Ethics Policy

Every employee of The Washington Times has an obligation to maintain the highest ethical standards for journalism and business. That commitment begins with ensuring that every story is accurate, precise, fair and balanced. It also requires that we maintain a bright line between news coverage and advocacy on the editorial and opinion pages. This means using confidential sources aggressively but responsibly to break the biggest news of the day but governing those source relationships with clear rules that secure the confidence of our readers.

Our management and staff must remain free of obligation or the appearance of favoritism to any special interest and be committed only to the public's right to know.

Secondary employment, political involvement, holding public office and service in community organizations should be avoided if they convey the possibility of conflict of interest or of compromising, or appearing to compromise, the employee's integrity at work or the integrity of the organization.

The acceptance of gifts or services of value from people or organizations with whom the employee comes into contact through work, or may reasonably be expected to come into contact, must also be avoided.

As a general principle, The Washington Times pays for all travel necessary for news gathering or other official Times business. If free travel is offered by a third party and the employee's supervisor authorizes it, a decision about what travel arrangements will be approved by management will be made on the merits of each case.

Conflict of Interest

The Washington Times recognizes and respects individual employees' rights to engage in activities outside of their employment where those activities are private in nature and do not in any way conflict with or reflect poorly on The Washington Times. The management team reserves the right, however, to determine when an employee's activities represent a conflict with the company's interests and to take necessary action to resolve the situation, up to and including discharge.

The list below contains some of the activities that would reflect in a negative way on an employee's integrity or that could limit his or her ability to execute job duties and responsibilities in an ethical manner, depending on the nature of the employee's job and the circumstances involved:

• Simultaneous employment by a Washington Times competitor or supplier.
• Borrowing money, receiving funds and or gifts valued at more than $50 from people or entities, other than recognized loan institutions, with whom The Washington Times does business or is seeking to do business, receives or provides services, materials, equipment or supplies.
• Speculating or dealing in materials, equipment, supplies, services or property purchased by The Washington Times.
• Being involved in, recommending or otherwise influencing a policy or financial decisions of The Washington Times in any matter in which a family member or close friend could benefit or have a personal interest without prior disclosure.
• Participating in civic or professional organization activities or personal activities in a manner in which confidential information is used or divulged.
• Any activity that brings negative or unwanted media attention to The Washington Times and that is not otherwise protected by law.
• Misusing or disclosing without authorization privileged, proprietary or confidential information.

Social Media

At The Washington Times, we understand that social media can be a fun and rewarding way to share our lives and opinions with family, friends and co-workers around the world. We encourage the use of social media as a means of reaching our audience. But use of social media also presents risks and carries responsibilities. That includes showing restraint in comments and posts in social media, which should not disclose personal political leanings. Employees' private and professional behavior must not compromise The Washington Times' image as a fair arbiter of news. Opinion writers necessarily have more leeway in this regard and news reporters.

Advertising

Our advertising sources include practically every type of business. Because of our early deadlines, each business must work with us on advertising plans. Therefore, it is essential that we protect the confidentiality of their information so that our advertisers' plans do not become known in advance by their competitors or anyone else. Breaches of advertiser confidences are subject to discipline, up to and including discharge.

We consider information contained in our advertising to be public information only when the ads are released to the public.

Journalism

Every newsroom employee has an obligation to avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest. This means restricting behavior that might be acceptable or even commonplace in other parts of the corporate world. Our professional ethics require each newsroom employee to avoid any activities that might cause a reasonable person to question the quality or impartiality of our work. As a result, every potential activity from travel to social involvement outside the office must be viewed in light of whether the employee has worked on a news story concerning that activity or might reasonably be expected to work on such a story in the future. If so, and if participating in the activity, if known, would cause an outsider to question the impartiality of the employee’s work, the activity should be avoided.

The most important rule of The Washington Times' ethics-in-journalism policy is this: Whenever a reporter, writer or editor has doubts or questions about the ethics of specific conduct, he or she should seek out a senior manager before acting. Consultation, collaboration and careful weighing of consequences are the best means to avoid unethical conduct.

Ownership/Funding

The Washington Times is owned by Operations Holdings Inc.

