To maintain the integrity of Linking Community Now Inc.’s journalism, it is important that the company and its affiliates avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest. This policy applies to the company, as well as its officers, directors, employees, contractors, writers, reporters, and legal and financial advisors (“Affiliated Persons”).
Simply stated, the Company and its Affiliated Persons shall avoid situations where they owe conflicting loyalties to the Company and to a third party, or where their personal interests may be materially affected by the Company’s activities, and report such situations promptly if they arise. The Company and its Affiliated Persons shall also avoid situations that give rise to the appearance of a conflict of interest, even where there is no actual conflict. The circumstances that create a conflict of interest are necessarily varied and difficult to define. This definition shall be construed liberally and, when there is any doubt, the potential conflict should be disclosed.
Upon learning of a conflict or the appearance of a conflict, it must be promptly disclosed to the Company for consideration. This policy will be interpreted consistent with these examples of conflicts of interest, which are not exclusive:
- Non-trivial gifts from an entity that is the subject of reporting or an entity materially affected by the Company’s reporting. Gifts in excess of $250 in a 12-month period will be presumed to be non-trivial, but gifts of any amount may be non-trivial.
- A direct or indirect interest in or ongoing benefits received directly or indirectly from a subject of the Company’s reporting.
- A conflict involving an Affiliated Person’s close family or a member of his or her household.
- Any situation which might give rise to reasonable concerns or criticism about the objectivity or integrity of the Company’s reporting.
Upon learning of a conflict of interest, the Company will determine an appropriate course of action in its discretion. A person with a real or apparent conflict shall not participate in a decision on how to address the conflict or be present when such a decision is made. Possible resolutions include, but are not limited to:
- Disclosure of the conflict to the public in reporting;
- Exclusion of the affected person from all activities or reporting related to the conflicting interest;
- Abstention from reporting on the subject of the conflict; or
- Termination of the Company’s relationship with the person affected.