How does Alternative Channel™ work?

Alternative Channel™ Information Policy

Alternative Channel™ reserves the absolute right to make known all aspects of information that it considers to be of public interest.

Alternative Channel™ is, and must remain, independent and free from any and all obligations other than that of serving the public interest.

The following information policy is not definitive nor is it limited. Professional ethics in the realm of information must surpass established guidelines, and must adhere to principles that facilitate discourse that furthers social development.

Responsibility

Alternative Channel™ reserves the right to decide whether a news report will be broadcasted or not.

All decisions pertaining to the program have to be made by Alternative Channel's™ Editorial Team.

When web casting videos, Alternative Channel's™ Editorial Team must take into account that Alternative Channel™ has access to a substantial audience by means of the internet.

Independence

Alternative Channel™ and its designated staff must remain independent from sources of revenue and influences in order to respect Alternative Channel integrity and complete their mandate.

Public Interest

Media credibility is based on publishing complete and accurate news stories. Alternative Channel™ is committed to delivering comprehensive news in accordance with actual facts and events.

Stories and Eyewitness reports must rely on the quality and diversity of its information sources.

Reporters, journalists and contributors must display an intellectual reliability and professionalism required to web cast a first-rate story or Eyewitness report. Furthermore, none of Alternative Channel™ videos shall be based on unsubstantiated stories or hearsay.

Diversity of sources

Information in videos webcasted by Alternative Channel™ is not limited to traditional sources but must be factual and include as much detail as possible.

Alternative Channel™ must abstain from distorting, exaggerating, altering or minimizing quotes and facts, or using them out of context. Alternative Channel™ must not resort to sensationalism.

Alternative Channel™ is not a vessel for propaganda; its sole purpose is to inform the public.

Information sources

In specific circumstances, a contributor may be called upon to retain the anonymity of his/her sources when he/she has legitimate reason to do so.

The decision to conceal a source's identity will be left to the discretion of Alternative Channel™ ' Editorial Team, which must be informed of all elements of a story prior to its web cast. Alternative Channel™ Management shall also be vigilant against any attempts to manipulate information.

Alternative Channel™ content must respect civil rights, including the right to privacy, dignity and reputation.

Judiciary power

Alternative Channel™ respects judiciary power, including the right to a fair trial.

Judicial news accounts must conform to their respective guidelines and procedures.

Alternative Channel™ should not obstruct the law.

Conflict of Interests

Members of the Press, journalists and contributors must avoid all situations that could give rise to the perception that a conflict of interest might exist; this includes situations where it appears that they will benefit from an association with a political, financial, or other prominent group.

It must be remembered that government organizations, corporations and pressure groups attempt to shape and influence information so that it will be consistent with their vested interests.

The practice of journalism is then incompatible with all situations that may involve a conflict of interest.

A conflict of interest is the result of any act that places, or appears to place, a journalist in a situation where he must chose between adhering to professional standards and acquiring personal gain. The notion of personal gain also includes all associations and groups to which the journalist is affiliated, as well as any social links between two or more people.

The idea of media credibility is also based upon immediate retraction and/or correction of erroneous information.

Alternative Channel™ CODE OF ETHICS

Advertising

Alternative Channel™ Management will establish guidelines concerning all matters regarding advertising. However, commercial and economic constraints that may preside in deciding which ads may be webcasted or published shall in no way influence the editorial policy or the right of access to information.

As a media, Alternative Channel™ must clearly distinguish between information and advertising on all levels: content, presentation and graphics. A lack of distinction may lead to confusion and misinterpretation of the information as perceived by the public.

Advertising layouts and broadcasts must be presented in a matter that will undoubtedly identify it as such so that the audience may clearly distinguish between editorial and advertising content. This is especially important in the case of "advertorials", which tend to emulate an editorial format.

The media and journalists must be alert to hidden or indirect advertising when managing content. Furthermore, they should not publicize nor promote a cause, product, activity, or event of any kind. They must be particularly cautious when covering an event of a promotional nature, as to avoid any confusion between commercial activities and an impartial broadcast of information.

