To rate the organizations’ transparency, the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda examined give categories: willingness to correct mistakes, receptivity to reader criticisms, openness about ownership, editorial policies, and conflicts of interest.

According to the report, most journalists have a very insular outlook for their profession and are reluctant to explain their information and sources.  In addition, news outlets are slow to admit mistakes and oftentimes do not willingly share their policies on journalistic and ethical guidelines.

Overall, the group found that print news media tended to be more transparent than broadcast, with some exceptions. Those with the highest degree of transparency were The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC News, CBS News, The Christian Science Monitor, and National Public Radio.

Time Magazine, CNN, ITN, Sky News, and Al Jazeera ranked worst for transparency.

Five newspapers, NPR, and CBS were the only news outlets that have an ombudsman to act as a liaison with the public, and only 11 of the 25 clearly post story corrections.

“Transparency is essential because it’s inextricably tied to credibility,” explained Susan Moeller, director of the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda.  She added that although transparency does not necessarily ensure accuracy, it is crucial that news outlets acknowledge when they have made mistakes and establish a policy for corrections if they hope to gain the trust of their audience.

Source: Chicago Tribune through the Project for Excellence in Journalism