Independence | PBS Editorial Standards

Editorial independence is essential to serving the public interest and preserving the public’s trust. PBS must remain unwavering in its commitment to distributing content that exemplifies ethical and journalistic integrity rather than advancing commercial interests.  

This obligation is achieved through the good-faith professional judgment of producers and PBS staff and by carefully listening to the public. Content distributed by PBS must be free of undue influence from third-party funders, political interests, and other outside forces.

Additional guidance is provided in the PBS Funding Standards & Practices. Editorial independence gives producers the intellectual freedom to pursue and achieve the other core principles of Accuracy, Fairness, Transparency, Inclusiveness, and Accountability.