IMI shares the principles and values enshrined in the Code of Ethics of a Ukrainian Journalist, but reserves the right for its employees to discuss its content and application.
IMI takes measures to counteract propaganda and disinformation, as it considers them the opposite of freedom of speech.
For the sake of implementing its mission and achieving its goals, we defend the rights of media employees and the editorial freedoms of the media, worry about their legal and physical safety, and take care of the material and methodological support of journalists.
We also disseminate reliable and accurate information, conduct monitoring studies of media content, assess its quality, and provide consultations on improving it.
At the same time, we make efforts to form an informed, thoughtful, and capable of critical thinking audience. The rating of quality media has been improved, namely the new promising and unique product “White List”. This project has attracted the attention of the commercial sector to IMI’s activities. Consumers recognize the high quality of IMI monitoring.
As part of our mission, we annually form the “White List” — a list of the highest-quality and most responsible online publications in Ukraine.
We write about the media
One of the tools for implementing our mission is the IMI website. This is a publication that covers media-related events and phenomena in the information space.
The editorial team strives not only to inform the audience, but also to immerse readers in the context: to explain the prerequisites, circumstances and possible consequences. Thus, creating opportunities for the audience to independently analyze the described events and phenomena.
Our publications contain complete information, reporting what happened, where, when and why, as well as what it may mean.
We distinguish between journalism and public activism, therefore, we do not spread propaganda, and our materials are balanced and unbiased.
At the same time, the IMI website may post news, articles, interviews or blogs that are not related to the media sector, but, in the opinion of the editorial board, are of public importance.
To disseminate its product, the IMI editorial board also uses social networks.
Independence of editorial policy
The Institute of Mass Information NGO is funded by donor organizations that share our values and views on the development of Ukraine as an independent, democratic, politically and economically stable European state focused on the interests of citizens.
No donor organizations have any influence on the editorial policy of the IMI publication. The independent policy of our publication is formed by the Institute of Mass Information NGO. To ensure that this policy meets the interests of society and the needs of the audience, we conduct our own research and provide systematic feedback to the target audience.
Editors, project managers and contributors of the publication make decisions within the limits of their responsibility in accordance with the defined editorial policy.
Members and employees of the NGO “Institute of Mass Information” refuse bribes — valuable gifts, monetary rewards or preferences from third parties or organizations for the dissemination or refusal to disseminate information.
Freedom of speech for the benefit of Ukraine
Freedom of speech is one of the highest values for IMI. But now, when Ukraine is faced with the need to wage war against the invader, liberate its temporarily occupied territories from enemy troops and resist Russia also in the information war, freedom of speech cannot be a justification for participation in manipulations inspired by the aggressor country and other actions directed against Ukrainian statehood and in support of the invader. Our position is that war obliges journalists to increased attentiveness, critical thinking and, in general, responsibility.
We are against discrimination
IMI respects diversity and provides an opportunity to express different points of view. We do not accept discrimination in any form and on any grounds: sexual preferences, gender, culture, religion, race and nationality, political views, social status, age, appearance, etc. We remain tolerant of all people, except for cases when their statements violate the legislation of Ukraine and are aimed at inciting hatred.
IMI corrects its mistakes and interacts with the audience
The editorial staff of the IMI website corrects the mistakes made in its materials as soon as possible. In such cases, the word “corrected” or “updated” is added to the title in brackets. If the material is completely untrue, we publish an apology to our audience and a refutation. You can inform us about our mistakes using the editorial staff’s contact details.
We also invite you to comment on our materials, leave complaints, suggest topics for coverage, help us with sources of information, provide expertise and participate in IMI surveys.
We grant the right to rebuttal and reply
Any individual named in the material, or an authorized representative of a legal entity, may apply to the IMI website for a rebuttal if the information provided about them is not true. The format of the rebuttal is determined by the editorial office of the publication itself.
At the same time, the editorial office reserves the right not to publish a rebuttal if, after assessing the situation, it concludes that there are no grounds for this and the information in the disputed material is reliable.
If the disputed material is reliable but calls into question the reputation of an individual or legal entity, IMI may grant the right to reply. The format of posting such a response is also determined by the editorial office, and its content is formulated by the complainant.
We respect copyright
IMI does not resort to plagiarism. We publish other people’s materials, texts, photos and videos only in accordance with the norms of the legislation of Ukraine and with the consent (if required by law) of their authors or copyright holders and with a reference to the original sources. At the same time, in cases of public importance, or if the material falls under the sample of our monitoring study, we may publish screenshots of visual content or quotes from the text with a reference to the original source without the consent of the author or copyright holder.
The IMI website does not place hidden and unfair advertising
Our publication may place advertising in accordance with the norms of the legislation of Ukraine. We do not place paid publications under the guise of editorial ones. All paid materials are published with the mark “Advertisement”. We do not place unfair, harmful and toxic advertising. Advertisers do not influence the editorial policy of IMI and do not have any preferences when it comes to publications on events or topics related to them.
Employee Behavior on Social Media
IMI employees must avoid posting any material on social media that could damage our reputation as an objective and credible organization.
In their posts, our employees must not express biased views, promote political ideas, support candidates for elected office, write offensive comments, or do anything else that harms IMI’s reputation.
We are tolerant of other users of social media. If we are criticized, we respond carefully, without going into personalities, only to the essence of the criticism. We may refrain from responding. We also support the right of our employees to block people on social media who threaten or insult us.
