Thefoxdaily Network Principles of Ethical Conduct

I. Seeking and Reporting the Truth

• We will make accuracy the foundation of our journalism and will take reasonable steps to verify facts before publication.
• We will distinguish verified facts from allegations, claims, speculation, analysis and opinion.
• We will seek relevant context so that individual facts are not presented in a way that creates a materially misleading impression.
• We will use reliable primary sources whenever reasonably available and will evaluate secondary and unofficial sources carefully.
• Information obtained from social media, messaging platforms, user-generated content or anonymous online accounts will not automatically be treated as verified information.
• We will make reasonable efforts to corroborate significant claims, particularly information that could cause reputational, financial, personal or public harm.
• We will not knowingly publish fabricated information, invented quotations, manipulated facts or misleading claims.
• Headlines, images, captions, summaries and social media descriptions should accurately represent the underlying story and should not deliberately mislead audiences.
• When information is developing or cannot yet be independently verified, we will communicate that uncertainty clearly rather than presenting assumptions as established facts.

II. Serving the Public Interest

• We will prioritize journalism that provides meaningful information, context and understanding to our audience.
• We will report on matters of legitimate public interest, including issues affecting communities, public institutions, consumers, businesses and public safety.
• We will seek to explain complex issues in accessible language without unnecessarily oversimplifying important facts.
• We will give appropriate attention to diverse communities, relevant perspectives and voices that contribute meaningfully to understanding a story.
• We will avoid publishing material merely because it is likely to attract attention when it lacks legitimate editorial value.
• During significant public events or emergencies, we will make reasonable efforts to provide useful and responsible information that can help audiences understand the situation.
• We will not knowingly amplify misinformation simply because it is trending, controversial or highly engaging.

III. Fairness, Respect and Human Dignity

• We will treat people fairly, respectfully and with appropriate consideration for their dignity.
• We will make reasonable efforts to seek relevant responses from individuals or organizations facing serious allegations when their perspective is important to the story.
• When a significant subject cannot be reached before publication, we may explain that reasonable attempts were made to obtain their response and provide an opportunity for response when appropriate.
• We will take additional care when reporting on children, victims, vulnerable individuals and people who may face heightened risks from publication.
• We will avoid unnecessary identification of private individuals when the information has little legitimate public-interest value.
• We will not use discriminatory, demeaning or unnecessarily inflammatory language unless it is directly relevant to the story and editorially justified.

IV. Corrections and Accountability

• We will correct significant factual errors promptly and transparently when they are identified.
• Corrections will be made in a manner appropriate to the significance of the error and the way the original information was distributed.
• We will not knowingly conceal material mistakes that could affect an audience’s understanding of a story.
• Where appropriate, we will distinguish corrections from routine updates, clarifications and additions to an article.
• Our journalists and editors remain responsible for the accuracy and integrity of material published under The Fox Daily’s name.

V. Independence and Conflicts of Interest

• We will protect the editorial independence of our journalism from political, commercial, personal or other outside interests.
• Journalists and contributors should disclose relevant conflicts of interest to their editors and should not allow personal interests to influence reporting.
• We will not accept gifts, benefits, payments or other advantages that could reasonably compromise or appear to compromise editorial independence.
• Advertising, sponsorships, affiliate relationships and other commercial arrangements should not determine the editorial conclusions of our journalism.
• We will maintain a clear distinction between editorial content and advertising or other paid promotional material.
• Where a commercial relationship could reasonably affect a reader’s understanding of an article, appropriate disclosure should be provided.

VI. Sources, Attribution and Confidentiality

• We will attribute information to its original or most relevant source whenever attribution is appropriate and reasonably possible.
• We will not present another person’s reporting, writing, photography, video, research or other creative work as our own.
• Anonymous or confidential sources may be used when there is a legitimate editorial reason and the information cannot reasonably be obtained through attributable sources.
• Confidential sources should be protected where confidentiality has been promised and where disclosure could reasonably expose the source to harm or retaliation.
• We will independently assess information from anonymous sources before relying on it for significant claims.

VII. Responsible Use of Images, Video and Audio

• We will not knowingly publish photographs, videos or audio recordings that have been materially manipulated to misrepresent a real event or person.
• Routine technical adjustments such as reasonable cropping, exposure correction or resizing should not change the factual meaning of an image.
• Illustrations, archive material, simulations and representative visuals should be identified clearly when their nature could otherwise confuse audiences.
• We will take reasonable steps to verify the origin, date, location and context of user-generated or externally supplied visual material when those details are important to the story.

VIII. Acting With Integrity

• We will act honestly and ethically when dealing with sources, readers, colleagues, public officials and organizations.
• We will comply with applicable laws and professional obligations while recognizing that legal compliance alone does not always determine what is ethically appropriate to publish.
• We will avoid plagiarism, fabrication, deceptive attribution and deliberate manipulation of information.
• We will consider the foreseeable consequences of publication and balance the public value of information against unnecessary harm.
• We will use technological tools responsibly and will not allow technology to replace editorial judgment, verification or accountability.

Purpose

Artificial intelligence can assist journalists and editorial teams with research, organization, transcription, translation, summarization, data analysis, brainstorming, accessibility and other legitimate newsroom tasks. At the same time, AI systems can produce inaccurate information, invented sources, misleading statements, biased outputs and synthetic media.

The Fox Daily therefore treats artificial intelligence as an editorial tool, not as a replacement for journalistic responsibility. The use of AI must always remain subject to human judgment, verification, applicable law and our editorial standards.

