Jaipur Times Code of Ethics

Last updated: 16 July 2026

Jaipur Times has voluntarily adopted this Code of Ethics for its website, Android application, e-paper and other digital news services. It is intended to protect responsible journalism, editorial independence and the public's right to receive information.

This Code is guided by the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India, read with the reasonable restrictions permitted by Article 19(2). Jaipur Times also follows applicable Indian law and recognised journalistic standards. Where a legal requirement and this Code differ, the applicable law will prevail.

This is Jaipur Times' own editorial policy. Reference to principles commonly associated with the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) does not by itself state or imply that Jaipur Times is a DNPA member.

1. Accuracy, verification and context

• Material facts should be checked before publication using reasonably reliable sources, documents or direct confirmation.
• Headlines, images, captions, quotations, statistics and social-media material must not misrepresent the substance or context of a report.
• Rumour, allegation, opinion, satire and verified fact should be clearly distinguished.
• Fabricated quotations, manipulated evidence, misleading edits and knowingly false or baseless claims must not be published.
• When information cannot be independently verified but is important to the public interest, the limitation should be disclosed and the report should be appropriately attributed.

2. Fairness and right of reply

• A person or organisation facing a serious allegation should ordinarily be given a fair opportunity to respond before publication, where practicable.
• If a relevant response is received after publication, it should be considered promptly and the report should be updated when appropriate.
• Reports should not omit material context in a manner that creates a substantially false or unfair impression.
• News reporting, analysis, opinion and paid or sponsored content should be clearly distinguishable for readers.

3. Corrections, clarifications, updates and removal

• Credible complaints about factual accuracy should be reviewed promptly and impartially.
• A confirmed material error should be corrected or clarified, and a significant change should be identified for readers where appropriate.
• Minor spelling, grammar or formatting repairs may be made without a separate correction note when they do not change the meaning.
• Content may be updated, corrected, anonymised, restricted, retracted or removed when justified by the evidence, public interest, safety, privacy, a lawful order or another applicable legal obligation.
• Removal is not automatic merely because a person disagrees with accurate reporting. Editorial records may be preserved where legally and journalistically appropriate.

4. Crime, courts and the presumption of innocence

• A person accused of an offence must not be presented as guilty before a competent court has determined guilt.
• Crime and court reporting should be factual, restrained and consistent with applicable reporting restrictions, contempt-of-court principles and fair-trial rights.
• Speculation about evidence, witnesses, victims or an accused person should be avoided when it may prejudice proceedings or cause unjustified harm.
• Reporting should use legally accurate descriptions such as "accused", "suspect" or "convicted", according to the actual stage of the matter.

5. Children, sexual offences and vulnerable persons

• The identity of a child in conflict with law, a child in need of care and protection, or a child victim must not be disclosed where prohibited by law.
• The identity of a victim of a sexual offence, or details that could reasonably lead to identification, must not be published except where lawfully permitted.
• Special care must be taken in reports concerning child abuse, sexual harassment, domestic violence, adoption, matrimonial disputes, custody, disability, mental health, grief and trauma.
• Graphic, degrading or sensational material should be avoided unless publication is justified by a clear public interest and handled with appropriate warnings and restraint.

6. Communal harmony, discrimination and hate

• Reports concerning religion, caste, community, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or regional identity should be verified with particular care and presented without inflammatory generalisation.
• Jaipur Times will not knowingly publish content that unlawfully incites violence, hostility or discrimination.
• Religion, caste or community identity should be mentioned only when genuinely relevant to the report and supported by verified facts.
• Images, old videos and social-media claims connected to communal incidents should be checked for date, place and authenticity before use.

7. Privacy, dignity and public interest

• People who are not public figures are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, subject to legitimate public-interest reporting and applicable law.
• Private addresses, personal phone numbers, identification documents, medical details and other sensitive information should not be published without a sufficient editorial and legal basis.
• Public curiosity alone is not the same as public interest. Editors should consider necessity, proportionality and potential harm before publishing intrusive material.
• Images of death, injury, victims, homes and private locations should be used only with appropriate sensitivity and justification.

8. Sources, attribution and conflicts of interest

• Sources should be identified whenever reasonably possible. Confidential sources may be protected when anonymity is necessary and the information is important to the public interest.
• Material taken from another publication, creator, agency, official record or social platform should be accurately attributed.
• Reporters and editors should disclose relevant financial, personal, political or other conflicts to the editorial desk.
• Gifts, payments or benefits must not determine editorial coverage or its conclusions.

9. Intellectual property

• Copyright, trade marks, moral rights and other intellectual-property rights must be respected.
• Third-party text, photographs, graphics, audio and video should be used with permission, a valid licence or another lawful basis.
• Indian copyright law recognises limited exceptions, including fair dealing for purposes such as reporting current events. Any reliance on an exception should be proportionate, properly attributed where appropriate and assessed on the facts.
• A credible infringement notice should identify the protected work, the disputed material, its URL, the complainant's authority and supporting information. Jaipur Times will review such notices and take appropriate action.

10. Advertising and sponsored material

• Advertising, advertorials, native advertising and sponsored material should be clearly labelled and should not be presented as independent reporting.
• Advertisers, sponsors and commercial partners must not control editorial conclusions.
• Paid political or election-related material must be handled in accordance with applicable law and platform requirements.

11. Artificial intelligence and altered media

• Artificial-intelligence tools may assist routine editorial work, but responsibility for published content remains with Jaipur Times.
• Material facts, quotations and allegations produced or transformed with automated tools must be checked before publication.
• Materially altered or synthetic images, audio or video must not be presented as authentic documentary evidence. Clear disclosure should be provided when such media is published for an editorially justified purpose.

12. Applicable Indian legal framework

Depending on the subject and circumstances, Jaipur Times takes account of applicable provisions of the Constitution of India and laws including the Information Technology Act, 2000; the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, as amended; the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023; the Copyright Act, 1957; the Trade Marks Act, 1999; the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971; the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012; and other laws that apply to a particular publication.

Jaipur Times also seeks to follow relevant journalistic principles reflected in the Norms of Journalistic Conduct published by the Press Council of India.

13. Grievance redressal

To report a factual error, legal concern, privacy issue, intellectual-property complaint or other editorial grievance, email jaipurtimes2007@gmail.com or use the Jaipur Times contact page.

Please include your name and contact details, the relevant article or page URL, the specific content complained of, the reason for the complaint and any supporting documents. Do not send passwords, OTPs or unnecessary sensitive personal information.

Where the grievance provisions applicable to digital news publishers under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 apply, Jaipur Times aims to acknowledge a grievance within 24 hours and communicate a decision within 15 days. Any escalation will be handled in accordance with the applicable three-tier grievance framework and other legal requirements.

14. Editorial independence, training and review

• Day-to-day editorial decisions remain the responsibility of Jaipur Times editors and authorised editorial staff.
• Editorial and reporting teams should receive periodic guidance on verification, corrections, privacy, court reporting, child protection, intellectual property, communal sensitivity and digital security.
• This Code may be reviewed when the law, technology, newsroom practices or recognised professional standards change.

Important: This Code states Jaipur Times' editorial commitments. It is not legal advice and does not limit any right or remedy available under Indian law.