Editorial Policy

At Pulse Kenya, we are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity, independence, and professionalism.

Our Editorial Policy embodies our unwavering commitment to ethical journalism, integrity, and professionalism. It serves as a guiding framework for our editorial team, ensuring that our content reflects the highest standards of quality, accuracy, and trustworthiness expected of Pulse Kenya.

The benchmark for our journalistic practices is set by these editorial standards and compliance with these standards is mandatory for all editorial staff.

Pulse Kenya ensures that its journalism is not only accurate but also fair and comprehensive, thereby upholding the trust placed in us by our readers and maintaining our reputation as a reliable news source.

Accuracy refers to the exactness and reliability of information presented in our news stories, ensuring that all facts are correct, sources are reliable, and the context and presentation are truthful and clear.

At Pulse Kenya, all stories go through a rigorous editorial process to review for factual accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards before publication.

Although editorialising and campaigning are allowed, they must differentiate between editorial opinions and reviews, featured content, general conjecture, and factual reporting.

Stories should provide all necessary context to avoid misleading the audience.

At Pulse Kenya, our commitment to impartiality is fundamental to maintaining the trust and respect of our audience. We deliver content that is fair, balanced, and free from bias. This involves providing a diversity of viewpoints without favouring one perspective over another.

Pulse Kenya journalists must strive to present all relevant facts and significant perspectives in any story. In reporting on controversy or conflict, all sides of the issue must be presented fairly, giving due weight to each viewpoint.

Pulse Kenya values diversity and embraces an inclusive philosophy to promote equal opportunity both internally and externally.

Our content should reflect a wide range of views and not disproportionately represent one demographic, ideology, or interest group.

Pulse Kenya journalists will rely on reputable sources. The reliability of each source must be assessed, and undisclosed sources must be avoided, unless necessary for the protection of the source, and where the information is deemed essential for the public interest.

Pulse Kenya journalists must not use content from unauthorised third-party sources, including images, text, or other media, without the requisite permissions and credit. Further, content adapted, combined, or translated from multiple third-party publications is curated by Pulse Kenya and considered fair use.

In engaging with sources, the anonymity of sources or subjects who request privacy will be strictly maintained, barring legal or ethical obligations to disclose identity.

Our stories undergo a rigorous multilevel review process that includes fact-checking.

In the process of news gathering, Pulse Kenya journalists and content producers must always represent their profession and identity accurately and transparently.

Furthermore, it is imperative that stories are gathered without resorting to manipulation or any form of deception.

Pulse Kenya strictly prohibits the use of improper or illegal journalistic methods to obtain information.

We uphold the principle of the right of reply, ensuring that individuals or entities involved in our stories have the opportunity to respond to information and accusations made about them before publication.

Pulse Kenya journalists will provide a reasonable timeframe for responses, typically at least 24 hours, depending on the urgency and complexity of the story. The deadline for such responses will be clearly communicated to the parties involved.

If a response is provided within the designated time frame, Pulse Kenya will include this in the published content in a fair and balanced manner, ensuring that the reply is not misrepresented or edited in a way that changes the meaning thereof.

In cases where no response is received, the article will note that the subject was contacted but did not provide a comment.

In situations where the news is of significant public interest and urgency dictates a shorter response time, the deadline may be adjusted accordingly. However, efforts to contact the subject and obtain a reply must still be documented.

If a response is received after the initial publication, Pulse Kenya may update the original story or publish a follow-up piece to include the new information, maintaining the context and continuity of the reporting.

At Pulse Kenya, we recognise that privacy is a fundamental human right and an essential aspect of human dignity.

Information that is private will only be included in our stories if there is a compelling public interest to do so.

We will avoid the gratuitous publication of private details that do not contribute to the public's understanding of the story but may harm the dignity or privacy of the individuals involved.

Pulse Kenya is committed to operating in an ethical manner and in compliance with laws and regulations.

We strictly prohibit the direct or indirect promising, offering, giving or accepting of bribes or improper inducements including facilitation payments, to secure business or to gain any advantage either for the Company or for any individual.

Our standards include:-

Pulse Kenya editorial offices undertake to respect privacy and to deal responsibly with information, opinions, images, and other intellectual property.

Pulse Kenya has implemented reasonable and appropriate measures designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information that it collects, stores, processes and transmits in accordance with the applicable information security standards, frameworks, best practices, and the appropriate data privacy and protection laws and regulations.

We foster a respectful and inclusive online community by enforcing clear and consistent community guidelines for user engagement and participation.

Our moderation policies prioritise constructive dialogue and respectful discourse while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all users.

We maintain a clear separation between editorial content and commercial activities, ensuring that advertising or sponsorship does not influence our editorial decisions or compromise our journalistic integrity.

Our journalists uphold ethical standards and editorial independence in their interactions with advertisers and sponsors.

We are committed to transparency and accountability in our reporting, promptly correcting any errors or inaccuracies identified in our content.

Our corrections and clarifications are prominently displayed and clearly communicated to our audience to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness.

We provide accessible channels for submitting complaints about our content and take all complaints seriously, investigating and addressing them in a timely and transparent manner.

Our commitment to addressing audience feedback and concerns reflects our dedication to maintaining the trust and credibility of our brand.

Our journalists are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in their reporting, ensuring transparency and accountability in their professional conduct.

We take proactive measures to mitigate conflicts of interest and uphold the highest standards of integrity and impartiality in our journalism.

We engage responsibly and professionally on social media platforms, adhering to our editorial standards and guidelines for social media use.

Our journalists represent Pulse Kenya with integrity and credibility in their social media interactions, avoiding behaviours that may undermine the reputation or credibility of our brand.

We are transparent about the use of generative AI or digital enhancement in our reporting, ensuring that any AI-generated content is clearly labelled and does not compromise the accuracy or integrity of our journalism.

Our journalists uphold ethical standards and editorial integrity in the use of AI technologies, maintaining the trust and credibility of our reporting.

This Editorial Policy embodies our unwavering commitment to ethical journalism, integrity, and professionalism. It serves as a guiding framework for our editorial team, ensuring that our content reflects the highest standards of quality, accuracy, and trustworthiness expected of Pulse Kenya.