About KING
KING 5 Media Group is the largest media company in the Pacific Northwest and consists of multiple broadcast and digital properties. KING 5 is one of the strongest, most trusted local news brands in the country, delivering the largest audiences across all screens among its peers in Seattle.
It all began November 25, 1948, when "Channel 5" aired a high school football game, becoming the first television station in the Pacific Northwest. Eight months later, Dorothy Bullitt, a local business woman, bought the station and began its tradition of quality local programming. As a broadcast pioneer and visionary, Mrs. Bullitt decided to change "Channel 5" to the call letters KING. As the use of television by audiences quickly grew, KING emerged as a station with a reputation of excellence, setting the standard for stations across the country. KING was the first station in the Northwest to telecast in color on July 1, 1954, and aired the first live, two-continent, three-nation debate via Early Bird Satellite. KING also aired an ambitious analysis and discussion of the Northwest's energy resources called "The Electrical Storm." This earned the station an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award, one of journalism's highest honors.
KING 5's journalistic excellence has never wavered. In recent years, KING 5 again won the DuPont-Columbia Award for "Waste on the Water," a 2011 investigation into the Washington State Ferry system. In 2014 the George Foster Peabody Award was awarded to KING 5 for its investigation into the Hanford nuclear facility. In 2015 KING 5 was awarded the national Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence and was again recognized in 2017 for with yet another national Murrow for its continuing coverage of the Hanford nuclear facility. In 2018, KING 5 won three national Edward R. Murrow Awards for feature reporting, excellence in video, and large market TV website.
In addition to local news, programs such as daytime talk show New Day Northwest and lifestyle and entertainment program Evening help KING 5 share local information about people, places and events that make the Northwest special.
KING 5's deep roots in the region inspire meaningful contributions to the community it serves. KING 5's community partners are non-profit organizations doing incredible work in medical research, social services, education, disease prevention, civic engagement and more. KING 5 recently was recognized with the National Association of Broadcasters' highest honor, the Service to America Award, for community service excellence.
KING 5 and KONG are community servants. We engage audiences, consumers and customers with impactful journalism, entertainment and that ideas allow them to better navigate their world.
About TEGNA
KING 5 is owned and operated by TEGNA Inc., an innovative media company that serves the greater good of its communities. Across platforms, TEGNA delivers relevant and trusted content by telling empowering stories, conducting impactful investigations and providing innovative and unparalleled solutions for advertisers through TEGNA Marketing Solutions. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com.
Mission and Coverage Priorities
MISSION
TEGNA's purpose is to serve the greater good of our communities.
We will provide the news and information that people need to function as effective citizens.
We will seek solutions as well as expose problems and wrongdoing.
We will provide editorial and community leadership.
We will seek to promote understanding of complex issues.
We will be advocates for our communities.
DIVERSE VOICES
At TEGNA, you will find people from all backgrounds, interests and abilities, united by a common purpose to make a difference in our work, our company and our community.
We are committed to making editorial decisions with input from a variety of voices that reflect our community. We seek sufficient understanding of the communities, individuals and stories we cover to inform the public. We are persistent in pursuit of the whole story.
DIVERSITY STAFFING REPORT
At TEGNA, we believe that attracting a talented and diverse workforce is one of the keys to our success. We strive to create for our employees an environment which offers professional and intellectual challenges, which encourages innovation and creativity, and which rewards success and effective teamwork. Read our latest EEO Diversity Report.
Ethics, Standards and Practices
ETHICS
TEGNA is committed to the highest ethical standards and dedicated to the principles of truth, independence, fair play and integrity. These principles apply to everything we do, from gathering content to reporting and producing content. Read TEGNA's Principles of Ethical Journalism.
TEGNA journalists observe the following principles:
INDEPENDENCE
We will remain free of outside interests, investments, business relationships or personal relationships that may compromise the credibility of our news reports.
We will seek to avoid potential conflicts of interest and promptly disclose any that arise.
We do not accept gifts, meals or entertainment from any individuals or organizations that may be covered by our stations.
We do not allow sponsors of news to determine, change or restrict content.
We do not make political contributions, participate in political advocacy or publicly share political views.
TRANSPARENCY
We are transparent about paid or sponsored content.
We clearly identify and differentiate commentary from news.
We will explain our journalistic processes to our audience.
PUBLIC INTEREST
We will uphold and defend the First Amendment.
We will be vigilant watchdogs of government and institutions that affect the public.
We will fight to insure the public's business is conducted in public.
FAIRNESS
We will treat people with dignity, respect and compassion.
We will be fair with people unaccustomed to dealing with the media. (*)
We will seek all sides relevant to a story.
(Also diverse voices)
INTEGRITY
We will act honorably, transparently and ethically in dealing with news sources, the public and our colleagues.
We will obey the law.
We will not skew facts, distort reality or sensationalize events (ETHICS).
We will not manipulate images or sound in misleading ways.
We will not present images that are reenacted without informing the audience.
We will use hidden cameras or similar techniques only if there is no other way to tell a significant story effectively, and only with news management approval.
We will respect the copyrights of others.
VERIFICATION & FACT-CHECKING
We report the news accurately, thoroughly and in context on all platforms. We vet sources, verify facts and challenge assumptions before reporting news. We hold factual information on all platforms to the same standards of accuracy.
We are honest. We do not mislead sources, story subjects or the public.
We attribute information received from others, and we are transparent with sourcing. We do not plagiarize.
We do not misstate our identity or intentions. We keep our word.
We do not intentionally slant the news.
We value being right over being fast.
UNNAMED SOURCES
We will use unnamed sources as the sole basis for reporting only as a last resort when it best serves the public's right to know, and only with prior news management approval.
CORRECTIONS
We will make corrections promptly and proportionate to the original reporting.
CONTACT US
MASTHEAD/EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP
Click here to meet our Editorial Leadership team
ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK
We value feedback from our community, including story ideas as well as comments and corrections on our coverage. Click on the appropriate link below to route your feedback to the correct team in our newsroom.
NEWSROOM CONTACT INFORMATION
Trust Project Participation
TEGNA is proud to be a participant in the Trust Project. The Trust Project is an international consortium of news organizations collaborating to use transparency to build a more trustworthy and trusted press. For more information visit https://thetrustproject.org/.
For all content licensing inquiries, please contact our representatives at TEGNA@nimia.com.