relationship that develops must be disclosed to the editor immediately, and the journalist will be reassigned from all coverage areas in which the source is relevant.

Source protection: Journalists protect the identity of confidential sources absolutely. No source identity is ever disclosed to a third party — including other journalists, editors, or management of The Gazette News — without the source’s explicit consent, except as required by a valid court order, in which case The Gazette News will take legal advice before any disclosure.

6. Social Media Conduct

The social media conduct of Gazette News journalists reflects on the publication and its standards even when journalists post in a personal capacity. The following rules apply:

Prohibited social media conduct:

Publishing unverified breaking news on personal accounts before it has been published on thegazette.ng
Expressing partisan political opinions that could compromise the appearance of impartiality in your journalism
Making personal attacks on news subjects, public figures, or sources
Sharing or amplifying misinformation, conspiracy theories, or unverified claims
Publishing details of ongoing investigations or unpublished stories
Engaging in abusive, discriminatory, or harassing conduct toward any individual or group

Permitted social media conduct:

Sharing your published Gazette News journalism with commentary on its content
Engaging professionally with readers who respond to your published work
Using social media as a reporting and source-monitoring tool
Expressing personal opinions on matters unrelated to your coverage area, provided your Gazette News affiliation is not used to lend authority to those opinions

Journalists whose social media conduct creates a serious risk to The Gazette News’s reputation or editorial independence may be required to remove specific content and may face disciplinary review.

7. Reporting on Competitors

The Gazette News reports on the media industry as part of our broader coverage mandate. When reporting on competitor publications, broadcasting organisations, or media figures, we apply the same standards of accuracy, fairness, and right-of-reply that we apply to all other reporting. We do not use our platform to settle personal scores, advance commercial interests against competitors, or publish stories about rivals that we would not publish about any other organisation facing the same facts.

8. Ethics Violations and Reporting

Any journalist or contributor who believes a colleague has violated this Ethics Policy is expected to report it to the Editor-in-Chief promptly. Reports made in good faith will be treated with confidentiality and will not result in retaliation against the person reporting.

The Editor-in-Chief investigates all ethics complaints and communicates findings to the relevant parties. Where a violation is confirmed, consequences may include reassignment, public disclosure of a conflict of interest, suspension, or termination of the working relationship.

To report an ethics concern: Email: editor@thegazette.ng Subject line: Ethics Concern — Confidential