About Us

Three “tests” are applied to every segment of any educational/informational series we produce in order to determine editorial acceptability:

Editorial Control Test: Has the participant exercised editorial control? Could it?

Perception Test: Might the public perceive that the underwriter has exercised editorial control?

Commercialism Test: Might the public conclude the program is on television principally because it promotes the underwriter’s prod­ucts, services or other business interests?

Based on these fundamental principles, NLTV Studios has developed guidelines for the acceptance of program funding from third parties. These guidelines are intended to ensure:
•    That editorial control of programming remains in the hands of the producer;

•    That funding arrangements will not create the perception that editorial control had been exercised by someone other than the producer, or that the program has been inappropriately influenced by its funding sources; and

•    That the noncommercial character of the programming is protected and preserved.

Editorial Standards

Precision in editorial standards is especially difficult because it is impossible to articulate every criterion that might enter into the evaluation of the quality and integrity of particular content. Moreover, a criterion considered mandatory for straight news reporting may not always be appropriate for a documentary, dramatic or other type of program or content.
Content evaluation is an art, not a science; it requires professional judgments about the value of content in relation to a broad range of informational, aesthetic, technical, and other considerations. NLTV Studios task, therefore, is to weigh the merits of the content it acquires or produces, submitted to it or produced by its own staff and assure that, viewed in its entirety, the content it distributes strikes the best balance among these considerations. These Standards and Policies embody the goals of integrity and quality to which NLTV Studios aspires, recognizing that judgments about how these standards apply may differ depending on format or subject, and that not all content succeeds equally in satisfying all of these standards.
NLTV Studios recognizes that the producer of informational content deals neither in absolute truth nor in absolute objectivity. Information is by nature fragmentary; the honesty of a program, Web site, or other content can never be measured by a precise, scientifically verifiable formula. Therefore, content quality must depend, at bottom, on the producer’s professionalism, independence, honesty, integrity, sound judgment, common sense, open mindedness, and intention to inform, not to propagandize.
By placing its logo at the end of a program NLTV Studios makes itself accountable for the quality and integrity of the content. Editorial integrity encompasses not only the concerns addressed in these Standards and Policies, but also the concerns about improper funder influence and commercialism addressed in NLTV Studios funding and production guidelines. If NLTV Studios concludes that content fails to satisfy NLTV Studios overall standards of quality or any applicable journalistic standard or production practice, NLTV Studios may reject the content for distribution.

Fairness

Fairness to the audience implies several responsibilities. Producers must neither oversimplify complex situations nor camouflage straightforward facts. NLTV Studios may reject a participant or certain content if NLTV Studios believes that it contains any unfair or misleading presentation of facts, including inaccurate statements of material fact, undocumented statements of fact that appear questionable on their face, misleading juxtapositions, misrepresentations, or distortions.
To avoid misleading the public, participants of the series also should adhere to the principles of transparency and honesty by providing appropriate labels, disclaimers, updates, or other information so that the public plainly understands what it is seeing. For example, content that includes commentary, points of view, or opinion should be appropriately identified. Transparency also suggests producers maximize attribution of information and limit the use of anonymous sourcing to those cases when there is no alternative and the information is essential.
Producers should treat the people who are the subjects of, who appear in, or who are referenced in the content they produce with fairness and respect. NLTV Studios will reject content if, in NLTV Studios judgment, it unfairly treats the people or misrepresents their views. Fair treatment of individuals generally requires that a producer represent the words and actions of the people portrayed or identified in a way that presents their strongest case, and gives individuals or organizations that are the subject of attack or criticism an opportunity to respond. Fairness also requires that a producer be willing to consider all relevant information and points of view.

Accuracy

The honesty and integrity of informational content depends heavily upon its factual accuracy. Every effort must be made to assure that content is presented accurately and in context. Programs, Digital Content, and other content containing editorials, analysis, commentary, and points of view must be held to the same standards of factual accuracy as news reports. A commitment to accuracy and transparency requires the correction of inaccuracies and errors in a public and visible manner.
NLTV Studios may undertake independent verification of the accuracy of content submitted to it. Producers of informational content must exercise extreme care in verifying information, especially as it may relate to accusations of wrongdoing, and be prepared to correct material errors. NLTV Studios will reject content that, in its judgment, fails to meet NLTV Studios standard of accuracy.

Objectivity

Along with fairness and accuracy, objectivity is a third basic standard to which journalists are held and by which the guidelines have recognized NLTV Studios might be judged. While NLTV Studios holds all news and informational content to standards of objectivity, NextLevel TV Studios recognizes that other types of content may not have the objective presentation of facts as their goal.
Objectivity, however, encompasses more than news and information presented in a neutral way. It also refers to the process by which a work was produced, including work that involves analysis or, as a result of reporting, arrives at conclusions. To begin with, producers must enter into any inquiry with an open mind, not with the intent to present a predetermined point of view.

Balance

NLTV Studios seeks to present, over time, content that addresses a broad range of subjects from a variety of viewpoints. NLTV Studios may, however, choose to consider not only the extent to which the content contributes to balance overall, but also the extent to which a specific piece of content is fairly presented in light of available evidence.
Where appropriate, NLTV Studios may condition acceptance of content on the producer’s willingness to further the goal of balance by deleting designated elements or by including other points of view or material from which the public might draw conclusions different from those suggested by the content. Material to be added may range from a few words, to a complete content segment, to an added episode in a series of programs, to the production of an entirely separate, new program or new elements of digital content. Where NLTV Studios deems it appropriate, NLTV Studios may arrange for the production of additional content by a producer other than the producer of the original content material. For Digital Content, links to credible, high-quality, related resources may be used to provide access to additional information or viewpoints.
Based on these fundamental principles, NLTV Studios has developed guidelines for the acceptance of program funding from third parties. These guidelines are intended to ensure:
•    That editorial control of programming remains in the hands of the producer;

•    That funding arrangements will not create the perception that editorial control had been exercised by someone other than the producer, or that the program has been inappropriately influenced by its funding sources; and

•    That the noncommercial character of the programming is protected and preserved.