Reporting Conduct, Newsgathering Standards, and Misconduct

We expect contributors to gather information lawfully, honestly, and respectfully. We value curiosity and open-mindedness, not misconduct.

Professional Conduct While Reporting and Traveling

All contributors representing VIA should behave professionally while reporting or traveling. Good journalism often relies on the goodwill of locals, having respect for local communities and cultures, being prepared, and keeping an open mind in anticipation of all of travel’s uncertainties.

Contributors should not use the fact that they contribute towards VIA as a tool showing their status to demand special treatment or access. Hospitality workers, tourism staff, and guides are often required to be polite even when they may be uncomfortable, and contributors should be mindful to not misuse that dynamic.

If the contributor has scheduled interviews with local sources, or are slated to partake in a scheduled tour, experience, or excursion, then they must arrive on time or communicate any delays. They must follow the rules set forth for the appointment, and conduct themselves accordingly.

All contributors, needless to say, are required to follow local and national laws in the destinations that they visit when traveling in any capacity. If a contributor violates a law, they will be held to consequences including, but not limited to, suspension or dismissal from VIA.

Identification as a Journalist

When gathering information for publication, contributors should identify themselves as reporting for VIA. The public deserves to know when they are speaking with someone who might publish their words or insights. This expectation applies when requesting interviews, seeking comments, gathering quotes, etc. Routine observation in public settings may not always require disclosure (e.g. contributor at an airport noting long queues, or reporting on museum wait times or visible demonstrations in public squares). Contributors should not hide their journalistic identity when working on a piece with VIA

Interview Consent

Sources must understand the nature of any particular interaction. Contributors should make an effort to clarify whether a conversation is either on the record, on background, or off the record. They must explain these terms prior to the interview to their interviewees, who may not have heard of these terms before in their native languages or backgrounds. When interviewing spokespersons, elected officials, academics, or expert sources, this expectation still applies. A casual conversation should not be converted into material that can be published if the terms of the conversation are confused.

Respectful Treatment of Sources

Contributors should treat sources during reporting or travel with dignity regardless of their ability, immigration status, background, occupation, or any other distinguishing category. Contributors are prohibited from making mocking accents, ridiculing customs,

or baiting reactions for a quote. They should also exercise additional care not to reproduce lazy tropes or promote harmful stereotypes. Such behaviors are harmful in travel journalism as power imbalances between visitors and residents are inherently harmful and reductionist.

Contributors may ask difficult questions to sources to gain a better understanding of the topic at hand, but scrutiny should not come at the expense of violating the dignity of ordinary people. This includes asking particularly pointed questions to members of a community that may be recently distressed due to a mass tragedy incident or other traumas. Human vulnerability must be treated with care.

Harassment, Intimidation, and Coercion

Aggressive conduct is prohibited, full stop. Contributors may not threaten harm to obtain comments or repeatedly pursue individuals unwilling to provide comment, or physically block sources, among other forms of intimidation and harassment. Those that possess limited power to refuse engagement, such as service/hospitality workers or employees may feel unable to walk away from aggressive questioning. Therefore, contributors must take special care to make them feel comfortable and welcomed.

This standard applies throughout the editorial process. Editors, managers, or senior contributors may not harass or intimidate writers, or threaten retaliation for raising ethical concerns. No one should be coerced into doing anything, let alone acts that violate VIA’s editorial independence.

Digital harassment is equally unacceptable. Whether they occurred privately or in publicly, hostile messaging, doxxing threats, sexually harassing, and discriminatory insults violate our standards.

Deception and Misrepresentation

Contributors may not impersonate any other person in order to obtain information. We do not tolerate the use of false identities or deliberate misrepresentation that can undermine trust and expose both the contributor or publication to serious legal and ethical risk. As such, we do not tolerate the use of undercover or covert methods to obtain information. We do not tolerate deceptive practices here at VIA.

Recording and Photography

Contributors must follow applicable laws regarding recording and photography consent. But even when lawful, not every image or recording should be taken or published. We will

not publish photos of children, grieving individuals, those experiencing medical emergencies or injuries, those experiencing vulnerability, and those whose safety is at risk if their photo is published (e.g. undocumented immigrants, etc.).

Contributors must also consider whether a photograph objectifies a particular subject, group of people, or place, rather than informs something useful about them. The rule of thumb should be that a person’s distress should not be the subject of travel storytelling. Where practical, identifiable private individuals should be approached respectfully when being prominently featured, and consent must be secured.

Reporting Safety

Contributors must not break laws when reporting or traveling. They should not provoke confrontations or ignore official government travel advisories, or take unnecessary risks. Editors should also not pressure contributors into covering unsafe conditions. Travel reporting often happens in unfamiliar environments where protections and support might be limited. Therefore, VIA encourages contributors to practice reasonable precautions, including researching local risks and sharing itineraries and contact information. If safety conditions worsen to the point where a story can no longer be reported fully, its withdrawal is a perfectly acceptable course of action.

Conflict of Interest Violations

Any actions that may constitute a violation to our Conflict of Interest policies, such as paying sources for favorable comments or fabricated access or experiences, will result in the immediate termination of the contributor from VIA. Serious violations also include knowingly failing to disclose paid relationships with tourism boards relevant to a piece, or using personal affiliate arrangements without disclosure. Acceptance of gifts or luxury benefits tied to coverage outcomes or using the platform for personal commercial gain are all prohibited.

Where facts remain disputed, editorial leadership may suspend publication privileges or contributor assignments pending a review of the alleged violation. Less severe or inadvertent breaches of the rules, such as delayed disclosure of a minor relationship that did not affect coverage, may, at discretion, result in retraining, warnings, or reassignment rather than termination.

If work was published that is later found to be in violation of conflict, VIA will add a disclosure note, revise recommendations, remove affiliate links, or other courses of corrective action as necessary.

Social Media Conduct

Contributors and staff have the right to personal expression in private capacities. But because social media often blurs the line between personal and professional, those associated with VIA should recognize that their public conduct can affect reader trust and the reputation of the outline.

Contributors must behave responsibly on social media and should not use public platforms to amplify harmful narratives, falsehoods, discriminatory rhetoric, or dehumanizing portrayals about any destination or community. Examples include sharing or endorsing content that promotes discrimination and misogyny, or sweeping stereotypes about places and peoples.

VIA also prohibits contributors from using social media to spread false travel information, fake safety claims, misleading visa guidance, or sensationalist stories that are designed to provoke fear about a location.

If a contributor references VIA or Dispatch on social media, they should assume that they may reasonably be understood as connected to the publication. The same applies where a contributor cites their role with the outlet to lend authority to a claim or reposts their own published work while adding commentary that materially changes its framing. In such circumstances, the conduct may be reviewed under this Code of Ethics.