1 Background
The About Time Media Limited (About Time) Content Policy guides decisions about the content published on the About Time website and social media channels.
About Time’s national prison newspaper is written primarily by current and formerly incarcerated people, and is represented by writers and advocates from across Australia.
2 Target Audience
The About Time target audience is:
- current and formerly incarcerated people;
- family members and friends of current and formerly incarcerated people;
- people who provide services to current or formerly incarcerated people, such as those in the community services, legal and healthcare industries; and
- people interested in the criminal legal system.
To ensure About Time provides information that is relevant for the target audience, content is written to:
- educate;
- deliver relevant news updates;
- provide the target audience with a platform to share their stories and experiences; and
- provide hope for those who are, or have previously been, incarcerated.
3 How we source our content
3.1 Sources
Our content is sourced from:
- submissions from individuals who are incarcerated;
- submissions from individuals via email, post, our website or our social media platforms;
- volunteers;
- journalists;
- non-profit organisations that are reputable and well-known;
- law firms, including criminal law firms and personal injury law firms;
- healthcare workers;
- community organisations including those working in housing, health, and education;
- republished content from various platforms including Inside Time and The Prison Journalism Project; and
- other individuals and groups that About Time approaches for any purpose(s) related to the matters covered under this Content Policy.
3.2 Independence
Our paper is independent from Australian corrections authorities.
About Time works closely with non-profit organisations that are reputable and well known to make sure that the content is accurate and up to date, and will often link to more detailed information.
3.3 Code of ethics
About Time strives to uphold its professional ethical obligations in accordance with Australian Journalists' Association Code of Ethics 1994. This includes respect for truth, fairness, impartiality, and public's right to information.
4 Information we publish
4.1 What we publish
About Time publishes content such as:
- letters, which can be reflective, advice-based or profound, or writings about everyday life in prison. We note that the paper also publishes letters from people outside prison, including family and friends, and people who were formerly imprisoned;
- news articles and investigations, which are topical stories that will often be focused on prisons and criminal justice;
- spotlighting individuals' experiences with the criminal justice system;
- arts and culture covering the latest in sport, literature, film, media and the arts;
- health information that will help people inside stay physically and mentally healthy, including exercise programs, mindfulness training and useful recipes;
- legal content to avail people in prison of their rights and opportunities (but not legal advice);
- First Nations material dedicated to the unique experience of First Nations people and their interaction with the criminal justice system;
- educational content to assist readers in preparing for the outside, relying on the expertise of relevant organisations;
- creative contributions from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, including short-stories, poetry, creative non-fiction and art; and
- play material including jokes, cartoons, puzzles and a monthly quiz.
Please note that this list is non-exhaustive, About Time publishes a wide arrange of other materials, beyond what is listed here. Our aim is to offer diverse content that reflects many aspects of life connected to prisons and the criminal legal system. This includes various forms of written expression, informative articles on different topics relevant to our audience's needs, as well as artistic endeavours.
While care is taken in what About Time links to, About Time has no control over the content published on, or availability of, other websites.
4.2 Privacy
We are committed to observing standards of privacy in our journalistic activities that are equivalent to those contained in the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). For more information on how we handle information, please view our [Privacy Policy].
We will consider several factors, such as public interest and an individual's reasonable expectation of privacy, when deciding whether or not to publish certain information.
4.3 Where to request support
About Time provides a platform for individuals to recount their experiences in the justice system through story telling. If you need further support, help is available. The following services are available 24 hours a day:
- beyondblue: 1300 224 636;
- 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732;
- MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978;
- Lifeline: 13 11 14; or
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467.
4.4 What we won’t publish
About Time does not publish, share or link to content that we consider:
- sexually explicit, adult-themed or violence and gore, other than in the context of non-fiction content;
- compromises a person's privacy, personal details (except where permitted by the person to whom it relates) or otherwise contains confidential information;
- infringes upon copyright or intellectual property laws;
- features restricted, dangerous, illegal or terrorist content;
- attempts to promote spam;
- purports to deface, destroy or damage the digital presence of a feature to cause mischief;
- contains content that exploits or abuses children; or
- purports to impersonate, misrepresent or misinform readers.
5. Why and how About Time uses social media
About Time will use social media to:
- extend reach to the Australian criminal justice community;
- interact with readers;
- encourage peer-to-peer support;
- humanise the experience of individuals who have lived in, or are who are currently in incarceration;
- demonstrate thought leadership in criminal justice reform; and
- increase the accessibility and availability of information on About Time.
6 Maintenance
We maintain our content through a strategic blend of community engagement, volunteer contributions, and strict adherence to journalistic standards. The content is often sourced from a diverse pool of contributors including volunteers, industry experts, and community members. This approach ensures a wide range of perspectives and topics that resonate with our target audience.
Quality control measures are put in place via an editorial team that verifies the accuracy of information before it's published to maintain trust and credibility. We rely heavily on feedback from our target audience for continuous improvement and relevance.
7 Archive
We employ archival processes to safeguard and optimise the usability of our content over time.
We aim to digitise all content that we might publish to ensure its longevity and ease of access. Once digitised, the content is categorised and stored in content management systems equipped with search functionality for easy retrieval.
Periodic backups are performed to protect against data loss, while obsolete or redundant materials are periodically purged to maintain database efficiency.
We adhere to compliance with data preservation standards to ensure the long-term accessibility and readability of archived materials.
Effective:
December 2024
Last reviewed:
December 2024
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