This Business Insider Code of Ethics ("Code") provides guidance for some of the more common ethical issues that our employees may encounter and is intended to preserve the integrity of our news coverage. The Code applies to all our employees, except where it is noted that a specific provision applies only to journalists or editorial staff. The Code is not exhaustive, however, and we expect our employees to always act professionally and ethically. When in doubt, reach out to your manager for guidance.
All employees must avoid Conflicts of Interest whenever possible. A Conflict of Interest occurs when an employee's professional, personal or financial interests or affiliations compromise, or appear to compromise, Business Insider's status as an unbiased news source.
Any employee who anticipates an unavoidable Conflict of Interest must immediately disclose such Conflict to Talent at [email protected] or to the employee's Managing Editor. In certain cases, Business Insider will decide that a Conflict of Interest may be mitigated through a published disclosure. In other cases, it will be necessary for Business Insider to modify or re-staff an assignment or beat. Regardless, Business Insider expects all our employees--including and especially the editorial staff--to work cooperatively with Business Insider to effectively identify and resolve any Conflict of Interest that may arise.
Business Insider does not accept remuneration from the subjects of its news articles. Likewise, our journalists may not accept cash or anything else of value in exchange for promoting an entity or a cause in connection with our publication. Articles that are co-sponsored with other entities will include a published disclosure.
On occasion, our journalists may be offered reimbursement for travel expenses. Journalists are required to notify Business Insider before accepting any such offer and Business Insider retains the right to decide on a case-by-case basis whether acceptance is appropriate and disclosure is needed. Regardless, acceptance of travel expenses will not influence the content or perspective of our editorial coverage.
Our journalists may accept free admission to an event, performance or political gathering provided that they intend to cover that event on behalf of Business Insider.
Any benefits or other perquisite of greater than nominal value must be declined unless also available for free to the general public. Our journalists may keep swag, promotional items and/or tchotchkes received in the course of covering a story, so long the total value of these items is less than $100, and only provided that acceptance of such items in no way compromises the independence and neutrality of our coverage. Journalists must return or donate books, music and other products received for review. Under no circumstances may our journalists keep, sell or give away any item acquired to review in the course of their employment with Business Insider.
Our journalists may also not offer payment, gifts or coverage in exchange for access to, or information from, a source. An exception may be made in certain limited circumstances where such payment is customary, lawful and transparent. For example, a food critic may purchase a meal from a restaurant that they review. Business Insider may also reimburse sources for certain standard travel expenses as necessary. Our journalists must consult with a Managing Editor before offering any kind of remuneration on Business Insider's behalf.
Editorial staff may not solicit favors, job offers or internships from any person or entity they encounter while acting within the scope of their employment with Business Insider. Furthermore, editorial staff may not offer jobs, internships or benefits on behalf of Business Insider to any person or entity in exchange for access, information or other assistance with a story.
Our journalists must maintain editorial independence when working with advertisers. While Business Insider does produce co-sponsored promotional content, under no circumstances is any journalist permitted to deceive, misrepresent or fail to include material information in the course of creating that content. Business Insider's sponsored content must always be clearly identified in accordance with applicable regulatory guidelines, whether such content is posted on Business Insider's website or through any affiliated social media accounts.
Business Insider employees cannot serve as a director, officer or board member for any for-profit or non-profit organization without the express permission of senior management. Employees are expected to promptly disclose any director, officer or board membership positions that predate their employment and/or to seek consent from Business Insider prior to serving on the board of any for-profit or non-profit entity. Additionally, employees must promptly disclose information regarding any organization for which any member of the employee's family, household or other close relation acts as officer or director.
Business Insider encourages its employees (including its editorial staff) to participate actively in civic, charitable, religious, public, social or residential organizations as long as their participation:
Employees may attend and observe political rallies and events. Editorial staff, however, must refrain from any activities that could be construed as supporting a candidate or political party.
All employees are encouraged to participate in non-partisan demonstrations or marches concerning human rights issues, social inequities and the defense of non-partisan civil liberties. When attending demonstrations or marches unrelated to their work for Business Insider, our editorial staff must not identify themselves as attending in their capacity as employees of Business Insider, and must refrain from endorsing, or appearing to endorse, any particular candidate or political party. Participation in hateful, violent or illegal activities will not be tolerated.
