Effective date: April 2026
Paper Folds News exists to serve Tipton County with independent, accurate, and accountable local journalism. These standards guide every editorial decision we make. They are not aspirational — they describe how we actually work.
Independence
Paper Folds News operates as an independent LLC. No government body, political party, business, or advertiser has any say in what we cover, how we cover it, or what we publish. Editorial decisions are made solely by our journalists.
Advertisers receive no favorable coverage, no advance notice of stories, and no ability to kill or alter reporting. If a potential conflict of interest exists between an advertiser and a story we’re pursuing, we disclose it.
Accuracy
We verify information before publishing. We use multiple sources where possible. When a single source is used, we say so. We do not publish rumors. We do not speculate without clearly labeling it as such.
When we get something wrong, we fix it promptly and transparently. See our Corrections Policy.
Fairness
We give people we write about — especially when the coverage is critical — a genuine opportunity to respond before publication. We report what they say accurately, in context. We do not use quotes out of context to distort meaning.
We cover all communities in Tipton County, not just those with political access or social capital.
Transparency
We are transparent about who we are, how we’re funded, and what our limitations are. Our advertising and sponsorship disclosures are published. Our funding sources are disclosed. Our journalists are identified by name on their work.
We do not publish anonymously. If a source requests anonymity, we will consider it, but we will explain to readers why anonymity was granted.
Conflicts of Interest
Our journalists do not:
- Accept gifts, free travel, or other benefits from sources or potential sources
- Accept payment from entities they cover
- Publicly advocate for candidates, political parties, or ballot measures
- Cover stories in which they have a direct personal or financial stake
Personal Relationships
A personal relationship includes family members, close friends, romantic partners, business partners, and others with whom a journalist has a relationship that could reasonably create — or appear to create — a bias in coverage.
Tipton County is a small community. Some degree of connection between our journalists and local public figures is unavoidable, and we do not treat every family tie or friendly acquaintance as an automatic conflict. The standard is not zero connection — it is transparency and good judgment.
When a personal relationship exists with a source, subject, or public figure relevant to a story, the journalist discloses it to their editorial partner before reporting. Together they determine the appropriate response, which may include:
- No action, if the relationship is sufficiently distant and the story is routine
- A disclosure note in the published story, if the relationship is close enough that readers would reasonably want to know
- Recusal from the story, if the relationship is close enough that independent reporting is not possible
Distant family connections do not automatically require recusal, but do require disclosure to the editorial partner and a judgment call based on the nature and sensitivity of the coverage. When in doubt, we disclose to readers. A brief note such as ‘the reporter has a family connection to [name]’ is sufficient in most cases.
We document these disclosures internally so our decision-making is on the record.
Sources
We prefer named sources. We grant anonymity only when the information is of clear public interest and cannot be obtained any other way, and when the source would face genuine harm from identification.
We do not allow sources to review stories before publication. We may read back specific quotes for accuracy.
Sponsored Content and Native Advertising
We do not publish sponsored content disguised as editorial content. Any content produced in partnership with an advertiser or sponsor is clearly labeled as such, in a way that readers cannot mistake it for independent journalism.
Social Media
Our social media accounts represent Paper Folds News, not personal viewpoints. We apply the same editorial standards to what we post and share on social platforms as we do to what we publish on our site.
Corrections and Accountability
See our Corrections Policy for our full process. In brief: we correct errors promptly, label corrections clearly, and do not quietly alter published content without disclosure.
Contact
Concerns about our coverage or our adherence to these standards? We want to hear from you. Email us: news@paperfoldsnews.com.