ETHICS POLICY

Introduction

Credent TV is committed to accurate, fair, independent, responsible and transparent journalism.

Our editorial decisions are guided by the public interest, verified facts, journalistic integrity and the right of audiences to receive credible information.

Credent TV is a digital news and media brand owned and operated by Manasvita Global Media Pvt. Ltd.

This Ethics Policy applies to Credent TV’s journalists, editors, anchors, producers, researchers, contributors, photographers, videographers, digital publishing teams and other persons involved in the creation or publication of editorial content.

Our Core Principles

Credent TV is committed to:

• Accuracy and verification
• Fairness and opportunity to respond
• Editorial independence
• Transparency and accountability
• Respect for privacy and human dignity
• Clear separation of news, opinion and advertising
• Responsible use of photographs, videos and artificial intelligence
• Prompt correction of material factual errors
• Protection of confidential sources
• Rejection of plagiarism, fabricated content and paid news

Accuracy and Verification

Accuracy takes priority over speed.

Before publication, our editorial team should make reasonable efforts to:

• Verify material facts through credible sources
• Consult primary documents and official records wherever available
• Confirm names, dates, figures, quotations and designations
• Examine the authenticity and context of photographs and videos
• Distinguish verified facts from allegations, claims, opinions and speculation
• Clearly mention when information could not be independently verified

Unverified information should not be presented as established fact.

Headlines, thumbnails, captions and social media descriptions must accurately reflect the substance of the report and should not create a materially misleading impression.

Fairness and Right to Respond

Individuals and organisations facing serious criticism or allegations should be given a reasonable opportunity to respond wherever practicable.

Their response should be represented accurately and in appropriate context.

When an immediate response is unavailable but the matter is of significant public interest, the report may be published after reasonable verification. Any relevant response received later may be added through an update.

Credent TV will not deliberately suppress material facts that are necessary for audiences to understand an issue fairly.

News, Analysis and Opinion

Credent TV distinguishes between:

• Factual news reporting
• Analysis and explanatory journalism
• Editorial opinion
• Guest commentary
• Sponsored or branded content

Opinion and analysis may contain interpretation, but they must not knowingly misrepresent factual information.

Guest opinions represent the views of their respective authors or speakers and do not necessarily represent the institutional position of Credent TV.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made on the basis of public interest, news value, evidence and journalistic standards.

Advertisers, sponsors, political organisations, government authorities, commercial partners and other external parties are not permitted to exercise improper influence over editorial content.

Credent TV does not accept payment in exchange for favourable news coverage, suppression of legitimate reporting or the presentation of advertising as independent journalism.

Political and Ideological Independence

Credent TV does not officially campaign for or against any political party, candidate or electoral alliance through its news reporting.

Journalists and editorial contributors must distinguish their personal views from their professional responsibilities.

Any political, financial, organisational or personal relationship that may create a real or perceived conflict of interest should be disclosed to the appropriate editor.

Where a conflict may materially affect coverage, the concerned person may be recused from the assignment or the relationship may be disclosed to the audience.

Conflicts of Interest

Credent TV team members should avoid activities, relationships or financial interests that may compromise—or reasonably appear to compromise—their editorial independence.

Potential conflicts may include:

• Financial interests in an organisation being covered
• Close personal or professional relationships with a subject of coverage
• Paid consultancy or outside employment
• Political campaigning or formal party responsibilities
• Gifts, benefits, sponsored travel or hospitality
• Commercial relationships connected to editorial subjects

Potential conflicts must be disclosed to the Editor-in-Chief or the authorised editorial supervisor.

Gifts, Hospitality and Sponsored Travel

Credent TV personnel should not accept expensive gifts, cash, personal favours or preferential treatment from individuals or organisations they cover.

Nominal items of insignificant value may be accepted only when refusal is impractical and no editorial obligation is created.

Travel or accommodation provided by an external organisation must receive prior editorial approval. Where such support is relevant to the audience’s understanding, an appropriate disclosure should accompany the coverage.

Advertising and Sponsored Content

Advertisements and sponsored content must be clearly distinguishable from independent editorial material.

Appropriate labels may include:

• Advertisement
• Sponsored
• Brand Partnership
• Promotional Content
• Advertorial

Commercial arrangements do not guarantee favourable editorial coverage.

Editorial content should not be altered merely to satisfy an advertiser or sponsor.

Sources and Attribution

Credent TV identifies sources wherever possible.

Information taken from another publication, news agency, official document, research report, social media account or publicly available record should be appropriately attributed.

Anonymous sources may be used when:

• The information is of legitimate public interest
• The source has credible access to the information
• Disclosure could expose the source to genuine risk
• The information has been independently assessed or corroborated wherever possible
• A responsible editor has approved the use of anonymity

Credent TV should explain the source’s relevant position or proximity to the information without revealing details that would compromise confidentiality.

The identity of a confidential source will not ordinarily be disclosed without the source’s consent, except where disclosure is legally required or necessary to prevent serious and imminent harm.

Plagiarism and Copyright

Plagiarism, fabrication and deliberate misrepresentation are prohibited.

Text, quotations, photographs, videos, graphics, audio, research and other creative material belonging to third parties must not be reproduced without appropriate attribution, permission, licence or lawful basis.

Minor rewriting of another publisher’s work without original reporting or proper attribution is not acceptable.

Copyright complaints will be examined promptly, and infringing material may be corrected, credited, restricted or removed where appropriate.

Photographs, Videos and Digital Manipulation

Photographs and videos must not be materially altered in a way that misleads audiences about the facts of an event.

Routine technical adjustments such as cropping, brightness correction, colour balancing and noise reduction may be used, provided they do not change the factual meaning of the image.

Illustrations, reconstructions, representational images and materially altered visuals should be labelled where necessary.

