MEDIA_ETHICS_STATEMENT.md

# Media Ethics Statement

Federal FOIA Intelligence Search is designed to support **ethical journalism,
academic research, and public-interest investigation**.

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## Guiding Ethics

This project adheres to principles aligned with:
- Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
- Nieman Lab research standards
- Academic transparency norms

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## Core Commitments

### Accuracy
- Citations always link to primary sources
- AI outputs are labeled and bounded

### Transparency
- No hidden automation
- No opaque data processing
- Clear provenance for every result

### Accountability
- Users retain responsibility for verification
- AI is never authoritative

### Harm Minimization
- No private individuals indexed
- No inference or profiling tools
- No amplification of unverified claims

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## AI-Specific Ethics

- AI is assistive, not determinative
- AI is opt-in, not default
- AI is auditable, not opaque

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## Editorial Independence

This application:
- Is not affiliated with any government agency
- Does not promote political positions
- Does not prioritize or suppress sources

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## Misuse Prevention

The design explicitly discourages:
- Sensationalism
- Automated reporting
- Data laundering
- Citation abuse

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## Final Statement

> Transparency must empower the public without distorting truth.