Code of Ethics

Reporting on this site adheres insofar as possible to the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists. To read that code, click here.

I say “insofar as possible” because a chafing point exists between this blog and that code. It may be found in the dictum “Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.”

The purest form of journalism serves nothing but the cause of public knowledge. It has no friends, no enemies and in the words of the late, great Los Angeles Times writer David Shaw, “It is a business like no other.”

Or in my words, it is half Cary Grant, half Aristotle.

So it is important for readers to understand that I write from the perspective of a conservationist whose core conviction is that water is a finite and endangered natural resource whose best management is paramount to the public interest. Noble as that may sound, it’s a bias.

That said, I do not belong to any conservationist group, be it a local garden club or the Sierra Club. I do list events dedicated to water conservation, regardless of sponsor. These listings are compiled by me, and no funds, favors or goods are received for running them up every month. This site accepts no advertising.

Anonymous sources: Those commenting frequently use pseudonyms. Provided that their remarks are on point and fit to print, and they are not Trojan horses from the Spam-o-sphere, they will be published. However, reporting for this site and linking will only involve anonymous sources when I am satisfied that the source has a compelling reason to guard their identity.

In producing this site, every attempt to report fairly, accurately and in a timely fashion is made. For lack of an editorial board, I do allow myself freedom to editorialize. Those instances are obvious. I do occasionally stray from the bounds of good taste. Those instances are obvious, too. The central promise behind Chance of Rain is to report events as they seemed to me, whether I happen to like the facts or not.

Those who have complaints or corrections are urged to contact me at emily.green [at] mac.com. Mistakes or mis-representations will be corrected immediately.

Emily Green, Los Angeles, California

This page was originally published in August 2009 and was updated in January 2010. The passage about anonymous sources was added.