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Editorial Integrity Policy

WUTC is a non-profit, community-based radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate non-commercial frequencies as a public service of its licensee, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. WUTC broadcasts on FM 88.1 as well as WUTC-HD-1 and WUTC-HD-2, and maintains a digital presence through its streaming platforms wutc.org and the WUTC app as well as through social media. WUTC’s Station Manager reports directly to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Communications and Marketing at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The freedom of public media professionals to make editorial decisions without undue influence is essential. Public media organizations—such as WUTC—create and reinforce trust through rigorous, voluntary standards for the integrity of programming and services, fundraising, community interactions, and organizational governance.

Standards of integrity apply to all the content public media organizations produce and present, regardless of subject matter, including news, science, history, information, music, arts, and culture. These standards apply across all public media channels and platforms—broadcasting, online, social media, print, media devices, and in-person events.

WUTC operates in the public interest by serving the needs of its audience.

Through its presentation of essential news and eclectic music, every day WUTC works to provide educational opportunities to students and to enrich the community we have the privilege to serve. We strive to:

  • Contribute to our region’s civic, educational, and cultural life by presenting a range of ideas and cultures and offering a robust forum for discussion and debate;
  • Commit to accuracy and integrity in the pursuit of facts about events, issues, and important matters that affect communities and people's lives;
  • Prepare students for careers in radio and audio production through access to and creative use of learning media;
  • Aim for transparency in news gathering, reporting, and other content creation;
  • Protect the editorial process from the fact and appearance of undue influence, exercising care in seeking and accepting funds and setting careful boundaries between contributors and content creators;
  • Encourage understanding of fundraising operations and practices, acknowledge program sponsors, and disclose content-related terms of sponsor support;
  • Seek editorial partnerships and collaborations to enhance capacity, perspective, timeliness, and relevance and apply public media standards to these arrangements.
  • Expect employees to uphold public media’s integrity in their personal as well as their professional lives.
  • Promote the common good, the public interest, and these commitments to integrity and trustworthiness in organizational governance, leadership, and management.

WUTC is funded by a varied group of revenue sources including the University; federal and state governments; underwriting from agencies, corporations, foundations, and businesses; gifts and grants; minimal earned revenue, and with the single largest component coming from individuals who contribute to become members.