The original preamble is as follows:
The purposes of the Society are educational and artistic, to wit:
a) the publication of newspapers, magazines, papers, books and documents to take an active role in educational and artistic endeavors including, but not limited to, The Peak,
b) the promotion of academic excellence and journalistic excellence, according to the Canadian University Press Statement of Principles and Code of Ethics, except that the Society shall not have the power to grant or confer a diploma or degree of literary, technical or scientific standing,
c) the sponsoring of lectures, debates and all other activities designed to advance the purposes of the Society, students at universities throughout the world and the members of faculty and administration of those universities, and members of the journalistic profession,
d) the awarding of prizes, scholarships, bursaries, medals, certificates or other suitable recognition of contributions made both by members and non-members to the purposes set out in Section 2.b.
The following problems have been identified with it:
- It explicitly lists formats in which the Society may publish materials, but this list is profoundly outdated, not including references to any sort of electronic media.
- It refers to the Canadian University Press Statement of Principles and Code of Ethics, which is not easily available. Additionally, the future of CUP and of The Peak’s relationship with it is very much in question.
- It requires sponsorship of events and prizes that, in practice, are rarely organized.
The following text has been suggested as a revision:
The purposes of the Peak Publications Society are as follows:
The Society shall publish material for the benefit of the SFU community in whatever forms it is able;
The Society shall report on matters of import and interest to the membership; to provide a forum for discussion and debate of issues important to the SFU community and beyond, and to defend freedom of speech within that forum; and to provide a venue for original entertainment material for the membership;
The Society shall maintain independence from editorial or financial pressure from any external agents; pursuant to this, editorial policies, advertising policies, staffing policies, and organizational structuring shall be decided within the organization, within the bounds of applicable law;
The Society may sponsor events and prizes for the benefit of the SFU community;
All officers and agents of the Society shall adhere to the Code of Ethics.
All publications of the society and all involved in their production shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics, which is intended as a minimum standard of conduct.
Journalists shall strive for accuracy in their reporting at all times, and shall never misrepresent, falsify, or distort facts.
Journalists shall seek all perspectives relevant to their topic, and the Society shall allow space for conflicting views.
Journalists shall respect the confidence of sources and private documents, within the bounds of the law and freedom of the press.
All writers and producers shall be aware of libel and copyright laws and conduct all of their activities in accordance with them.
Mistakes and inaccuracies shall be swiftly and prominently corrected.
The interests and viewpoints of those who may be harmed by coverage in the Society’s publications shall be considered in all publishing decisions.
- Material intended to promote bigotry or violence against a group or person shall not be included in any of the Society’s publications, except in the context of reporting or commentary upon it. This provision shall not be interpreted to exempt groups or persons from legitimate criticism.
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