Misrepresentation and Breach of Trust

Professional protocol stipulates that journalists must clearly identify themselves as such when obtaining information from the public.

Journalists must also avoid misrepresentation when gathering information. Certain circumstances may require that a journalist conceal his/her identity, but these instances are rare and exceptional (for example when their personal safety is at risk). These circumstances must only be considered in correlation to public interest and demand for this type of information.

Journalists must also abstain from practices where a breach of trust may occur (for example, recording a conversation without consent or neglecting to disclose that a party's views may be broadcast). Journalists should also refrain from engaging in any act that may violate or invade a person's right to privacy. This is a question of honesty and maintaining both professional and personal integrity.

"Cyber journalism": Abiding by the Golden Rules

Online journalism must still be governed by the principles of traditional journalism, which also apply to internet media, networking professionals and all other cyber communication technology.

The universal tenets of impartiality, accuracy and integrity, which aim at providing a thorough journalistic approach, must be maintained at all stages including research, gathering data, editing and broadcasting.

Due to the massive amount of information available on the internet, it is imperative that journalistic content be accurately reported and attributed to its respective sources, therefore preventing the audience from misinterpreting the origins of the information.

In all cases online sources must be clearly identified, unless professional ethics warrant their protection.é Identifying sources and references is also mandatory when content has been picked up from third parties or information databases.

Travel

Alternative Channel™ Management must be informed of all travel opportunities offered to its members. Travel for personal gain offered directly to an employee of Alternative Channel™ must be considered as a gift, and consequently refused. Alternative Channel™ Management believes that free travel opportunities may lead to a conflict of interest.

Administering of Media Accreditation

Alternative Channel™ Management must approve all requests for accreditation without exception. These requests will only be granted for reporting and coverage purposes.

Paid Work

Employees of Alternative Channel™ may not perform paid or volunteer work for politicians or political parties, nor can they lend their services to individuals, organizations, and/or corporations implicated in their reports.

Alternative Channel™ quality standards

The reality of media around the world often differs from our ideal model of what a media organization should be. The main divergences with this ideal model are:

• A strong dependency of the media from advertisers who represent the largest source of financing for the private media industry;
• A strong dependency of the media on the government, which represents an often significant source of financing and which can also exert pressure through legal and political measures, as well as through direct intervention;
• A weak consideration for audience satisfaction, which at the moment is measured in terms of size of viewership (a good program is a program watched or listened to by the biggest audience). From a general point of view, the feedback coming from the audience and citizens have a weak influence on the strategy of the media;
• On the other hand, feedback from advertisers and/or the Government to media owners is strongly influential.

Alternative Channel™ Quality Chart will help our organization to:

• Contribute to social development in the geographical zones where it is available.
• Integrate complementary objectives such as social management, societal impact, product/service quality, employee empowerment and recognition.
• Take into consideration the needs and expectations of all our stakeholders namely:
• Our Audience /Viewers
• Our Personnel
• Our Shareholders
• Our Advertisers
• Our Sub-contractors
• Individual citizens
• Society as a whole

In order to satisfy the needs and expectations of all the above stakeholders, Alternative Channel™ management team is committed to a well-defined mission and philosophy with core values including, but not limited to:

• Quality of information & content;
• Pluralism of opinions and points of view;
• Independence of the organization from any kind of economic, political or religious interest;
• Transparency in terms of financial reporting;
• Ethics in terms of human resources management;
• Empowerment of women;
• Empowerment of the international citizenship;
• Respect for minorities;
• Innovation and creation in all core activities i.e. information, education and entertainment;
• Promotion of local, regional and national cultures as well as cultural diversity;
• Audience satisfaction.

Responsibility and authority

• Appoint a Quality Committee under the chairmanship of a Quality Manager composed of operational managers and representatives of stakeholders (audience, advertisers and citizens);
• Appoint an Ombudsman in charge of solving conflicts between the organization and its environment. The rules of recruitment and professional evolution of this ombudsman shall be transparent and will guarantee total impartiality in solving conflicts.

