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MISSION STATEMENT

Unleashed, the weekly teen section at the Yakima Herald-Republic, is written, photographed and illustrated by teens for teens. The mission of Unleashed is to:

Promote literacy, newspaper readership and careers in journalism, photojournalism and art.

Cultivate future generations of journalists, photojournalists, illustrators and newspaper readers.

Train, educate and support young journalists, photojournalists and artists.

Provide a voice, creative outlet and public forum for Yakima Valley youth.

HOW WE DO THAT

Unleashed is dedicated to maintaining journalistic integrity and providing information and coverage of issues, ideas and events affecting local teens.

We take seriously our freedom of speech and the responsibility that comes with it. We don't lie. We don't steal. We don't make things up. We also keep it clean, using Yakima Herald-Republic editor Sarah Jenkins' "grandmother standard": If you wouldn't say it in front of your grandmother, don't put it in the newspaper.

But we don't shy away from controversial topics and asking difficult questions. We seek the truth. We strive for accuracy. When we do make mistakes, we admit them and promptly correct them. We are accountable to the public. We aim to help our peers and adults get to know today's young people and what's important to us, start conversations and spark debate, and produce content that fairly reflects the communities in which we live, schools we attend and subjects we cover.

We aspire to create a sense of community and understanding through truth and storytelling.