Statement on Editorial Policy

As one of the few college bodies which is public-facing, the Ping! team recognizes the importance of a free and fair news body. Over the past years, the various Ping! teams may have differed in their interpretations of what it takes to achieve such a goal, but the vision has remained the same. With Ping!, we strive to give the community a voice. Not just a voice that is heard, but a voice that is listened to, understood and given its due consideration.

Key to the functioning of any media is an editorial policy that holds writers, and its editors (including the ones writing this piece) accountable. Following certain missteps in previous years, the writing process was rethought and boundaries were redrawn. It was crucial to the team that Ping! continue it’s reporting on events while covering sensitive topics. There is often a fine line when writing articles that involve real people, and the editorial policy helps us tread this line.

To this end, Ping! has been strictly following a revamped editorial policy which may be viewed at https://pingiiit.org/editorial-policy/

The editorial policy was drafted over the course of multiple weeks last year with open discussions that concerned quality, accuracy, privacy and more. The editorial policy as it stands currently is far from perfect. In fact, the team is constantly looking to improve it and hopes that the student community will be vocal in holding Ping! to higher standards. Some key elements of the editorial policy concern the usage of personal information, and ensuring correctness of information.

For instance, pursuant to the editorial policy, all individuals and concerned parties in any Ping! publishing are sent a memo about their role in the particular piece a week in advance. Last year itself, this clause caught errors in our reporting and even brought out interesting details about the college. This clause applies to students and faculty alike.

Who can contribute to Ping?

Everyone. Contrary to popular opinion, Ping! Is an open creative body which welcomes writers with different viewpoints. While all writers must go through Ping’s editorial process and be supervised by a Ping! Editor, there is no restriction on the individuals who can write in Ping!

Those who are interested in regularly contributing to Ping! are free to join the team upon contacting the editorial team.

On stance and neutrality

Ping!, as stated in the editorial policy, is a neutral body that has no political or personal preference. This applies for college-related, and broader national activities as well. It is understandable if Ping! is mistaken for a liberal body at its current point. This is purely a reflection of the interests of the writers who publish in Ping! And do not reflect Ping’s ideals in any form. As stated earlier, Ping! aims to be an unbiased reflection of life at IIIT and hopes to see more conservative writers in the future. Those interested may “ping” any editor at Ping! Or message ping! on social media.