If we have posted a post with an error, with something unacceptable, and we want to delete it, we will write about this deletion and the reasons for it in the next post.
We respect diversity and do not criticize people for their religion, sexual orientation, race, geographic origin, gender, choice, or appearance.
Professional Standards
Given that the standards of quality journalism are one of the subjects of our research, we strictly adhere to them ourselves.
IMI disseminates only reliable information. The editorial staff of the publication reports only confirmed facts, naming the sources of information. We give preference to information from primary sources, or confirmed by at least two sources independent of each other.
When disseminating information from other high-quality and responsible media, we name them and add appropriate hyperlinks. If the editorial staff sees a need to use as a source of information a publication compromised by the spread of propaganda or fakes, then the corresponding material must contain an indication of this. We consider Russian media to be compromised and unreliable sources of information. Therefore, we refer to them in cases where Russian media are the subject of research or with appropriate reminders, when there are no other sources of information that are important for the safety of our audience. Given the propaganda nature and harmful content of most Russian media, IMI reserves the right not to place hyperlinks to such resources.
We carefully check information from social networks. In news, we use such information only when the account is real. Therefore, we consider the account owner to be the priority source for verification. In research and analytical materials, we may also pay attention to anonymous pages on social networks if the information posted on them is important for security or valuable for understanding the context. In such cases, we clearly and unambiguously indicate that we are talking about a dubious account.
IMI reserves the right not to name the source of information in cases where this may threaten their life, health or the safety of their loved ones. At the same time, such sources must be known to the author of the material, and the information must be of public importance. Without a reference to the source, only facts can be disseminated, but not assessments.
In addition, IMI may not disclose the names of the authors of individual analytical materials, and contributors to our site have the right to use pseudonyms. The editorial board is responsible for such publications of materials.
IMI does not distribute press releases of state bodies, political parties, companies and banks. Such press releases, after additional verification in a particular context, can be used only as one of the sources in our material along with information from alternative sources.
IMI publishes the results of sociological research and surveys only with the name of the sociological service that conducted the research, the terms, geography and methods of conducting it, the number of respondents and the magnitude of the statistical error.
In our publications, we adhere to the principle of the presumption of innocence, based on the fact that, according to Part One of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, “everyone has the right to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law,” and also according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of a crime and cannot be criminally punished until his guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict of conviction. No one is obliged to prove his innocence in committing a crime. Therefore, until a court decision has entered into force, we do not call people criminals.
IMI publishes accurate and complete information. IMI pays attention to the accuracy of information, in particular, quantitative indicators, proper names and geographical names. IMI also provides accurate quotes, but reserves the right to correct grammatical, syntactic and stylistic errors.
Our publications contain complete information, reporting what happened, where, when and why, as well as what it may mean.
The editorial team aims to obtain exclusive information from the original source in the shortest possible time. At the same time, accuracy and reliability are the top priorities. Neglect of these criteria cannot be justified by efficiency.
Facts, assessments, comments or quotes should not be separated from the context.
IMI materials are impartial and balanced. We cover different points of view from an equidistance position, regardless of their political, corporate or national affiliation.
At the same time, ideas and statements that violate the law, question the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, deny civil rights and freedoms, promote violence and discrimination in any form cannot be spread as a balance.
The balance of the material and the right of the parties to cover their positions does not mean an equal right to express themselves for the invader and the defender, the aggressor and the victim of violence, or for the terrorist and a representative of law enforcement agencies.
We do not take the balance from the enemy side, since their point of view is in no way an alternative opinion, but is aimed at promoting the seizure of Ukraine, violating its territorial integrity, denying the existence of Ukrainian identity, etc. The Russian side also cannot act as a “second opinion”, since it systematically spreads genocidal rhetoric, using disinformation and propaganda techniques. We scrupulously avoid statements or images that could romanticize the actions of criminals.
Different points of view on conflict topics should be published within the same material. However, if the comments of one of the parties could not be published promptly, they can be submitted separately with a reference to the opposing side of the conflict and an explanation of the context for the audience. The positions of the parties should be presented by legitimate speakers of the same representative level.
For a balanced analysis of situations, the editorial office may involve competent external experts. Such experts must be unbiased regarding the subject of the publication.
We separate facts from comments. IMI analytical materials may contain comments, value judgments and logical conclusions. The publication may quote such statements of the involved experts, as well as state the opinions of its own experts. However, comments, assessments and conclusions must be clearly separated as such and authorized. IMI analytical materials created on the basis of the results of its own monitoring studies in accordance with the published methodology must be balanced and contain the most complete argumentation of the given judgments, assessments and conclusions.
IMI materials may also express a consolidated editorial position. Such materials are authored by IMI. The editorial position is expressed in the event of reaching a consensus among all its employees. However, in any case, facts must be clearly separated from comments.
We work with information ethically. IMI respects the right to privacy, but reserves the right to collect data on civil servants, local government officials, deputies of all levels, as well as other persons who perform socially significant functions or have an impact on public life.
We are especially careful and cautious in disseminating information related to minors. We do not show the faces or reveal the names of children who have participated in events related to violence, had or could have been involved in criminal actions. The editorial staff of the IMI publication does not describe details of events with fatal consequences that are not fundamental for understanding the situation, and does not publish images of body parts and biological fluids.