IX. Human Responsibility for AI-Assisted Journalism

• Human Accountability: A journalist or editor remains responsible for every published claim, regardless of whether AI was involved in producing, editing, translating, researching or organizing the material.
• Editorial Judgment: AI output must never be treated as automatically accurate or authoritative. Human editorial judgment must determine whether information is suitable for publication.
• Verification: Journalists must independently verify material facts, quotations, statistics, names, dates, events, sources and other significant claims generated or suggested by AI.
• No Fabrication: AI must not be used to invent sources, quotations, interviews, eyewitness accounts, documents, statistics, events or other factual material.

X. Acceptable Uses of AI

AI tools may be used for legitimate editorial assistance when their use does not compromise accuracy, confidentiality, originality or journalistic independence.

• Brainstorming story ideas, questions or possible angles for further human research.
• Helping organize information, notes, transcripts or datasets that have been independently obtained.
• Assisting with grammar, spelling, formatting, translation or accessibility, provided the resulting material is reviewed by a human editor or journalist.
• Assisting with technical or repetitive editorial tasks where the use of AI does not introduce unverified factual claims.

XI. AI-Generated Text and Reporting

• Verification Before Publication: AI-generated or AI-assisted text must be reviewed before publication, with factual claims independently checked against reliable sources.
• Sources Must Be Real: AI-generated references, citations, links or source names must never be accepted without verification.
• No AI Invention: Journalists must not use AI to create quotations or attribute statements to people who did not actually make them.
• Original Journalism: AI assistance does not replace original reporting, interviews, source development, fact-checking or editorial analysis where those activities are necessary for a story.
• Disclosure: When AI meaningfully contributes to published content in a way that could affect a reasonable reader’s understanding of how the material was produced, The Fox Daily may provide an appropriate disclosure.

XII. AI-Generated Images, Video and Audio

• No Deceptive Synthetic Media: The Fox Daily will not present AI-generated or materially synthetic media as authentic documentation of a real event when doing so could mislead audiences.
• News Photography: AI-generated photorealistic images will not be presented as genuine photographs of real news events, people or locations.
• Illustrative Material: AI-generated visuals may be considered for clearly identified illustrative purposes when editorially appropriate and when their use cannot reasonably be mistaken for documentary evidence.
• Deepfakes and Impersonation: AI-generated audio, video or imagery that impersonates a real person must receive heightened editorial scrutiny and must not be used deceptively.
• Clear Identification: Synthetic or AI-generated media used for legitimate editorial purposes should be clearly identified whenever there is a reasonable possibility that audiences could mistake it for authentic material.

XIII. Privacy, Confidential Information and Personal Data

• Journalists must consider privacy and confidentiality before entering personal, confidential or sensitive information into an AI system.
• Confidential source information, unpublished investigative material, private communications and sensitive personal data should not be submitted to an AI service unless the use is authorized and appropriate safeguards are in place.
• AI tools must not be used as a reason to disclose private information that has no legitimate editorial purpose.
• Where applicable, the use of AI must comply with privacy, data protection, copyright and other relevant legal requirements.

XIV. Bias, Fairness and Representation

• Journalists must recognize that AI systems can reproduce errors, stereotypes or biases contained in their training data or generated outputs.
• AI output should be reviewed for misleading generalizations, discriminatory assumptions and unsupported characterizations of individuals or communities.
• Journalists must not rely on AI output as the sole basis for sensitive judgments about a person’s identity, character, behavior or circumstances.

XV. Copyright, Attribution and Intellectual Property

• The use of AI does not remove our responsibility to respect copyright, licensing requirements, attribution obligations and other intellectual property rights.
• Journalists must not knowingly use copyrighted text, images, recordings or other material in ways that violate applicable rights or licenses.
• Where attribution or licensing is required for material used alongside AI-assisted work, the appropriate attribution must be provided.

XVI. AI in Headlines, SEO and Audience Distribution

• AI may assist with headline, summary or search-optimization suggestions, but editorial teams remain responsible for the final wording.
• Search optimization must never justify inaccurate, exaggerated, sensational or misleading headlines.
• AI-generated summaries and social posts must accurately reflect the underlying article and must not introduce claims that are absent from or unsupported by the original reporting.

XVII. Transparency and Disclosure

• We believe audiences deserve meaningful transparency about material aspects of how our journalism is produced.
• Disclosure of AI assistance will be considered based on the nature and significance of the AI’s contribution and whether disclosure would help audiences understand the content.
• When synthetic media is used for legitimate illustrative purposes, its artificial or illustrative nature should be made clear to audiences.

XVIII. Editorial Review and Approval

• Significant or unusual uses of AI in journalism may require review by an editor before publication.
• Editors may require additional verification, source documentation, disclosure or removal of AI-generated material when necessary to protect accuracy and public trust.
• The Fox Daily may restrict or prohibit particular AI uses when the editorial, legal, privacy or reputational risks outweigh their benefits.

The Fox Daily believes that responsible journalism begins with accuracy, fairness, independence, transparency and accountability. Technology can help journalists work more efficiently, but it does not replace the responsibility to verify information, understand context, protect sources and make sound editorial decisions.

Artificial intelligence must therefore be used carefully and responsibly. AI-generated or AI-assisted material is never automatically considered factual simply because it was produced by a technological system. The journalist and editor responsible for publication remain accountable for the accuracy, fairness and integrity of the final content.

The Fox Daily does not present AI-generated photorealistic images as authentic photographs of real news events. Synthetic media used for legitimate illustrative purposes must not be presented in a way that could reasonably mislead audiences.

We will continue to review our editorial and AI practices as technology, journalism standards, legal requirements and audience expectations evolve. Where necessary, these guidelines may be updated to strengthen accuracy, transparency, privacy, accountability and public trust.

Our goal is simple: to provide journalism that audiences can understand, evaluate and trust.