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Editorial Guidelines & Ethics Policy - Search Coorg Media
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Editorial Guidelines & Publishing Ethics

Our standards of integrity, verification, byline transparency, and public accountability across Search Coorg Media web publications and our Android mobile app.

Last Updated: October 2024 • Published by: Search Coorg Media • App ID: com.newscoorg.user.newscoorg

Public Notice & Regulatory Compliance

This document establishes the official journalistic policy for Search Coorg Media (accessible via searchcoorg.com and the Search Coorg mobile news app available on Google Play). It satisfies Google Play Console's News App Policy and complies with applicable digital media norms.

1

Mission, Ownership & Editorial Scope

Search Coorg Media (affiliated with Rastra Jaagruthi Weekly, Madikeri) is an independent local news platform committed to unbiased, timely, and hyper-local reporting for the Kodagu (Coorg) region and neighboring districts in Karnataka, India.

Our primary objective is to keep our readers informed of civic developments, cultural heritage, environmental conservation, agriculture, administrative notices, and emergency alerts with the highest standard of public interest journalism.

Entity Name: Search Coorg Media / Rastra Jaagruthi Weekly

Headquarters: Madikeri - 571201, Kodagu District, Karnataka, India

Primary Website: https://searchcoorg.com


2

Fact-Checking & Verification Standards

Search Coorg Media maintains rigorous internal fact-checking mechanisms prior to distributing breaking news or stories via our website and app:

  • Multi-Source Verification: Critical claims, legal disputes, police reports, or administrative announcements must be corroborated by at least two independent sources or backed by official press communiques.
  • Primary Documents: Wherever feasible, reporters must examine original government circulars, court orders, police First Information Reports (FIRs), or gazette notifications before publication.
  • Visual Verification: Photographs and video clips submitted by citizen contributors or stringers are cross-referenced for timestamp and geographic authenticity to eliminate altered media and deceptive reposts.
  • Non-Sensationalism: Headlines must accurately reflect the article's core content without using deceptive, sensational, or misleading clickbait.

3

Authorship, Bylines & Transparency

In accordance with Google Play News Policy, readers have the right to know who produces the content they consume:

Individual Bylines

Original field reports, investigative pieces, and editorials bear the explicit byline of the correspondent or staff writer.

Editorial Desk Bylines

Routine district press briefs, aggregated agency notices, and weather alerts carry the attribution "Search Coorg Desk" or "News Bureau" under senior editor oversight.


4

Sourcing, Attribution & Anonymous Sources

  • Direct Attribution: We explicitly name individuals, government authorities, law enforcement representatives, and institutions when quoting statements or figures.
  • Anonymous Sources: Confidentiality is granted only when disclosing the identity poses clear physical, legal, or retaliatory risk to the source. The editor must be informed of the source's true identity to evaluate reliability.
  • Third-Party Material: When reporting relies on reports published by other journalistic entities, prominent hyperlinked attribution is provided to respect original reporting.

5

Corrections, Updates & Retraction Policy

Search Coorg Media holds itself accountable for factual misstatements. When an error is identified:

  1. Prompt Correction: Factual errors in published articles or push notifications are corrected without delay.
  2. Correction Footnote: An explanatory update note is appended at the bottom of the article explaining the modification (e.g., "Correction [Date]: This article has been updated to reflect correct spellings / statistics").
  3. Retraction: If an entire premise of a story is found to be factually invalid, the piece is formally retracted with a transparent statement retained on that URL.

6

Advertising, Sponsored Content & Independence

Editorial content is strictly separated from commercial, marketing, and advertising interests:

  • Clear Labeling: Any sponsored post, paid advertorial, or paid partner feature is clearly marked with tags like "Sponsored", "Advertisement", or "Partner Content".
  • Editorial Independence: Advertisers and sponsors have no influence over editorial decisions, news investigations, or daily coverage priorities.
  • Prohibited Advertisements: We do not accept promotional material that is predatory, promotes illegal gambling, fraudulent investment schemes, or malicious software.

7

Hate Speech, Defamation & Harm Prevention

Search Coorg Media adheres to constitutional and statutory guidelines regarding public harmony:

  • We strictly ban hate speech promoting violence or discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or community.
  • Special care is exercised when reporting on minors, sexual offense victims, and ongoing police trials to protect individual dignity and conform to judicial protections.

8

Grievance Redressal & Editorial Contact

If you have concerns about the accuracy of a published story, copyright queries, or ethical grievances, please contact our Editorial and Grievance Officer:

Editorial Desk / Grievance Officer

Search Coorg Media

Rastra Jaagruthi Weekly

Madikeri - 571201,
Kodagu, Karnataka, India.
Official Email

searchcoorg@gmail.com

Telephone / WhatsApp

+91 94496 54984

Response Turnaround

Formal grievance notices are acknowledged within 24–48 working hours.

© Search Coorg Media. All rights reserved.

Rastra Jaagruthi Weekly, Madikeri - 571201, Kodagu, Karnataka.