Charter of ethics

Why a charter?

Your trust must be earned.

There can be no trust without a clear commitment. What can you expect when reading Contexte? What rules do we set for ourselves to manage conflicts of interest?

This charter binds each and every member of the Contexte team, both individually and collectively. It is based on our cumulative experience, the ten duties and five rights of journalists pursuant to the Munich Charter and the Spiil Best Practices Guide for Independent Press Publishers. It may be supplemented and refined as new situations arise.

We are accountable for these commitments.

Separation of powers

• Journalists must not accept instructions from anyone outside the editorial team (such as shareholders, executives, sales staff or readers). No non-journalist employee may make requests regarding editorial content.
• The marketing and sales department determines its own sales, marketing and pricing policies. No employee outside this department may authorise subscriptions that deviate from standard commercial practices.
• The company’s shareholders have the authority to appoint corporate officers. However, they do not intervene in the company's day-to-day management.

Transparency

Journalists and members of the executive committee publish and keep up to date an individual declaration of interests, listing their material and moral interests related to the exercise of their role. This declaration is accessible to all on the employee’s biography page. It includes, in particular:

• Other professional activities that have resulted in compensation or rewards since joining Contexte;
• Ownership of shares or claims in companies that Contexte might cover;
• Current participation in the governing bodies of any public or private organisation (associations, companies) that Contexte might cover;
• Current volunteer roles in associations that take public policy positions (advocacy), regular donations, and active memberships in political parties or trade unions;
• Ongoing elected roles or mandates;
• Family ties (ascendants, descendants, spouse, civil union partner, or stable, established relationships) with individuals engaged in professional or lobbying roles in public or private organisations that Contexte might cover.

Employees of Contexte who may attend editorial meetings must also publish and maintain an individual declaration of interests, listing their material and moral interests related to their role. This declaration is accessible only to Contexte staff and includes:

• Other professional activities that have resulted in compensation or rewards since joining Contexte;
• Ownership of shares or claims in companies that Contexte might cover;
• Current participation in the governing bodies of any public or private organisation (associations, companies) that Contexte might cover;
• Current volunteer roles in associations that take public policy positions (advocacy);
• Ongoing elected roles or mandates;
• Family ties (ascendants, descendants, spouse, civil union partner, or stable, established relationship) with individuals engaged in professional or advocacy roles in public or private organisations that Contexte might cover.

Contexte publishes its detailed and simplified financial statements every year. These reports outline the company’s annual sources of income and funding:

• Revenue breakdown by product line;
• Public or private subsidies, including the projects they support;
• Donations over €1,000, including the names of donors;
• Bank loans, honorary loans;
• Changes in company capital.

Contexte also publishes and updates its interests as a business entity. These do not reflect the editorial team’s positions.

• Shareholders of Contexte, including the names of individuals who ultimately control shareholder companies;
• Revenue sources from the previous calendar year, including any client representing more than 5% of turnover;
• Capital stakes in other businesses;
• Ongoing subsidies (public and private), bank loans and honorary loans;
• Memberships in professional organisations or associations that take positions on public policy.

Any modifications made to an article after publication are clearly indicated as such, along with the date of the change.

Managing conflicts of interest

A journalist whose close relative (spouse, parent or child) holds interests that may conflict with their role (e.g. a political office) must not cover news related to that relative. These situations require either a temporary or permanent recusal.

Similarly, a sales employee whose close relative (spouse, parent, or child) holds a position of responsibility with a client or on a potential client account must not manage that business relationship and must recuse themselves.

Employees may not receive personal compensation – whether in connection with their job or not – from stakeholders within Contexte’s editorial scope (ban on what is referred to as “ménages”).

Contexte covers its journalists’ professional expenses. In exceptional cases, the editorial team may accept that an event organiser covers these costs, but only for critical logistical reasons or when access to information or contacts would otherwise be impossible. Any article using information gathered on a trip paid for by a third party must disclose that the trip was sponsored.

Employees must maintain the confidentiality of information shared in editorial meetings, especially with regard to political parties to which they may belong.

Sales, marketing, product, technical and customer service staff must never share personal data with journalists, in accordance with the Privacy Policy.