Groupe Gay Globe Media (Image : Roger-Luc Chayer by Meta AI / Gay Globe)
Journalistic Ethics and Transparency at Gay Globe
We often face a belief that, in the case of our media group Gay Globe, our specialization would automatically associate us with activism and classify us as supporters of everything related to the LGBT community, even at the risk of compromising our sense of journalistic ethics and professional deontology.
Although this may be the case for other publications, which often quickly lose their critical sense and ethics when dealing with their clients, partners, or advertisers, at Gay Globe, we handle each publication with objectivity and professionalism.
It may happen, at times, that appearances of conflict of interest arise — which is understandable after 30 years of journalism and nearly 11,500 published articles. However, ethical mechanisms are in place to ensure that information is still disseminated, because ultimately, it is the public interest at stake.
Among these mechanisms, several deserve to be mentioned, even though, in some cases, the journalistic ethics guides of the FPJQ or the Press Council — which serve as references in the field — do not provide for them. Gay Globe goes beyond these basic standards to guarantee readers access to our information with full transparency.
Advanced Ethical Standards and Mechanisms
For example, we sometimes publish very detailed investigations requiring extensive research, the results of which may expose actions carried out in our name, for or against our communities, and which may have significant consequences for those involved.
As we are only human and neither omnipotent nor plenipotentiary, we may make mistakes in good faith. To minimize these as much as possible, and in highly complex cases, we commit to sending our text to the individuals concerned before publication, so that they may review its content and, at the very least, correct any possible factual errors. Even minor corrections allow us to deliver a complete, accurate, and high-quality article.
It is very common that the individuals or companies involved do not respond, either because they have nothing to add to the article, or because they prefer not to respond for reasons of their own. Current standards stipulate that journalists must not share their texts beforehand. We do not share this closed vision, which leaves all the room for errors requiring later corrections, when it is much simpler to correct them before publication.
As a general rule, if we do not receive a response, corrections, or clarifications, we publish the article as it is. If we receive additional information or verifiable corrections, we are pleased to include the response of those involved in the text.
Gay Globe’s Journalistic Ethics Guide
Over the past 30 years, Gay Globe has developed solid experience and expertise in journalistic ethics. Our guide, at the forefront of international standards, is published here: https://gayglobe.net/deontologie/
Publishing one’s ethics code is not enough: it must be put into practice rigorously, without compromise. Gay Globe’s ethics guide was designed primarily for our readers and users, and not to cover ourselves as some other guides do. We affirm our values, display our colors, and scrupulously respect each principle of our guide, because ethics and transparency are not just words for us — they are at the heart of our professional journalism.
A Transparent Comments Section
Another tool ensuring maximum ethics toward the public is the comments section located at the bottom of each article. Unlike many media outlets such as TVA, Gay Globe accepts and values readers’ comments, which are sometimes used to ask questions, provide additional information to published articles, and even to file complaints.
To provide a transparent experience and avoid spam or fake comments, Gay Globe has implemented several mechanisms: before being able to comment, authors must authenticate themselves with their real names, and messages are filtered to guarantee their quality and relevance.
The Right of Reply: A Fundamental Right
The right of reply is a fundamental right, and it is impossible to speak of objective and professional ethics if the individuals targeted by our articles do not have the opportunity to respond. Even if the article was sent beforehand in certain cases — not for all articles, of course — and the individuals concerned did not provide clarifications, they can still do so by exercising their right of reply.
There are, however, some conditions to respect, since the right of reply must not become a right to say just anything! First, the additional information in the reply must be corroborated and verifiable through a reliable source. Next, the reply must remain strictly factual and must not include verbal aggression or vulgarity.
The reply may be accepted or refused by the editor, who retains full prerogative over the final decision. In case of refusal, the editor commits to explaining the reasons. Likewise, before agreeing to publish a reply, the editor may request additional information or supporting documents.
Finally, if the editor or the article’s author discovers additional information likely to modify the conclusions of an article, the editor may ask the individuals concerned to contribute in a special and exceptional manner, without remuneration, to a follow-up article. This decision lies exclusively within the editor’s prerogative.
Conflict of Interest Declaration
A final mechanism allowing readers to know whether there is a potential conflict of interest between the media, the journalists, the editor, and the subject covered is the conflict of interest declaration. This must introduce any text presenting a potential conflict or even the appearance of one.
For example, if the magazine must cover a subject that may be connected to the media through advertisements or contributions — which has happened a few times over the past 30 years — the editor indicates at the very beginning of the article:
“The author of this text declares that he may be in a situation of conflict of interest with the subject covered, but that his impartiality is guaranteed by the ethical standards of Groupe Gay Globe Média.”
All of this aims to enable Gay Globe to publish articles that are as complete, accurate, and transparent as possible, in full respect of journalistic ethics and the public interest.
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