Mission/Coverage Priorities

Excellence. The newsroom will strive to achieve the highest standard for print and digital journalism, built on The Washington Times’ rich history of uncovering stories others have missed or ignored. That means producing original reporting about government and political accountability, national security, politics, culture, faith, technology, family, international affairs and other issues of keen interest to our readership without wavering from a neutral, civil voice. Our journalism will seek to be fair, balanced, accurate and precise. Our goals are to produce enterprise stories so compelling that they will impact the daily dialogue of Americans. Spot news coverage should transcend the commodity news available on internet sites and cable television. Our stories must offer context, deep analysis and original reporting to enhance our readers’ understanding of each day's major events.

Integrity: Every employee of The Washington Times has an obligation to maintain the highest ethical standards for journalism and business. That commitment begins with ensuring that every story is accurate, precise, fair and balanced. It also requires that we maintain a bright line between news coverage and the advocacy found on the editorial and opinion pages. Confidential sources should be used aggressively but responsibly to break the biggest news of the day. But those source relationships must be governed by clear rules that secure the confidence of our readers.

Convergence: We must leapfrog over the industry’s incremental efforts to adapt to the demands of the digital marketplace and create the first truly converged news operation of the 21^st century. That means creating a content stream that flows 24 hours a day, seven days a week through our Web and digital products. It means adapting our storytelling to incorporate audio, video, interactivity and social networking. Our readers should be able to experience, engage and interact with the news and to act if they choose, based on the information we provide them. This means that reporters and editors must engage readers in a two-way dialogue through blogging, forums and other Web tools to ensure our audiences develop a deeper understanding of the issues we cover and the ways we cover them. This also means we must pursue partnerships with other media to broaden the reach of our journalism and to extend the shelf life of our best stories beyond the traditional 12-hour window of print journalism.

Enterprise: The Washington Times will distinguish itself in the marketplace and grow readership by producing cutting-edge enterprise stories that uncover issues others have overlooked or ignored. These stories will hold political, government, corporate and cultural leaders accountable and will substantially impact the national and global dialogue. Such enterprise must be adapted to the digital marketplace. The responsibility to break news and develop deep, distinguishing enterprise rests with every reporter and editor.

Innovation: Today’s information marketplace demands that content providers pursue new and innovative ways to convey information to audiences already awash in data. Every aspect of our daily tasks -- design, presentation, assignment, writing, reporting, editing, audience engagement -- must adapt to these demands so that our products take readers to the next great frontier of content. This spirit of innovation must be augmented by a culture of continuous learning about our readership and the tools we have to engage them.

Collaboration: The Washington Times’ greatest asset is the men and women who gather, report, write, edit, print, distribute, advertise and market our news. The most successful and converged newsrooms leverage this human asset by fostering an environment that values the free exchange of ideas and encourages collaboration and teamwork

Verification/Fact Checking

The Washington Times strives to publish fair and accurate information. We take numerous steps to ensure accuracy, including speaking with sources and by verifying facts through research, source documents and public records.

Stories are subject to review by one or more editors. The Washington Times has a multi-level structure for the review and editing of stories. These include topic and top editors.

We welcome feedback from our readers and sources regarding the information that we publish. If you would like to reach our editors regarding coverage, you can find their contact information on our Contact Us page.

Corrections Policy

When material in The Washington Times is found to contain errors of fact, are misleading or to have serious omissions, a correction or clarification will be published in the corrections section of the newspaper.

When an article, blog post or other content is published on our website, we will update the published version with any modifications or corrections. When material published online is found to contain significant errors of fact, are misleading or to have serious omissions, we will publish a correction note at the bottom of the corrected article.

At times, material might be technically correct but lack satisfactory detail or context to provide full understanding. The Washington Times might rewrite the item and add a note of clarification to the bottom of the online article explaining the change.

Contact us at corrections@washingtontimes.com to report any concerns. If a correction, clarification or editor's note is made on a story, it will also be published here.

Unnamed Sources Policy

The use of anonymous sources has been and will continue to be a powerful tool for uncovering compelling stories. But this tool, when overused and abused, also greatly erodes the public’s trust in the authority, credibility and transparency of our work.

At the Washington Times, we will publish information from anonymous sources responsibly. We reserve the use of that tool for the times when there is no other way to get vital facts for an essential story. This means anonymity will never be granted for convenience. It will never be used to allow a source to express an opinion, launch a personal attack or provide facts that could have been uncovered through other means. In short, we exhaust all avenues for securing information on the record before we consider publishing material from anonymous sources.