Old, unrelated or out-of-context photographs and videos must not be presented as visuals of a current event.

Artificial Intelligence and Synthetic Media

Artificial intelligence tools may be used to assist with research organisation, transcription, translation, language correction, data processing, design or other production tasks.

However:

• A responsible human editor remains accountable for published content
• AI-generated information must be independently checked before publication
• Fabricated quotations, sources, events or evidence must never be published
• AI-generated or materially altered visuals must not be presented as authentic documentary images
• Material use of synthetic visuals, voices or reconstructions should be clearly disclosed
• AI tools must not be used to impersonate a real person deceptively
• Confidential or sensitive source information should not be entered into unsecured AI systems

Privacy and Human Dignity

Credent TV balances the public’s right to know with an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy.

Private information should be published only where there is a clear journalistic justification, such as significant public interest, public safety, accountability or exposure of serious wrongdoing.

Unnecessary intrusion into grief, trauma, medical circumstances or personal relationships should be avoided.

Personal addresses, phone numbers, identity documents and other sensitive details should not be published unless essential to the story and legally appropriate.

Children and Vulnerable Persons

Special care must be taken when reporting about children, survivors of violence, persons with disabilities, grieving families and other vulnerable individuals.

The identity of a child should not be revealed where disclosure may cause harm, stigma, legal prejudice or a violation of applicable law.

Interviews with children should be conducted sensitively, and informed consent from a parent or lawful guardian should be obtained wherever appropriate.

A child’s welfare takes precedence over competitive or sensational reporting.

Crime, Accusations and Court Reporting

A person accused of an offence should not be described as guilty unless guilt has been established through the appropriate legal process.

Reports should clearly distinguish between:

• Allegations
• Police claims
• Charges
• Arrests
• Trial proceedings
• Judicial findings
• Convictions

Credent TV will avoid conducting a media trial or publishing material that may unnecessarily prejudice legal proceedings.

The identity of victims or survivors whose identity is protected by law will not be disclosed.

Reporting Sexual Violence

Reports involving sexual assault or exploitation must be handled with exceptional sensitivity.

Credent TV will not publish information that directly or indirectly identifies a protected survivor or victim.

Reporting should avoid:

• Victim-blaming language
• Gratuitous or graphic descriptions
• Sensational headlines
• Unnecessary details about private life
• Images or information that could enable identification

Suicide and Self-Harm Reporting

Reports concerning suicide or self-harm should be responsible, non-sensational and sensitive to affected families.

Credent TV will avoid:

• Detailed descriptions of methods
• Graphic photographs or videos
• Romanticising or glorifying the death
• Presenting one event as the sole cause without sufficient evidence
• Speculative claims about motive

Where appropriate, reports may include verified information about available support services.

Religion, Caste, Gender and Community Relations

Credent TV will not promote hatred, discrimination or violence against individuals or communities.

References to religion, caste, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability or regional identity should be included only where genuinely relevant to the report.

Communal or socially sensitive allegations should be verified with particular care.

Headlines and visuals must not exaggerate religious or community identity merely to increase engagement.

Graphic and Disturbing Content

Graphic images or videos should be published only when they serve a clear public-interest purpose.

Appropriate warnings, blurring, editing or restricted presentation may be used to reduce unnecessary harm.

Images of deceased persons, serious injuries, violence or personal suffering should not be used merely for shock value or increased traffic.

Interviews, Debates and Live Programmes

Guests and panellists should be informed about the general subject of a programme.

Credent TV will make reasonable efforts to ensure that debates and interviews remain fact-based, respectful and relevant.

The channel may intervene when a participant:

• Makes a potentially defamatory allegation without evidence
• Uses discriminatory or abusive language
• Reveals legally protected information
• Promotes violence or hatred
• Deliberately spreads demonstrably false information

Statements made by guests remain their responsibility, but Credent TV will exercise reasonable editorial moderation.

Undercover Reporting and Sting Operations

Hidden cameras, concealed recording, misrepresentation or undercover methods may be considered only in exceptional circumstances where:

• The information is of substantial public interest
• Conventional reporting methods are unlikely to obtain the evidence
• The expected public benefit outweighs the potential harm
• The method is proportionate and legally reviewed where necessary
• Prior approval is obtained from the Editor-in-Chief or an authorised senior editor

Such methods must never be used for blackmail, personal revenge, entrapment or commercial pressure.

Social Media Conduct

Credent TV’s editorial standards apply to its website, web television operations and official social media accounts.

Posts should be verified and contextualised with the same care as other published material.

Journalists and contributors should not use their association with Credent TV to intimidate individuals, secure improper benefits or present personal political advocacy as the official editorial position of the organisation.

Corrections and Accountability

Credent TV will correct material factual errors promptly and transparently after verification.

Significant corrections may include a correction or clarification note. Minor spelling, formatting or grammatical errors that do not alter the meaning may be corrected without a separate notice.

Full details are available in Credent TV’s Correction Policy.

Complaints and Editorial Feedback

Readers and viewers may report ethical concerns, factual errors or other editorial complaints through Credent TV’s official Contact Us page or official email address.

Complaints should preferably include:

• The URL or title of the relevant content
• A clear description of the concern
• Supporting documents or credible evidence
• The complainant’s name and contact details

Complaints will be reviewed fairly and without improper external influence.

Enforcement

Serious or repeated violations of this Ethics Policy may result in editorial review, correction, removal of content, reassignment, suspension of publishing privileges or other appropriate internal action.

The response will depend on the seriousness of the violation, the harm caused, intent, prior conduct and cooperation with the review.

Review of This Policy

This Ethics Policy is a living document and may be updated to reflect changes in journalism, technology, law and professional best practices.

Last Updated: 16 July 2026