Corporate social investment

Alternative Channel™ will devote part of its revenues to corporate social investment "off-line", linked to the media domain, and aiming at having a direct impact on social development. These actions will be identified and communicated.

The resources provided by the organization shall guarantee the best possible geographical accessibility to the media; universal access to quality information is a major goal.

Independence and non-discrimination of journalists, presenters and producers

Alternative Channel™ guarantees the independence and non-discrimination of journalists, presenters and producers through:

• Transparent recruitment / lay-off procedures
• Legal clauses in labour contracts
• Appropriate appeal procedures
• A strict respect of National Labour Laws
• Non discrimination of any kind (age, religion, gender)
• Code of ethics and editorial charters
• Advertisements, for which a preliminary evaluation shall be conducted in terms of compliance with the Code of Advertising

Control of monitoring and measuring devices

Alternative Channel™ will pay particular attention to the ways in which viewer/user numbers are measured, whether internally or by an outside organization. A review of the methods and software used will be regularly undertaken in order to balance quantitative results with qualitative ones.

Monitoring and measuring customer satisfaction

Alternative Channel™ will monitor information relating to customer perception using the following sources:

• Viewer/user numbers monitored on a daily basis
• Viewer/user satisfaction surveys organized at regular intervals
• Advertiser satisfaction surveys

Continual improvement

Alternative Channel™ has put in place a continual improvement system by means of a central quality improvement dash-board. This will record all decisions made in terms of corrective and preventive actions and will consolidate and analyze the relevant data.

THE AVISS™ METHODOLOGY

Your Alternative VIDEOS™ guidelines

Here are the 5 simple guidelines every Alternative Contributor™ should follow while building and producing their Alternative Story™ .

• Alternative — Your Alternative Story™ ore Alternative Eyewitness report™ must discuss and put forward an "Alternative" subject.
• Video — You need to have striking images! No press conference… your video must talk by itself.
• Involvement—It is required that you get involved. And for us, your presence "on-cam" is necessary and mandatory—should it be by a stand-up at the end or during a bridge, we need to see and hear you.
• Sound— Sound is so important to live and feel your story, and for the rhythm of it. Remember, you have important things to say! Take good care of the sound quality… give us the ambiance.
• Storytelling—Your story must be understood: a comprehensive text, with short sentences, to the point, telling us your story.

We call it our AVISS Methodology™ … it is simple, and it will help you make sure your submitted story gets on "air". Use it, remember it.

Recommended maximum length: from 1 minute 30 sec. to 6 minutes.

Standard closing: "John Doe, for Alternative Channel, Bangkok."

Very simple and efficient.

We are looking forward to hear what you have to say!

Alternative Channel™ Eyewitness Reports

Restrictions:

• Alternative Eyewitness reports must be of public interest.
• Alternative Eyewitness reports should be intelligible and provide sufficient information to be understood by a vast audience.
• Alternative Eyewitness reports need be legitimate.
• Alternative Eyewitness reports must be endorsed. No anonymity.
• Alternative Eyewitnesses must agree to be held liable for their reports.
• Alternative Eyewitness reports should be unconventional, or provide a unique perspective to an existing event.
• Alternative Channel™ recommends using audio-visual material. Silent footage may also be acceptable.
• Quality graphics must be provided.
• Sound should be clear and audible.
• An Alternative Eyewitness may not be over 3 minutes long.
• Alternative Channel™ will not be held responsible for Alternative Eyewitness reports that appear on their site.

Pitfalls to AVOID

• Alternative Eyewitness reports based on the eyewitness' own opinion.
• Alternative Eyewitness reports that emulate an editorial format.
• Alternative Eyewitness reports that reiterate what is already being said in traditional media (which opposes the concept of Alternative Channel™)

An Alternative Story is…

A story or an Eyewitness report that offers an original perspective on an event, distancing itself from established news sources and allowing for a better and more complete understanding of the matter at hand. Often unconventional and non-conformist, it is a true alternative to the stereotypes currently found in today's traditional media.