RED FM Vancouver Editorial Mandate and Journalistic Policy

CKYE-FM Vancouver

Reviewed: October 2026

About this policy: This Editorial Mandate and Journalistic Policy describe the standards governing RED FM’s news and journalistic content. It is intended to promote transparency, editorial independence, original journalism, and accountability to our audiences. The policy is reviewed periodically and may be updated to reflect changes in journalistic practice, technology, Canadian broadcasting requirements, and applicable law.

1. Our Editorial Mandate

RED FM Vancouver’s News Department is the Canadian news operation of CKYE-FM Vancouver.

Our mandate is to produce, broadcast, and publish original Canadian journalism focused primarily on matters of general interest and current events affecting Vancouver, Surrey, the Lower Mainland, British Columbia, and Canada.

We serve the diverse multicultural and multilingual communities that make up the region.

Our journalism may include coverage of:

• Community issues and matters of public interest;
• Public safety, policing, courts, and emergency information;
• Health, education, housing, transportation, and the environment;
• Immigration, Business, employment, affordability, consumer affairs, and economic issues of public interest;
• Municipal, provincial, and federal government and public policy;
• Elections, democratic institutions, and civic affairs;
• Arts, culture, religion, and community events where there is a legitimate news or current-events dimension; and
• International developments where there is a clear and meaningful connection to Canada, British Columbia, or the communities we serve.

2. Original Journalism

RED FM Vancouver is committed to producing original journalism.

Content may be considered original RED FM journalism where our journalists make a substantive journalistic contribution through activities such as:

• Independent research;
• Interviews;
• First-hand observation;
• Attendance at news events, hearings, meetings, or press conferences;
• Field reporting;
• Gathering and reviewing documents, records, or data;
• Verification and fact-checking;
• Writing or scripting;
• Recording audio or video;
• Editing;
• Editorial review, broadcast and publication, and
• Producing and broadcasting newscasts in languages other than English and French

News releases, wire services, government statements, social-media posts, audience submissions, and reporting by other news organizations may be used as sources where appropriate, but they must be independently assessed and attributed.

3. Journalistic Codes and Standards

RED FM Vancouver is committed to journalism that is accurate, fair, independent, transparent, respectful, and accountable to the public.

This policy is built to reflect and complement Canadian broadcasting and journalism standards, including:

• The RTDNA Canada Code of Journalistic Ethics;
• The Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics, administered by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC);
• The Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Equitable Portrayal Code, administered by the CBSC;
• The Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Violence Code and other CBSC-administered broadcasting codes where their subject matter and scope are relevant to particular broadcast content; and
• Applicable Canadian laws, CRTC regulations, regulatory policies, and election-broadcasting requirements.

RED FM Vancouver retains editorial responsibility for all journalism it broadcasts or publishes.

4. Accuracy and Verification

Accuracy is fundamental to our journalism.

We take reasonable steps to verify material facts before broadcast or publication. Information should be supported by reliable sources appropriate to the circumstances.

We seek to:

• Verify names, quotations, dates, statistics, documents, images, audio, and material factual claims;
• Distinguish confirmed facts from allegations, estimates, assumptions, and opinion;
• Provide sufficient context to avoid misleading audiences;
• Identify uncertainty where facts remain developing or incomplete; and
• Update reporting when significant verified information becomes available.

The urgency of breaking news does not remove our responsibility to verify information.

5. Fairness and Opportunity to Respond

RED FM Vancouver seeks to report fairly and in context.

Individuals or organizations facing significant criticism, allegations, or potentially damaging claims will ordinarily be given a reasonable opportunity to respond before broadcasting.

A refusal or failure to comment will not be presented as evidence of wrongdoing.

6. Sources, Attribution, and Confidential Sources

We prefer named and on-the-record sources.

Anonymous or confidential sources may be used where justified by a legitimate public interest, after assessing the source’s credibility, knowledge, and motivation and obtaining appropriate editorial review.

Third-party reporting and material should be appropriately attributed.

7. Corrections and Updates

RED FM Vancouver is accountable for its journalism.

Material factual errors will be corrected promptly and transparently on platforms within our reasonable control.

Significant corrections to digital stories should include an appropriate correction or update notice where necessary to explain any material change.

Material broadcast errors should receive an appropriate on-air correction where circumstances warrant.

8. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based on public interest, news value, and independent journalistic judgment.

Advertisers, sponsors, political organizations, advocacy groups, community organizations, sources, subjects, or commercial partners do not determine RED FM Vancouver’s journalistic conclusions.

9. Conflicts of Interest, Gifts, and Outside Activities

Journalists must disclose relevant interests that could compromise or reasonably appear to compromise editorial independence.

Depending on the circumstances, a conflict may require disclosure, reassignment, additional editorial oversight, or withdrawal from a story.

Payments, gifts, favors, or benefits intended to influence coverage are not acceptable.

Outside employment, political activity, advocacy, and public social-media activity must not compromise journalistic independence or confidential information.

10. News, Analysis, Commentary, and Opinion

RED FM Vancouver distinguishes among:

News reporting — fact-based reporting;

Analysis — interpretation based on verified information and expertise;

Commentary or opinion — viewpoints or judgments; and

Paid or sponsored content — commercial material.

Opinion, commentary, and analysis should be identified where necessary so audiences can reasonably distinguish them from straight news reporting.

11. Separation of Journalism and Advertising

Independent journalism must remain distinguishable from commercial content.

Advertising, sponsored interviews, branded or native content, advertiser features, promotions, contests, fundraising campaigns, and other paid or promotional material must be appropriately identified and separated from independent news coverage.

Commercial relationships must not determine the substance or conclusions of RED FM Vancouver journalism.

12. Privacy and Dignity

We balance privacy and potential harm against legitimate public interest and exercise heightened care when reporting about children, victims, vulnerable people, grieving families, trauma, medical information, death, or graphic events.

13. User-Generated Content

User-generated photographs, video, audio, social-media posts, and other material should be verified before journalistic use.

14. Copyright, Third-Party Material, and Translation

RED FM Vancouver respects copyright and intellectual property.

Translations should accurately preserve the meaning and context of original material and identify the original source where appropriate.

15. Elections and Political Coverage

Election and political coverage will be approached independently and conducted in accordance with the applicable broadcasting guidelines of the CRTC, Elections Canada, and Elections BC.

Paid political advertising must remain distinguishable from independent journalism.

Relevant political, candidate, party, campaign, or advocacy relationships that could create a conflict must be appropriately disclosed or managed.

16. Accountability

RED FM Vancouver welcomes legitimate questions and concerns about its journalism.

Requests for corrections or editorial concerns may be submitted through the RED FM Vancouver Contact page. Requests should identify the story, URL, broadcast date or time where possible, and the specific concern.

RED FM Vancouver is a member of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.