This statement of principles expresses the commitment of The Picton Gazette to serve the public interest first and foremost. A newspaper is at once a vital source of information and a private business enterprise. Its primary responsibility is transparency and fidelity to the community it serves.
The freedom of the press is within the scope of every Canadian’s right to freedom of expression guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is the right to gather and disseminate information, to discuss, to advocate, to dissent. A free press is essential to a democratic society. It enables readers to exercise their Charter right to both attain clear information and to make informed judgments about current, topical, and pressing issues.
The Picton Gazette‘s primary trust is fidelity to the public good. We pledge to declare and address conflicts of interest, real or apparent. The newspaper guards its independence from government, commercial, and other interests seeking to subvert our content for their own purposes.
We keep faith with our readers by endeavouring to present information that is accurate, fair, comprehensive, and timely. We acknowledge our mistakes as soon and as clearly as possible. We ask for your help in correcting mistakes so that The Picton Gazette‘s digital archive is known as a trustworthy public record of historical events. We pledge to clearly distinguish news reports, expressions of opinion, and materials produced for and by advertisers. When images have been altered or simulated, readers are told.
The Picton Gazette has responsibilities to readers, to local government, to its employees, and to its advertisers. The operation of a newspaper is a public trust and its overriding responsibility is to the community and to the publics we serve. The newspaper plays many roles: creator of the public record, clear-eyed witness to malfeasance, an advocate for good works, a creator of informed opinion. This newspaper strives to represent the full range of life in our community, to encourage the expression of disparate and opposed views, and to be accessible and accountable to its readers, whether rich or poor, weak or powerful, minority or majority. When published material attacks an individual or group, those affected are given an opportunity to reply.
We treat the people we cover in our pages with courtesy and fairness. The Picton Gazette recognizes and respects the rights of others, particularly every person’s right to a fair trial. When there is a conflict between a subject’s right to privacy and the public good, we endeavour to chart a path in the light of common sense and with respect.
Adapted for The Picton Gazette from the Canadian Newspaper Association in 2024.
The Picton Gazette was first published as The Hallowell Free Press in 1830. It is Canada’s oldest weekly newspaper. When Hallowell merged with Picton in 1836, the Hallowell Free Press was renamed The Picton Gazette.
Karen Valihora and Christopher Fanning, both of Prince Edward County, became the newspaper’s publishers in 2023. The Picton Gazette is published every Wednesday, in print and digital editions. It focuses on local, municipal and Council news as well as the arts, culture, real estate, and sports of Prince Edward County.
On October 26, 2017 a digital edition was launched. It offers readers timely access to breaking news stories and added exposure for advertisers to reach potential customers.
Complete PDFs of the print edition are available on this website.
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