Two candidates are running in the August Democratic primary, vying to represent House District 38 in the Alaska Legislature: incumbent Bob Herron and challenger Zach Fansler. KYUK News will be reporting on the campaign throughout the summer. And before starting this reporting, we want to address something. Zach Fansler is a KYUK employee. He’s the Development Director and helps the radio station raise money. Fansler is not involved in the News Department, and KYUK has created procedures to maintain that separation for all employees.
KYUK has a mission to educate and inform the general public of the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta. To give the public reliable information, we need to be trustworthy, and our audience needs to see that our Newsroom is independent. The News Department creates its work separate from any political or financial interest of any individual or group, which includes any person at KYUK or associated with KYUK.
To maintain that separation, KYUK has written a Code of Conduct saying what employees can and cannot do with News Staff. This is meant to empower the News Team and prevent any opportunities for undue influence and to guard against any perception of undue influence.
For example, KYUK editorial decision making rests with the News Director, not with the General Manager. So no one, including myself, should be attempting to influence KYUK News based on any other consideration than what’s best for the general public.
We’ve also crafted a Code of Conduct for employees who are elected officials or running for political office. These rules include the employee not entering the Newsroom without invitation of the News Staff, and the employee not discussing political issues with News Staff during normal conversation at the workplace.
These procedures help ensure the KYUK Newsroom can continue to be independent and make editorial decisions with only the general public’s best interest in mind.
KYUK Code of Conduct for Elected Officals and Political Candidates:
The KYUK News Room serves the general public of the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta. To do so effectively, KYUK's News Department must remain independent, both in truth and perception, from real, perceived, and potential financial and political interests of the station, of any individual, and of any special interest group.
KYUK employees should follow these codes of conduct to further limit the opportunity for undue influence on KYUK news coverage.
Editorial Control:
Editorial control over KYUK news content rests with the KYUK News Director.
All Employee - Editorial Code of Conduct:
No employee, neither General Manager nor otherwise, shall:
- Attempt to influence news coverage based on any consideration other than what is best for the general public KYUK serves and what can be reasonably be accomplished given KYUK resources.
- Attempt to influence news coverage based on the real or perceived political or financial interests of themselves or KYUK.
Elected Officials and Candidates for Public Office - Code of Conduct:
No KYUK employee that serves as an elected official or candidate for public office should:
- Discuss political issues that could be covered by KYUK as part of normal conversation at KYUK or while working for KYUK.
- Discuss or comment on KYUK news while working at or for KYUK.
- Enter the newsroom without invitation from news staff.
- Use internal means of communication to discuss news coverage or local political matters that could be covered by KYUK, including through KYUK phones, KYUK email accounts and KYUK computers.