The publishing of material from anonymous sources must be regarded as a last resort, when reporters and senior editors decide after careful consultation that the information is essential and cannot be reported any other way. When we take this leap, we must achieve transparency with our readers, explaining in the greatest possible detail the reasons we granted anonymity and the potential motivation of any of our anonymous sources.

Under The Washington Times' rules, material from anonymous sources can be published only if:

1. The information is factual, not opinion or speculation.
2. The information is vital to the news story and the story is essential to our readers.
3. The information is not available except under the conditions of anonymity imposed by the source.
4. The source is reliable and has direct knowledge that the information he or she is providing is accurate. Second- or third-hand confirmation from anonymous sources is forbidden.

Reporters who intend to publish material from anonymous sources must get prior approval from a senior news manager before sending a story to the copy or Web desks. The manager is responsible for vetting the material and making sure it meets our guidelines. The manager must know the identity of the source and is obligated, like the reporter, to keep the source's identity confidential. It is incumbent upon the reporter and the editor to know how the source knows the information, ensuring they have direct knowledge and are in a position to ensure its accuracy. For the purpose of anonymous source approval, a senior manager is defined as the executive editor, the managing editors, the deputy managing editors or the assistant managing editors.

Reporters should proceed with interviews on the assumption they are on the record. If the source wants to set conditions, these should be negotiated at the start of the interview. At the end of the interview, the reporter should try once again to move some or all of the information on the record.

Here are the three conditions that can be set for an interview:

1. On the record: The information can be used with no caveats, quoting the source by name.
2. Off the record: The information cannot be used for publication but can be used to enlighten the reporter's efforts to secure the information from other on-the-record or background sources.
3. Background: The information can be published but only with the conditions set forth by the source. Generally, the sources do not want their names published but will agree to a description of their positions.

The responsibility of reporters to abide by The Washington Times’ source rules extends to briefings offered to a group of journalists by government and corporate officials in public locations. Times' reporters are obligated to object when a source wants to brief a group of reporters on background and try to persuade the source to put the briefing on the record.

Reporters and editors are permitted to have background or off-the-record sessions in private settings, such as lunches, coffees or dinners, as a way of developing sources for future stories. Publication of information from such sessions will be limited, governed by the stringent rules set forth in this set of guidelines.

Whenever anonymous sources are being quoted, Times reporters should strive to seek out and secure more than one source. Stories should be reasonably held while attempts are made to reach additional sources for confirmation or elaboration.

We must explain in the story why a source requested anonymity. And we must describe the source's motive for disclosing the information. Our attribution should also be as specific as possible to establish the source's credibility. Simply quoting "a source" is not permitted.

Stories that use anonymous sources must carry a reporter's byline. If a reporter other than the bylined staffer contributes anonymous material to a story, that reporter should be given credit as a contributor at the bottom of the story.

Any questions about the authenticity or veracity of anonymous material must be promptly brought to a senior news manager's attention.

Finally, the grant of anonymity is a momentous journalism decision, one that carries with it legal, ethical and moral responsibilities. Reporters and editors should take great care to guard the confidentiality of source material and the identity of people granted anonymity. This means taking great care in email, phone conversations and even newsroom discussions to ensure that confidentiality is guarded at all times.

Masthead/Leadership

Please refer to our Contact Us page.

Founding Date

1982

Newsroom Contact Info

Please refer to our Contact Us page.

Staff Bios

Please refer to our Contact Us page.

Individual staffer bios can be found by using this URL template: https://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/firstname-lastname/

Example: https://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/dave-boyer/

Diverse Voices

Diversity is essential to The Washington Times' journalism. We constantly seek to expand our base of news sources to better reflect the broad diversity of views and experiences of people in the U.S. and globally.

As a result, in the course of our reporting we continue to seek out as sources people of different genders, races, religions, sexual orientations, geographic base and economic circumstances. The Washington Times also strives to employ a diverse array or reporters, editors and other staffers.

Diverse Staffing Report

Coming soon

How do I send a letter to The Washington Times editor?

How do I send a letter to The Washington Times' editor? All submissions can be sent via email to letters@washingtontimes.com or by mail to:
Letters to the Editor
The Washington Times
3600 New York Ave, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Artificial Intelligence Policy

Purpose

At The Washington Times, we recognize that artificial intelligence has become an integral tool in modern journalism. As we expand our use of AI technology in the newsroom, we want to be transparent with you, our valued readers, about how and why we're using these tools to serve you better.

After careful consideration and planning, we have evolved our approach to AI.

