PBS Standards

The PBS Editorial Standards & Practices apply to all PBS content created with any emerging technology and distributed on any platform, including social media.

Examples of important best practices for implementing the Editorial Principles include:

Safeguard Public Trust

Producers must avoid engaging in public expression that could reasonably be perceived as undermining their ability to produce impartial content. Producers who are communicating with the public through official social media channels or specific program channels, or who hold themselves out as affiliated with PBS, must be cognizant that any beliefs or opinions shared on social media will inevitably reflect back on PBS. When producers engage on social media, they should use reasonable discretion and carefully consider whether their interactions have the potential to compromise PBS’s nonpartisan nature and the public’s trust. For this reason, producers should evaluate the social media accounts of their editorial staff to ensure that the independence and credibility of the content and the reputation of PBS is maintained.

Treat Errors Seriously on All Platforms

Mistakes and errors must be treated seriously on all platforms, including digital and social media. In the event of an error on social media, it is PBS practice to promptly put out a new post with the correct information and to clearly explain what was wrong with the prior post, while being vigilant about not spreading the original inaccuracy. In the interest of transparency, the audience also should be able to view the edit history of the post whenever possible, depending on the capabilities of the social media platform where the post occurred. It is generally not appropriate to simply delete the erroneous content without maintaining a public record in some manner, such as a screenshot or other acknowledgment. Because each platform requires a different approach to corrections, producers should consult a senior editorial manager to determine the best way to address the situation whenever receiving new information that indicates incorrect information has been distributed.

Exercise Civility

PBS encourages robust digital engagement with the audience to solicit and encourage diverse views and perspectives, particularly when the content at issue involves opinion or commentary. When engaging with the public, however, producers and PBS staff must avoid getting drawn into personal attacks or other angry exchanges. They should instead strive to facilitate a civil exchange of ideas and learning, with patience and respect, while seeing, hearing, and remaining open to different perspectives.

Vet Third-Party Content

If producers determine that using third-party content will inform and educate the audience, producers and PBS staff should be transparent about where the information came from, to what extent and how it was verified, and why they decided to include it. Third-party content includes, for example, content from non-PBS media sources and content created with generative AI tools. It also includes materials created by members of the public, including videos and images, eyewitness accounts of events, and social media comments.

News generally should only be reported from legitimate, bona fide sources (e.g., other news organizations such as the Associated Press) after exercising due diligence to verify that the information originated from an authentic account.

Producers should not assume that third-party content is accurate or authentic, and they should take reasonable steps to contextualize the content and to confirm its veracity. When using a video or photograph from a third party, producers and PBS staff should strive to ensure that it has not been manipulated — for example, by checking the metadata. When feasible, consider linking to the original source of the material. Whenever possible and appropriate, producers should seek permission from the originator of user-generated content for its use. 

If third-party content contains graphic or sensitive material, it may be appropriate to add a clear upfront disclosure or to simply not link to such content. Care also should be taken to ensure that the sharing of opinions and commentary is not viewed as an endorsement by PBS

Provide Adequate Context

When posting information, particularly information that is sensitive or contentious, producers and PBS staff should apply the same editorial standards as they do for all of their work, and evaluate whether particular distribution platforms allow for sufficient context. Producers should consider the availability of platform-specific tools to accurately convey information with the necessary context. 

Avoid Sensationalizing

While producers and PBS staff are encouraged to write clever and engaging posts, they must avoid sensationalizing content or providing misleading headlines to generate interest.

Apply Standards to Use of Generative AI and Other Emerging Technologies

Producers should use these standards as a guide for any use of large language models and other generative AI tools to create content. The core principle of independence requires that producers serve the public by never abrogating their fundamental editorial role to an outside party, including an artificial intelligence. If considering the use of such tools, producers are responsible for discussing with PBS Programming and Standards & Practices how doing so would further the educational public service mission and align with the standards. Assessments on the use of generative AI will depend in part on the genre of the content. While these tools may advance the educational mission of PBS if used thoughtfully for some genres, they cannot replace journalism and may not be appropriate for use in news programming, except of course to cover the capabilities of such technologies.