As relates to candidates for elected office and/or ballot initiatives, our editorial staff may not pass out buttons, post partisan comments on social networking sites, display bumper stickers, post signage endorsing partisan candidates or policies, produce partisan blog posts, solicit campaign contributions, sign petitions, participate in letter writing campaigns, or host fundraisers for any partisan candidate. Our journalists may not make any level of financial contribution to a candidate's campaign for elected office or to any Political Action Committee supporting individual candidates and/or ballot initiatives.
While these restrictions do not explicitly apply to members of an employee's household, all editorial staff must be careful to maintain their non-partisan reputation and must at all times use their best efforts to avoid political affiliation in both their personal and professional lives.
With the prior written consent of Business Insider, our employees may appear as representatives of Business Insider on any unaffiliated television show, radio broadcast, written or live interview, guest column, committee meeting, or equivalent published or live media event. Our employees may not work for or contribute work to any other media entity, and may not use or provide work that is the same, similar to or related to Business Insider's coverage in any context, without Business Insider's express written permission.
Editorial staff must obtain permission to publicize, or otherwise discuss, work performed on behalf of Business Insider on any platform or in connection with any other media entity.
Any employee or former employee intending to write a book or produce any other content - whether written or recorded - for another media entity based on information collected, work product created and/or any other opportunity secured as a result of their employment with Business Insider must notify Business Insider and obtain written permission in advance of entering into a legally binding commitment, and such commitment will be subject to the employee's (or former employee's) copyright, confidentiality, non-compete and other binding obligations to Business Insider.
Notwithstanding anything otherwise set forth in this Code (including with respect to items valued at less than $100), editorial staff may not accept awards, per diems, stipends, scholarships, certificates, gifts, benefits or prizes for their journalism from corporate or partisan committees or special interest groups. Furthermore, editorial staff may not act as judges in any competitions sponsored by the foregoing entities, nor may they enter themselves as a participant or contestant.
The acceptance of honorary degrees, medals and other awards from educational institutions and/or the publishing industry is permitted so long as such awards are of nominal financial value.
All employees are expected to refrain from any conduct that might create the appearance that:
In making personal investments, all employees must avoid speculation or the appearance of speculation on a change in price of any security. No Business Insider employee, nor any member of their household, may short sell securities.
Editorial and advertising employees, as well as members of senior management with discretion over editorial or advertising content, and any member of their household, may not:
Any employee who is assigned to cover, or otherwise engage in a business transaction with, a company or industry in which the employee has a pre-existing ownership interest is obliged to disclose that interest to the Managing Editor prior to accepting such assignment, and Business Insider may make a published disclosure of that information.
The guidelines contained in this Code extend with equal force to the personal and professional social media activities of all Business Insider employees. Employees may not purport to represent the views of Business Insider on their personal social media accounts but must, nonetheless, conduct themselves in a manner that is in keeping with Business Insider's values, and complies with this Code and all applicable law.
Our employees may not, under their own names or Business Insider's name, create, publish, republish or endorse social media postings that include discriminatory remarks, that harass, threaten violence, contain obscene or misleading content, violate any third-party rights, or act to promote any unaffiliated corporate entity. Furthermore, our employees may not publish public-facing content disparaging Business Insider, our affiliates, our advertisers or our employees.
Editorial employees must also refrain from sharing partisan content under their social media handles and must be careful to avoid creating the impression of affiliation with individuals or groups that regularly post partisan content.
Our employees may not share information that they have reason to believe is confidential or proprietary. Our employees are also not permitted to access social media with the intent of acquiring, without permission, information they have reason to believe is confidential or proprietary.
Business Insider strongly encourages our editorial employees to prominently display a disclaimer on their personal social media accounts clarifying that the posts on the account reflect the employee's personal opinions and are not the views of Business Insider. However, the inclusion of that disclaimer will not necessarily inure the employee from discipline by Business Insider.
Business Insider does not permit its employees to break the law. Ignorance of the law is not exculpatory.
Any employee who cannot guarantee their ability to comply with the Code in all respects must consult with Talent as soon as possible.