Ahead of OU’s spring semester, I wanted to announce new initiatives and remind OU Daily readers of existing ones. As this publication has for over 100 years, I plan to lead our staff in keeping our community informed with high quality journalism.
Election coverage: This February, Normanites will head to the polls and cast their vote for mayor. OU Daily will cover this election thoroughly, which includes releasing a voter guide of candidates and their priorities. We’ll have live coverage on our website as results come in on election day.
We are joining forces with fellow media outlets NonDoc, News 9, The Norman Transcript and the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication to host a mayoral debate on Jan. 30. More details on this event will be announced in the coming days. The public must RSVP to attend this event using this link.
New AI policy: With the rise of artificial intelligence, OU Daily will continue to uphold our standards of accuracy, accountability and transparency. We also believe in the ethical use of AI, knowing that when carefully used, the technology can improve the work of our news and business staffs.
The Daily’s editorial board has written an AI policy, which will continue to evolve with the technology. The policy states our journalists will not use generative AI to replace traditional reporting. Under the current policy, advertising and marketing employees will not use such to replace traditional information gathering.
OU Daily will not publish pieces that were generated by AI or images generated or edited by AI platforms in accordance with this policy.
Video expansion: This semester, the Daily will take steps to expand our video content on our website and social media platforms. You’ll be able to access this content on our YouTube channel and most of our social media accounts, including Instagram and TikTok.
This expansion includes moving away from traditional podcasts and engaging in more short-form content, like this piece when did about our most recent winter storm. Expect to see story summaries and other vertical video content from our newsroom.
Obituaries: OU Daily has launched a community obituary section, housed under the news tab on our website. This initiative allows community members to submit obituaries, which run for free on our site, using this form.
Take-down policy: As a reminder, OU Daily has a take-down policy for people to appeal to have content removed from our site that affects their lives. Individuals may appeal to a newsroom committee to have names or articles removed if those works are unduly inhibiting their lives years after publication.
This policy is rooted in social justice, community service and furthering public trust. For more information on this policy or to apply to have a story removed, use this link.
Our standards: Ahead of the mayoral election and the 2025 session of the state Legislature, I’d like to take a moment to remind our audience of the OU Daily’s values and standards. All Daily staffers are held to professional media ethical standards, regardless of what they cover.
Staffers will not write stories that present conflicts of interest, such as interviewing someone they know personally, and will be transparent with their reporting methods. OU Daily staffers are also not allowed to donate or publicly endorse political candidates in any race or a political cause.
We aim to accurately and appropriately represent all views and sides in our work, and we will never distort or misrepresent facts. If you find an error in our coverage, use this form to report the error to the editorial staff. An editor will correct the mistake immediately.
I’m looking forward to the semester that lies ahead here at OU Daily. This newsroom is dedicated to serving OU’s campus and the greater Norman community in all that it does. Your continued engagement with our journalism is greatly appreciated.
With thanks,
Peggy Dodd, editor-in-chief 2024-25
