When I first joined The Beacon, I listened to story after story of moments when people lost faith in news media — moments that were deeply personal and revealing. These conversations highlighted a deep erosion of trust and the critical importance of our roles as journalists in restoring it.
At The Beacon, we understand that reliable, nonpartisan journalism is more essential now than ever before. We’re not just aiming to earn our community’s trust — we’re determined to prove that we deserve it. We want every person to feel seen and represented in the work we do.
That’s why I’m particularly excited to share that we’re officially in the process of pursuing Trust Project certification. By adopting the organization’s eight Trust Indicators® in both our journalism and our business practices, we’re taking deliberate steps to ensure transparency, accuracy and accountability in everything we do.
Here’s a quick look at what we’re committing to:
- Best Practices: Establishing clear guidelines for honest, transparent reporting.
- Journalist Expertise: Relying on solid evidence and diverse perspectives to inform our stories.
- Labels: Clearly distinguishing between news and opinion.
- References: Providing transparent sourcing so you can trust the information we share.
- Methods: Being open about how and why we report on specific stories.
- Locally Sourced: Ensuring deep understanding of and connection to the communities we cover.
- Diverse Voices: Including a wide range of perspectives to tell a fuller story.
- Actionable Feedback: Listening to your feedback to improve our reporting.
So, why are we doing this? Being part of The Trust Project means you don’t have to just take my word when it comes to The Beacon’s commitment to transparency and integrity. We’re auditing our practices and aligning with an incredible organization that sets the standards for trust in journalism, so you can see for yourself that we’re committed to doing the right thing.
Hold us accountable.
To the future!
Stephanie Campbell
CEO, The Beacon
