May 22, 2008
editorial principles
editorial principles
As the editorial team of Swerve.com (in the simulation exercise), we identified the following editorial principles:
a) Public interest and the Public’s right to know:
We believe in these two core principles. However, we would avoid broadcasting defamatory content. We would strive to oreserve human dignity and avoid showing footage which would infringe on viewers’ sensibility. Defining human dignity and what acceptable footage is would have to be done on a
We comply to the jourmalist’s code of ethics (MEEA).
b) truth and accuracy
We will attribute our sources, respect copyright as well as other licence policies in place (ie Creative Commons). In the case of confidential sources, this confidentiality has to be justified (political refugee for example). The person’s identity will be disclosed only with the editor for a final (discreet) information check.
All sources must be reliable. Wikipedia is considered a “blog”, not a reference source.
Myspace and Facebook-related information will be used sparingly, respecting the dignity and privacy of members. No pictures shall be published directly from members’ profiles.
c) Ethical values
People’s personal details will not be published in any of the content. We will strive to avoid publishing defamatory content, and respect privacy.
d) Editorial independence
We believe in fair comment, and providing a platform for free expression. We encourage (healthy) debates.
Disclaimer: we do however reserve ourselves the right to remove comments which do not comply with our ethical values.
e) User engagement
Out of respect for our readers, we will strive not to drown our content in a sea of adverts, and not review “sponsored packages” on our site. Sponsored ads will appear on relevant pages: for example, car ads on the car reviewing page of swerve.
synopsis review:
Here is the original synopsis.
Aussie music has a history of conquering the charts: AC/DC, Kylie, John Butler Trio. Now a new wave of indie bands is taking the world by storm (Operator Please, The Presets, Cut Copy, Midnight Juggernauts, to name but a few).
Support: the feature will try and uncover the mechanism behind this success. How do Austrade, the Australian Music Association, and the Australia Council contribute? What kind of financial or technical backing and marketing expertisedo bands get (if any)?
The Media: What roles do local and foreign radio stations play in promoting bands? Are record stores part of the process? What role does the Internet play? Who sets up street teams abroad? How does print media come into the equation?
Road trip: The touring experience. Meeting new fans, playing in different venues: what makes playing abroad special for an Aussie band?
After discussion, it would seem there is not much interest in this topic (ie “the mechanism behind indie Australian bands’ success abroad”) and that finding sources may prove quite challenging.
It was suggested that I try and narrow it down to the reason behind the success, by contacting sources abroad for example.
I will therefore narrow down the feature to a more “human” and colourful vision of the question (as opposed to an investigative aspect).
This should make it more accessible to a wider readership as well.





