Editorial Charter
The constitutional framework governing editorial independence, authority, and ethics at Bengal Gazette.
This Charter establishes the editorial governance framework of Bengal Gazette — an independent investigative news agency operating on a Zero-Secret principle. All institutional interactions, editorial decisions, and accountability processes are open, traceable, and publicly auditable.
Article I — Institutional Identity
Bengal Gazette is an independent investigative news agency drawing its name and mandate from Hicky's Bengal Gazette (Calcutta, 1780) — South Asia's first printed newspaper. In the tradition of James Augustus Hicky, who faced suppression, prosecution, and imprisonment rather than compromise his editorial independence, Bengal Gazette carries forward a fearless, evidence-based journalistic mandate across South Asia.
Article II — Zero-Secret Principle
Bengal Gazette operates under an absolute mandate of public transparency and accountability. The agency rejects private or covert informational buffering. All institutional interactions, collaborative overtures, and project proposals are logged within an open, traceable public system accessible at verify.dgmpl.co.uk.
Transparency tracking does not disclose sensitive operational metadata or unverified individual identities — thereby satisfying the data minimisation principle under UK GDPR while maintaining full institutional openness.
Article III — Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions shall be made independently of all external influence. No political party, government authority, corporate sponsor, donor, advertiser, or advocacy organisation may determine, direct, delay, or suppress editorial outcomes.
- No commercial revenue consideration shall influence publication decisions.
- No funder or partner may condition support on editorial outcomes.
- The Editor-in-Chief holds ultimate editorial authority over all published content.
Article IV — Ethical Firewall
Bengal Gazette maintains a formal ethical firewall separating its investigative journalism from any associated commercial activities. The editorial team operates with full independence. No commercial client information may influence coverage decisions.
Article V — NGO & Civil Society Engagement
Prior to initiating field operations or deploying independent contributors to specific investigations, Bengal Gazette executes a formal cross-examination of institutional charters. The agency aligns its Editorial Charter with the Code of Conduct of targeted partner organisations to ensure mission compatibility.
All NGO engagement follows the MoU Move Process — a strict, legally auditable three-phase workflow:
| Phase | Action Protocol | Public Status |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Registration | A formal project proposal is filed, generating a unique credential reference under the BG/LG/ directory. | Proposal Logged |
| Phase 2: Formal Notice | An official dispatch is sent to the target NGO with the reference code and a direct link to the public tracker. | Awaiting Response |
| Phase 3: Final Disposition | The NGO formally accepts or rejects the mandate within a 72-hour review window. | Active / Audit |
Article VI — Source Protection
Source protection is a core institutional obligation. The identity of confidential sources shall never be disclosed without their informed consent, except where legally compelled after exhausting all available legal protections. Special category data processed for investigative journalism is handled under the journalistic exemption — DPA 2018 Section 26.
Article VII — Right to Reply
Every individual or institution named in a Bengal Gazette investigation is given a formal opportunity to respond before publication. A minimum 7-day response window is provided. All responses — or the fact of non-response — are recorded in the public Right to Reply Tracker and included in the published investigation.
Where an institution declines to cooperate on a verified public-interest investigation, Bengal Gazette may initiate an Institutional Ethical Audit documenting how the refusal violates the institution's own declared charter and public-interest obligations. The subject is afforded a full Right to Reply before publication of any audit report.
Article VIII — Legal Framework
This Charter and all editorial obligations arising under it are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Bengal Gazette's operations comply with:
- UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018 — data minimisation, journalistic exemption (Section 26)
- Defamation Act 2013 — public interest defence (Section 4)
- Contempt of Court Act 1981 — source protection
- Human Rights Act 1998 — Article 10, freedom of expression
Document Reference: DGM/ED/GAZETTE/2026/001 · Version 1.0 · Issued: June 2026 · Verify at verify.dgmpl.co.uk