Established 6 May 2026.
Last reviewed 6 May 2026.
Preamble
Student journalists, like all journalists, are expected to avoid conflicts of interest in their reporting, defined as situations in which “there are competing professional, personal and/or financial obligations or interests that compete with the journalist’s obligation to their outlet and audience.” However, this standard for conflicts of interest becomes fuzzier in student journalism due to its collegiate nature. For example, a student journalist might reasonably consider interviewing one of their professors for expert testimony, or writing an athlete feature on one of their teammates who performed well in a match.
This Conflict of Interest Policy outlines the Monitor’s position on conflicts of interests.
Acceptable Conflicts of Interest
- Student journalists may interview or feature their friends, colleagues, or peers without disclosure, so long as the resulting coverage is not obviously biased either for or against the individual interviewed or featured.
- Student journalists may write about student organizations or athletic teams they’re a part of, but must disclose their membership in such organizations when they do.
- Student journalists may interview their professors or advisors, so long as the personal or professional relationship between journalist and interviewee will not sway what they write one way or the other.
Prohibited Conflicts of Interest
- Student journalists may not write about their family members.
- Student journalists may not accept gifts from sources in exchange for coverage, unless engaging in a culture where refusal(s) could be treated as rude. Small tokens of appreciation (received post-publication) may be accepted if their monetary value does not exceed $25, and should be returned if the value exceeds $25. Incidental hospitality (e.g., paid meals during interviews) is acceptable if openly disclosed, though student journalists should offer to pay if possible.
- Student journalists are strictly forbidden from paying sources for information.
- Student journalists are strictly forbidden from accepting quid-pro-quo deals for access or favorable coverage.
- Student journalists are strictly forbidden from accepting press junkets or paid trips in response for coverage of specific events. Students may accept free tickets to an event they are covering, but may not accept tickets to other, non-related events.
- Student journalists must disclose financial interest in any subjects they cover.
- When writing about elections, student journalists must disclose any donation to a candidate running in that election, regardless of that candidate’s party or popularity.
- Student journalists must avoid posting on social media anything that will call the honesty or integrity of their reporting into question.
- Above all, use common sense. If a conflict could be perceived as influencing coverage, it should be avoided where possible and disclosed if avoidance is impossible.
All conflicts of interest must be disclosed to the Editorial Board. Significant conflicts should be noted in the article, or by Editorial note.