We believe that when used responsibly and with rigorous human oversight, AI enables us to deliver more comprehensive coverage, faster reporting on breaking news, and enhanced multimedia content, all while maintaining the journalistic standards and ethical principles that have defined The Washington Times for decades.

Policy

This policy applies to all employees of The Washington Times and to all work associated with The Washington Times that those employees perform, whether on or off company premises. Employees wishing to use generative AI should discuss the parameters of their use with their direct supervisor and/or department head. Managers may verbally or in writing approve, deny or modify those parameters as best meets company needs and policy, legal requirements or other business needs.

Employees must use generative AI in accordance with all Washington Times conduct and anti-discrimination policies. These technologies must not be used to create content that is inappropriate, discriminatory or otherwise harmful to others or the company. Such use will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

The Washington Times Computer Use, Confidentiality and Ethics Policy and any relevant monitoring policies still apply when using generative AI chatbots with company equipment.

The Washington Times is an “At Will” employer which means that all Washington Times employees, vendors, customers, contractors or visitors who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination without further notice or warning.

Our commitment to you remains unchanged: Every article we publish, regardless of how it is created, is reviewed, edited, and approved by our experienced editorial team. Human judgment and accountability stand at the center of everything we do.

Core Principles

1. Human Oversight and Accountability: All published reports, whether written entirely by journalists, created with AI assistance, or generated by AI and edited by our team, undergo rigorous review and approval by our experienced editors and newsroom leadership. Final editorial decisions rest with humans, not algorithms.
2. Transparency and Disclosure: We clearly disclose when AI has been used in content creation, including articles, multimedia elements, and other editorial materials. Our readers deserve to know how their news is produced.
3. Accuracy and Verification: Content created with AI assistance must meet the same exacting standards of accuracy, fact-checking, and verification as all Washington Times journalism. AI is a tool, not a replacement for rigorous journalistic practices.
4. Editorial Integrity: AI will be used in ways that enhance our journalism and serve our readers' interests, never to deceive, manipulate, or compromise our editorial independence and values.
5. Privacy and Data Protection: We safeguard the privacy of our sources, staff, and readers when implementing AI technologies, ensuring compliance with all applicable data protection regulations.
6. Continuous Evaluation: We regularly assess our AI tools and practices to ensure they align with evolving journalistic standards and serve our readers' needs.

The Value of AI in Our Journalism

We have thoughtfully integrated AI into our newsroom to:

1. Expand Coverage: Produce more comprehensive reporting on topics that matter to you, including data-driven stories and analysis that would be difficult to create manually.
2. Accelerate Reporting: Deliver breaking news and updates more quickly without sacrificing accuracy.
3. Enhance Multimedia Content: Create more engaging, informative visual elements, graphics, and multimedia presentations.
4. Improve Accessibility: Better serve diverse audiences through enhanced translation, summarization, and content formatting.
5. Strengthen Analysis: Process and analyze large datasets to uncover trends and insights that inform our reporting.

Approved Uses of AI in Journalism

Content Creation and Enhancement

1. AI-Generated Articles with Editorial Oversight: AI may be used to draft articles, reports, and other editorial content. All such content must be thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked, edited, and approved by our editorial team before publication. This content will be clearly labeled as AI-assisted.
2. Content Summarization: AI may generate summaries of long-form articles, reports, or documents, subject to editorial review and approval.
3. AI-Suggested Edits: AI tools may suggest revisions, improvements, or edits to content. All suggested edits require review and explicit approval by human editors before implementation.
4. Headline and Social Media Content: AI may generate headlines, subheadings, and social media copy, all subject to editorial approval.

Research and Analysis

1. Research and Data Analysis: AI tools may analyze large datasets, identify patterns, and assist in investigative journalism and data-driven reporting.
2. Fact-Checking Assistance: AI tools may support our fact-checking processes using a multi-platform approach that cross-references information across different AI systems and traditional verification methods. We do not rely on a single AI platform for fact-checking, and human verification remains mandatory for all factual claims.
3. Source and Information Discovery: AI may help identify relevant sources, background information, and story angles.

Multimedia and Production

1. Multimedia Content Creation: AI may be used to create or enhance graphics, data visualizations, audio elements, and other multimedia components that make our reporting more informative and accessible, always with appropriate disclosure.
2. Audio and Video Production: AI tools may assist in editing, transcription, captioning, and production of audio and video content.

