Seek truth
Go beyond competing quotes. Find records, test claims, and tell readers what the evidence does—and does not—show.
THE BASIC JOB
Journalistic ethics
Clear standards. Plain language. No special rules for powerful institutions.
Minimize harm
Protect vulnerable sources. Consider retaliation, discipline, immigration consequences, and harassment before identifying someone.
Act independently
Question administrators, trustees, donors, activists, unions, and public officials with the same seriousness. Access is not accountability.
Be accountable
Correct errors clearly, explain difficult choices, answer criticism, and return to stories after attention moves on.
These four headings come from the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. The code is guidance, not an enforceable rulebook.
DOCUMENTED FACT
Columbia provides Spec’s office and production space.
Spectator Publishing Company’s fiscal-year 2024 Form 990 says that, in return for free circulation, “the university provides office and production space to the organization.” Documented fact · CLM-061
LOCATION
490 Riverside Drive, Room 414
Spectator lists this address on its official About page. Room 414 is on the fourth floor of the Riverside Church complex. CLM-062
Official address sourceVALUE BENCHMARK
About $25,500 per 1,000 sq. ft. each year
A nearby 475 Riverside Drive office listing advertises $25.50 per square foot per year. The size of Room 414 and terms of Columbia’s arrangement are not public, so a responsible total cannot be calculated. CLM-063
Nearby asking-rent benchmarkTHE STANDARD
Disclose support. Prove independence through the work.
Readers should be able to understand the arrangement, the safeguards around it, and whether material support creates any obligations. Independence is ultimately demonstrated by a sustained record of skeptical, document-led reporting.