Conflict of Interest Policy
Activities outside of those involving The State News are the greatest source of potential conflict of interest.
The first obligation of staff members is to perform the duties for which they are employed by The State News. No secondary employment shall be undertaken that would interfere with a staff member's State News duties.
It is the practice of The State News to allow free-lance writing by staff members only when it is for non-competing publications on issues that are not exclusive stories of The State News.
Staff members may accept a free-lance job only with the consent of their desk editor and the editor in chief. Free-lance work may include writing, photographs or illustrations that have not been printed in The State News.
The editor in chief reserves the right to rescind his or her approval of a free-lance or stringing assignment if he or she deems the assignment is interfering with the staff member's State News duties or if the assignment presents a conflict of interest.
Staff members must have the approval of their desk editor and the editor in chief before giving material to another source, publication or news organization. Printed material can only be republished with an agreement that the source of the information will be identified as The State News.