About us
Our story, policies and standards
The 818 Beat is a faculty-led but student-powered news lab based out of California State University, Northridge’s Journalism Department. Our mission is to serve as a voice and trusted source for the San Fernando Valley. The 818 Beat is committed to building relationships with the local community by reporting on stories most relevant for the residents and businesses located within the valley.
The 818 Beat aims to:
Inform through accurate, timely and relevant news.
Represent voices within the San Fernando Valley.
Connect the local residents with each other and their community.
Empower student journalists through hands-on newsroom experience
We believe that trust is the foundation of journalism, especially in a community as diverse as the San Fernando Valley. At The 818 Beat, we are committed to transparency in every part of our newsmaking process, from how we select stories to how we engage with sources and report correctly. Our goal is to foster a culture of accountability not just to the journalistic standards but to our audience.
We also value audience participation in shaping what we cover. All content, outreach, and partnerships will be guided by openness and responsive feedback from our audience. By inviting questions, suggestions, and community-generated story ideas, we position our audience not as passive readers but as active co-creators of local news.
What We Cover and Why
Our news outlet complements the many large, professional organizations that work hard every day to get out news and information about the Greater Los Angeles Area. Our students focus on the communities within the San Fernado Valley that are part of the City of Los Angeles. The content is created in classrooms under the direction of CSUN faculty, both to serve the community and to allow students to practice skills in particular areas.
The focus areas for now include:
- Profiles of people who shape the community
- High school sports, especially whole-season previews and player highlights
- Civic engagement through information about government meetings and decisions, community organizations and ways to participate
- Guides that help the community navigate issues large and small
Earning your trust
Ethics
We use the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, which is available with expanded guidance for each element. All reporting follows the central tenets that all journalists should:
We also try to live up to the highest standards and have added a few ideals that have been informed by professional publications’ policies, such as NPR, PBS, The New York Times, LAist, PolitiFact and Ground News.
Integrity
Journalists should:
– Make every attempt to get the information right
– Fact check their own work and post any corrections as soon as possible
– Be honest, with the audience and with sources
– Not accept any bribes or do anything that might make the public question their motives
Privacy
Journalists should:
– Work respectfully with sources to minimize harm that might come from publication
– Not fabricate or take out of context information given
Transparency
Journalists should:
– Make clear where all information came from and how it was obtained
– Accurately convey information as they understand it
– Be accountable for their work
Impartiality
Journalists should:
– Put the audience first in all decision-making
– Not give favored treatment to any source or side of an issue
– Not participate in advocacy or events when they are covering them
– Bring an open mind and a sense of curiosity to all conversations
Using AI
Our site uses the best of human reporting.
While artificial intelligence tools are pervasive in online environments, a human reporter collects and confirms all the facts and directly creates all of the content on the site. AI tools might be used for brainstorming, personalization in distribution, transcription or translation of interviews, grammar and spelling checks of writing, and creation of small graphics. All content is reviewed by faculty and AI-influences are reviewed. Any significant use of AI will be noted with the content, including disclosure of the generation of graphics or illustrations.
Finances
This site is a community service of the CSUN Journalism Department and the Mike Curb College of Arts Media and Communication. Community members and donors support the program and this media outlet directly. While advertising may be available alongside some content, it will never affect how the reporting is done or delivered.
Feedback
At The 818 Beat, we believe journalism is a two-way relationship, meant to be collaborative between the communities it serves. We are committed to being present within the San Fernando Valley, aiming to be a source that the local community finds easy to connect with. Our goal is to go beyond news coverage and build trust within the valley through ongoing communication. In efforts to accomplish this, the 818 Beat will regularly engage in audience interviews, feedback surveys, focus groups, as well as participate in and be present at local events. Through this, we hope to allow our audience to go beyond being readers but also participate in the news creation process.
You might see this through listening sessions in the community or direct interviews with people about the news and information needs for The Valley. Student journalists will be present at meetings and community events, and we will try to make ourselves visible. We want to hear what people who live, work and care about The Valley have to say, so walk up to a reporter or fill out an idea form on our website. We are listening!
Corrections and inaccuracies
We aim to get it right, and when we don’t, we fix it.
Our commitment at The 818 Beat is to accurate, fair and transparent journalism that serves our community in the San Fernando Valley. When errors occur in our reporting, we take responsibility by promptly correcting them and being transparent with our audience about the nature of those corrections.
For factual errors (such as misspelled names, incorrect dates, or misidentified individuals), we will publish corrections as soon as we become aware of them. These corrections will be clearly labeled at the bottom of the original article with the date of correction. For significant errors that fundamentally affect the meaning or accuracy of a story, we will publish a prominent correction at the top of the article, explaining what was incorrect and providing the accurate information. All corrected articles will be marked as “Updated” in the article or metadata to ensure transparency.
If a story changes over time, we will attempt a follow-up story or update the original story with a clear note.
We want your feedback and your ideas. Please, use the contact form to tell us what you want to see, where you think we might have gone wrong and what we can do better.