Core Values

The Hornet Tribune and all its staff members operate under a specific set of journalistic and ethical guidelines and values, outlined below.

Accuracy: We aim for every name, every number, every fact to be 100 percent correct. We never knowingly publish inaccurate or incorrect information, and when we make mistakes, we will correct our errors in a timely manner that is transparent with our audience.

Fairness: We aim to accurately represent all views and sides. We will never distort or misrepresent facts.

Bias: We continuously work to make sure our articles are free of any personal, political, or any other type of bias. We also understand that there are issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and other types of bigotry that are objectively wrong, and it is not biased to recognize that fact in our reporting.

Professionalism: We are students, but we maintain a dedication to professionalism. We consider ourselves just as valuable a news source as other professional news organizations and conduct ourselves as such. We are constantly working to become the best we can be so that we can better serve our readers.

Community engagement: We don’t just report on the university community; we live, work and go to school here, too. We want our community to continue to improve. This is a motivating factor for us.

Independence: We have been the independent student voice of Alabama State University since 1879. None of our content is influenced by the university administration or anyone else outside of our staff.

Transparency: We’re human, and sometimes we make mistakes. We hold ourselves to a high standard, and we will always promptly and publicly correct any errors we publish. We attempt to make our decisions and processes clear to our readers — we do not operate in secrecy.

Accountability: We are held responsible for our mistakes by one another and by our audience. We are always open to comments, criticisms and suggestions.

Diversity: We work hard to make sure our newsroom is a place where people, no matter race, religion, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic class, or ability feel safe and welcome to work. We also are intentional in our decisions to cover specific communities and issues, and to create a workplace where we are all free to be our fullest selves.

Inclusivity: We believe all spaces in our newsroom should be welcoming and safe for all people, and that all employees’ attitudes toward one another and their community should reflect that goal.