Editorial Guidelines
Our Editorial Guidelines apply to all Creators who submit original content. Failure to comply with the Editorial Guidelines may result in content being unpublished, account suspension, or termination.
Accuracy & Fact-Checking
Locals I Know prohibits the publication of deliberately misleading information. All Creators are responsible for fact-checking their own stories. Our editorial team may remove content that's not properly fact-checked.
Fairness
Creators should not intentionally omit information that helps provide the whole picture or adds vital context to understanding a story. Creators should be motivated to get as close to the truth as possible and only refer to an individual's race, gender, or sexuality if pertinent to the story.
Attribution
Creators must attribute the source unless the source lacks credibility. Referencing other reporting must be hyperlinked unless those sources are not credible. Creators who are recounting the experiences of others must never present the experience as their own.
Impartiality
Journalists should seek to avoid bias in their storytelling. The Impartiality policy does not apply to Creators who offer their opinions on local happenings, politics, restaurants, etc.
Fabrication
Falsifying information and presenting it as fact is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate account termination.
Quotations
Creators must accurately quote individuals, sources, and documents and never take words or actions out of context. Where quotes have been shortened for length, Creators should indicate that's the case by using ellipses.
Clickbait
The use of clickbait by Creators is prohibited. Clickbait is a headline that deliberately teases, misleads, or omits critical information to elicit clicks and does not accurately represent the article's content.
Prior Review from Sources
We prohibit Creators from sending stories to sources for approval before their publication. In some cases, a source is allowed to see a copy of her quotes, or a creator may send an excerpt to a source to ensure accuracy. However, sources should never get a final sign-off on a piece before publication.
Expertise
To represent yourself or a person as an expert in public health, medicine, academia, mental health, science, or other professions, we require proven expertise in the topic area and the appropriate professional licenses necessary for Creators to offer analysis.
Video
Videos deliberately manipulated to mischaracterize an event or subject are strictly prohibited. Contributors also may not edit videos so that content appears out of context and changes the meaning of the material. That Video Mag prohibits the use of video captured surreptitiously with malicious intent or in any manner that violates the law, including, but is not limited to, filming someone without their permission in an embarrassing or inappropriate environment. Deep fakes are prohibited unless they are the story's subject and are clearly labeled for the audience.
Photos
Cropping and minor adjustments to tone and color density are acceptable if it doesn't alter the photo's meaning. Cropping an individual out of an image to intentionally be misleading is prohibited. In pictures or video, Creators must blur the faces of minors unless the child's photo has been released by law enforcement or Creators obtain the parents' permission. We encourage Creators to blur alleged victims' faces in certain stories about sexual assault where the accuser wishes to remain anonymous.
Conflicts of Interest
Creators should avoid reporting on friends or family unless it is essential to telling a story. Creators should not accept gifts from sources of coverage. Creators should refrain from covering subject matter from which they would directly benefit. Creators must disclose conflicts of interest at the top of the story in such cases.