Sustainability Report 2022

editors and similar posts . In such cases, the editor- in-chief will communicate these appointments in advance to the Journalists’ Committee. In order to guarantee the veracity and independence of the news and information that they publish, as well as the quality of all content, the Group’s journalists are governed by guidelines and norms set out in the corresponding EL PAÍS, AS and Cadena SER style books . Updated in 2021, the EL PAÍS Style Book is a mandatory internal code for all journalists. It sets out a series of ethical principles and establishes rules aimed at guaranteeing correct and precise writing, while also fostering a house style with its own personality and that is accessible to readers. Cadena SER has followed, since 2017, its own style book, En Antena , and the sports newspaper AS has had its own such guide since 2018. Other key tools aimed at guaranteeing professional ethics include the Readers’ Editor , an ombudsman figure which EL PAÍS pioneered in the Ibero-American world. Readers’ complaints and criticisms are collected and published by the Readers’ Editor, both in print and digital formats. In addition, the Letters to the Editor have a specific space online. Extracts from some of these letters have been published on Instagram in the new EL PAÍS Opinión account . Meanwhile, in a move aimed at strengthening the trust of readers and users in the media through greater transparency and public accountability, since 2018 EL PAÍS has been affiliated with The Trust Project . This provides readers with a range of trust indicators and digital standards to help them determine if news and information are reliable. This is a coordinated fight against disinformation on the Internet backed by more than 200 organizations . Each website, and each piece of news, shows clear labels that allow readers to recognize the genre of the articles —news, analysis, opinion or promotional content from advertisers—, as well as who is behind each piece of information or news and, where relevant, the author's experience. The goal is to give readers the tools they need to decide if the news or information comes from a reliable source and to form their own opinion. Cadena SER All PRISA radio stations have their own style book. The Cadena SER style book , published in 2017, establishes a series of ethical principles, whose aims are to ensure the broadcast of truthful news and information, the appropriate treatment and correction of errors, and plurality. These principles also deal with potential incompatibilities of PRISA Radio journalists, conflicts of interest and all matters related to privacy, honor, intellectual property, the treatment and coverage of issues that affect minors, gender violence and the protection of minorities. Strict compliance with all these principles is expected of all Cadena SER professionals. The general management of Cadena SER is entrusted with overseeing and coordinating such compliance among newsrooms and employees. In 2023, the listeners’ ombudsman will be re-established. PRISA’s media professionals are expected to follow the respective EL PAÍS, AS and Cadena SER Style Book Montserrat Domínguez, Content Director at SER Integrity, independence and editorial freedom As the publisher of prestigious media, PRISA has established a framework for editorial governance that goes beyond the usual protocols of good corporate governance. Its mission is to safeguard the rigor, integrity and credibility of its contents and to provide its teams with a work environment that attracts and retains the best professionals. Complete independence is an essential value in this context. Editorial line is based on the continuous and systematic input and contrast of opinions of leading figures of recognized prestige and expertise. The Editorial Statute states that EL PAÍS shall reject all pressure from individuals, political parties, and economic, religious or ideological interest groups or lobbies who might seek to make the news serve their own interests. PRISA Media The Editorial Statute, which dates from 1980 and was the first of its kind in Spain, regulates the professional relations between the newsroom and the management of EL PAÍS and the PRISA publishing company, regardless of union and labor relations. The Statute has been approved by the general meeting of shareholders of PRISA and the Journalists’ Committee . The statute states that EL PAÍS rejects all pressure from individuals, political parties, and economic, religious or ideological interest groups or lobbies who might seek to make the news serve their own interests. This independence, and the non-manipulation of news, safeguards the rights of readers, whose protection is the ultimate mission of the publisher. The Statute of EL PAÍS states that the Journalists’ Committee acts as mediator between the newsroom and the publishing company. The Journalists’ Committee is the professional representative body of the newsroom, and annually chooses five members to sit on the Committee from among its professionals. The editor-in-chief and deputy editors and related personnel are not eligible. The editor-in-chief of EL PAÍS must convene, at least once a month, a meeting with the Journalists’ Committee to discuss initiatives and conflicts that may have arisen in the newsroom on professional EL PAÍS issues. The Committee, in urgent cases, may request a special meeting with management. The newspaper’s editor-in-chief is responsible for the editorial line of EL PAÍS , and is answerable to both readers and the courts, within the framework of the principles set out in the Editorial Statute. To this end, he or she retains the right of veto over all originals, including advertising. Likewise, the editor-in-chief organizes and coordinates all the work in the newsroom. Before the Board of Directors of the publishing company appoints a new editor-in-chief for EL PAÍS, the chairperson or CEOmust submit to the Journalists’ Committee any proposed nominee . If two thirds of the total census of the newsroom oppose the nomination, by means of a written argument, the Board will take this opinion into consideration, although it is not binding. This same procedure applies to appointments of deputy editors , section Pepa Bueno, Editor-in-chief of EL PAÍS PRISA Sustainability Report 2022 37 36 Committed governance