Operational Support

1. Language Translation: AI translation tools may support multilingual reporting and audience reach, with human verification.
2. Transcription Services: AI may transcribe interviews and audio content, subject to human review for accuracy.
3. Content Optimization: AI may help optimize content for different platforms and audiences while maintaining editorial standards.

Prohibited Uses of AI in Journalism

1. Fabrication: AI will never be used to create fictional sources, fabricate quotes, invent facts, or generate misleading information.
2. Deceptive Image or Video Manipulation: We prohibit the use of AI to create or alter images, videos, or audio in ways that deceive our audience about factual events. Any AI-enhanced multimedia content will be clearly labeled.
3. Autonomous Publishing: No AI-generated content will be published without thorough human review, editing, and explicit approval by our editorial team. Very simple, there will be absolutely no autonomous publishing on The Washington Times.
4. Bypassing Editorial Judgment: AI will not make final editorial decisions about newsworthiness, story angles, or content selection. These decisions remain with our journalists and editors.
5. Privacy Violations: AI will not be used in ways that compromise source confidentiality or violate privacy rights.
6. Plagiarism or Copyright Infringement: AI tools must respect intellectual property rights and will not be used to reproduce protected content without proper authorization.

Transparency and Disclosure

1. Clear Labeling: Content created with significant AI assistance will include clear, prominent disclosure labels (e.g., “This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed by Washington Times editors”).
2. AI Policy Accessibility: Our complete AI use policy is readily available on our website and will be updated as our practices evolve.
3. Regular Updates: We will inform our audience when we adopt new AI tools or techniques that materially affect our content creation.
4. Reader Feedback: We welcome and encourage reader questions and feedback about our AI use through designated channels.

Training and Professional Development

1. Comprehensive AI Training: All journalists, editors, and relevant staff receive ongoing training on:
   • Ethical AI use in journalism
   • Proper oversight and editing of AI-generated content
   • Fact-checking and verification of AI outputs
   • Disclosure requirements and best practices
2. Continuous Learning: We foster a culture of knowledge-sharing about AI capabilities, limitations, and ethical considerations.
3. Best Practices Development: Our team actively contributes to industry discussions on responsible AI use in journalism.

Governance and Oversight

AI News Desk

The Washington Times has established a dedicated AI News Desk team composed of experienced writers and editors who are specifically tasked with the responsible oversight of AI-assisted journalism. This specialized team is responsible for:

1. Story Selection: Thoughtfully determining which reports and content are appropriate for AI drafting or AI assistance.
2. Technology Management: Overseeing the use, management, production, and execution of AI technology in the newsroom.
3. Quality Control: Ensuring all AI-generated or AI-assisted content meets our editorial standards.
4. Manual Review and Approval: Reviewing, editing, and manually approving every article before publication.
5. Process Refinement: Continuously evaluating and improving our AI integration practices.

All content published under AI News Desk bylines has been manually reviewed and approved by a member of this specialized team. No AI-generated content is published automatically; human editorial judgment and approval is required at every stage.

Additional Oversight

1. AI Ethics Committee: Our AI Ethics Newsroom Committee oversees implementation of this policy, addresses emerging ethical concerns, and ensures compliance with our standards.
2. Regular Policy Review: This policy will be reviewed and updated at least annually, or more frequently as AI technology and journalistic practices evolve.
3. Accountability Mechanisms: Clear chains of responsibility ensure that human editors are accountable for all published content, regardless of how it was created.
4. Quality Assurance: We maintain robust quality control processes to ensure AI-assisted content meets our editorial standards.

Our Promise to You

As we expand our use of artificial intelligence in 2026, our fundamental commitment remains the same: to deliver accurate, ethical, and trustworthy journalism that serves your needs and respects your intelligence.

AI is a tool that enhances our capabilities—it does not replace the judgment, experience, and accountability of our journalists and editors. Every story, every headline, every piece of content bearing The Washington Times name has been reviewed and approved by our editorial team. We take full responsibility for everything we publish.

We believe this evolution positions us to serve you better: with more comprehensive coverage, faster reporting on the stories that matter, and richer multimedia experiences that inform and educate. We do not take lightly the trust you place in us, and we are committed to earning that trust every day through transparency, accuracy, and unwavering adherence to journalistic ethics.

We welcome your questions, feedback, and continued engagement as we navigate this exciting chapter in journalism together.

For questions about our AI policy or to provide feedback, please contact The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.

Last Updated: January 2026