Signal Akron is a nonprofit newsroom with a mission to provide residents of Greater Akron with information they need and want. We are part of Signal Ohio, a growing network of independent, community-led, nonprofit newsrooms across the state, and part of a growing movement of nonprofit local newsrooms across the country.
Code of ethics
Our code of ethics is based on a template from the Institute for Nonprofit News. We also referred to the codes from leading nonprofit newsrooms when creating ours.
Signal Akron retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions.
We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but we make our news judgments independently and not on the basis of donor support.
Our organization may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but we maintain editorial control of the coverage. We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content.
Our organization will make public all donors, including those who give a total of $5,000 or more per year. We will accept anonymous donations for general support only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with the Institute for Nonprofit News membership standards.
We follow the Code of Ethics from the Society of Professional Journalists, including its statement on anonymous sources: Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.
Staff members are expected to use sound judgment to avoid actual or perceived conflicts between their personal interests and their work with Signal Akron. As engaged members of our city, staff may be involved in creative and civic activities or employment outside of the newsroom.
Learn more about Signal Ohio and our network of newsrooms, including Signal Cleveland, Signal Statewide and coming later this year, Signal Cincinnati.
Signal Ohio Board
Doug Ulman, Board Chair
Vice Chair, Pelotonia
Henry J. Gomez, Vice Chair
Senior National Political Reporter, NBC News
Debra Adams Simmons, Board Member
Senior director of editorial projects at GBH
Dale Anglin, Board Member
Director, Press Forward
Delores Hargrove-Young, Board Member
Vice Chairwoman of d.e. Foxx & Associates, Inc.
Collette A. Laisure, Board Member
Civic Activist
Michael Ouimette, Board Member
Chief Investment Officer, American Journalism Project
Signal Akron Advisory Board Members
- Sue Zake, editor-in-chief, Signal Akron
- Bill Considine, retired CEO and president, Akron Children’s Hospital (Advisory Board Chair)
- Kemp Boyd, executive director, Love Akron
- Jack T. Diamond, managing partner, Brennan, Manna & Diamond
- Tracy Dowe, city president and middle market team leader for Fifth Third Bank
- Laura Duda, senior vice president and chief communications officer,
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company - Shirley Finney, community coordinator and leader
- David Giffels, professor, University of Akron
- Dr. Para Jones, president, Stark State College
- Jody Miller Konstand, community investment chair, Akron Community Foundation
- Bishop David Parker, founder and pastor emeritus, Zion Apostolic Faith Church
- Ron Paydo, market president, Huntington National Bank
- Debra Adams Simmons, senior director of editorial projects at GBH