Statement of Independence

Statement of Independence

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian works independently to cover the UMass Amherst and greater Amherst community. As a student-run and operated staff, we strive to provide essential and in-depth information to educate the public of any newsworthy events surrounding the University of Massachusetts Amherst and town of Amherst in the interest of our audience. Thus, we first prioritize the upholding of ethical journalistic practices through our reporting. We use the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics as our guiding set of journalistic standards.

We are committed to an integrous journalistic process from start to finish. This also extends to audience transparency. In this respect, as stories are oftentimes ongoing, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian does its best to update readers on any policy changes, story corrections and other announcements via MDC’s website or social media. In the event of a factual error, we are quick to correct and remedy any errors if we were mistaken with our original, well-intentioned reporting. We encourage you to contact the Editor-in-Chief ([email protected]) and Managing Editor ([email protected]) to discuss any concerns regarding a possible error.

As MDC is an independent organization, we accept opinion submissions from the University of Massachusetts Amherst student body, in addition to letters to the editor from the public upon review from our editors, the content submitted aligns with our policies rooted in truth and public interest. We reserve the right not to publish an opinion submission. Opinion submissions should be 650-850 words at length, and all factual claims must be supported by sources. At the discretion of the editors, disclaimers may be placed on stories such as opinion pieces or columns to state that the opinions of the writer are solely their own. 

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian encourages respectful discourse and conversation surrounding any articles or content posted on our website and social media. Our social media comment sections on Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok are spaces in which we encourage such dialogue. The Daily Collegian reserves the right to remove any offensive comments.