Editorial Policy

Limelight conducts its journalism in accordance with the general principles of the Australian Press Council and the MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics.

Our first mission is to tell the truth as nearly as the truth may be ascertained, and to tell it so far as we can learn it.

The publication’s duty is to its readers and to the public at large, not to the private interests of its owners. It shall not be the ally of any special interest, but shall be fair and free in its outlook on public affairs and public individuals.

Our general principles are as follows:

Limelight will ensure that factual material in news reports and elsewhere is accurate and not misleading, and is distinguishable from other material such as opinion. We will provide a correction or other adequate remedial action if published material is significantly inaccurate or misleading.

All Limelight’s journalists are committed to fairness. Fairness results from a few simple practices: No story is fair if it omits facts of major importance or significance. Fairness includes completeness. No story is fair if it includes essentially irrelevant information at the expense of significant facts. Fairness includes relevance. No story is fair if it consciously or unconsciously misleads or even deceives the reader. Fairness includes honesty. No story is fair if it covers individuals or organisations that have not been given the opportunity to address assertions or claims about them made by others. Fairness includes diligently seeking comment and taking that comment genuinely into account.

Limelight will avoid intruding on an individual’s reasonable expectations of privacy, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest. We will avoid causing or contributing materially to substantial offence, distress or prejudice, or a substantial risk to health or safety, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest.

Limelight will avoid publishing material which has been gathered by deceptive or unfair means, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest. We will ensure that conflicts of interest are avoided or adequately disclosed, and that they do not influence published material.

Critiquing art is a necessarily subjective undertaking, but it is equally a practice that demands rigour and skill. We expect of ourselves that the work we produce will be informed, honest and independent.

These principles are meant to guide Limelight’s journalism as we deliver news and information in a rapidly changing environment. We consider these guidelines to be a “living document” that we will continually modify and update based on feedback from our journalists, from our readers, and from our changing needs.

Limelight’s editorial policy serves our purpose to advance and celebrate classical music and the performing arts.

Last updated on 1 June, 2020.