ACG Media Ethics Policy

At ACG our mission is to inspire individuals in the communities we serve through musical experiences of deep personal significance. We’ve seen that music can be transformative, reflective, and inclusive. We believe that music holds a powerful role in making our communities just and equitable. And we know that music can bring people together to create a better world.

In all of our media and storytelling, we hold the responsibility to share honest, inspirational, and beautiful experiences through proper permissions, respect, and empathy. 

As such, we abide by the following standards with all of our marketing and communication methods including, but not limited to, emails, social media, website, and blogs:

Permissions

  • We only post or share media of minors and students if parental permission media release forms have been signed and approved. 
  • We will apply the most rigorous permissions process before sharing identifiable media or information about the identity of the students in our juvenile detention center programs. 
  • We only post or share unpublished media and stories of artists and community members with their permission.
  • We will abide by HIPAA regulations for all individuals participating in Music and Healing programming. 

Respect

  • We actively share and celebrate stories of transformation and growth, but we do not exploit the traumas, personal identity, socio-economic status, etc. of any members of our community.
  • We avoid labels and stereotyping, as well as language that may seem limiting, demeaning, condescending, or overly simplistic.
  • We will respect the identities of our community members, such as gender pronouns.

Honesty

  • We will do our best to accurately portray the intent of community members who share their stories with us, and always make the opportunity available to them to edit stories in which they are featured.
  • We will not sensationalize stories, and we will avoid hyperbole.

Representation

  • The stories we share will include the voice of the highlighted persons where possible. 
  • We share our community members stories but we do not speak for them. 
  • ACG communications will work actively to represent the diverse and expanding communities engaged through ACG Education, Music & Healing, and Art.