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 Public News Service is a member of The Trust Project.
The Trust Project is a global consortium of news organizations that implement standards of transparency, called Trust Indicators, to help audiences evaluate the quality, integrity and reliability of journalism.
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Ethics policy

We are committed to accurate, fair and complete reporting that prioritizes perspectives that have often been excluded from mainstream media coverage.

These policies guide our journalism as we deliver news and information in a rapidly changing media environment. These guidelines are dynamic; we will continually modify and update based on feedback from our journalists, readers and staff. Because the circumstances under which information is obtained and reported vary widely from one case to the next, these guidelines should not be understood as establishing hard and fast rules or as covering every situation that might arise.

Diverse Voices Statement - You Are Invited

The complex issues we face as a society demand different perspectives. For Public News Service, this means including a wide variety of voices from all backgrounds as sources and staff. Whether our differences are visible or private, all are welcome, regardless of ethnicity, age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability or experience in the judicial system. Our reporting focuses on critical issues that receive too little attention and help lift up marginalized voices that too often go unheard. We recognize that news outlets can, and have, caused harm, regardless of their intention, and so we invite you to tell us about any and all issues that you believe should be publicly examined or ways we can better represent your community.

Staffing Report

Percentages are based on 22 total survey responses. The numbers include full-time and part-time editorial staff, full-time non-editorial staff and part-time interns.

Public News Service Corrections Policy

Public News Service prioritizes accurate and factual news. We strive to promptly correct any errors in material published on audio and digital platforms. If a substantive correction or clarification is needed in a story (i.e., not a typo or something that doesn’t change the story in a factual way), we note the change at the top of the original story and at the end of the audio package. The decision to substantively change a story is most often made in consultation with the reporter and editor on shift, depending on the time of day this comes to our attention.

When we publish incorrect information on social networks, we will correct it on that platform.

To report corrections and clarifications contact:
• Phone: 303.448.9105
• E-mail: info@publicnewsservice.org

Please indicate which specific story and the date published in your message.

Founding Date/Ownership Structure

PNS was founded by Lark Corbeil in 1996. It is currently owned by Josh Wise and Aspen Strategies LLC.

Editorial Policy/Funding

We are funded by grants, gifts and memberships from nonprofits, individuals, corporations and foundations. Over 400 organizations contribute to fund the news services, which are independently operated by professional journalists. We solicit support for subject areas in which we have an interest.

We recognize the possibility that those who fund any medium may seek to influence its content. Therefore, we have instituted policies to ensure that our practices and content conform to common journalistic standards. As with any other objective news medium, there is a "wall" between the news and fundraising functions. Our producers and editors practice attribution, fairness and balance. All supporters are given the explicit understanding that editorial content and control is entirely under the authority of PNS staff.

All of our supporters are listed publicly. If an active funder is quoted in a story, that is disclosed. Where we have major funding to cover a specific issue area, for example from larger foundations, that will be noted on the print and audio versions. All contributions and memberships are pooled. Given that resources are simply "stretched" as far as possible, an individual story will be labeled as "Underwritten" when we are clear we would not choose to do the story, or do it the same way, absent the specific funding.

Mission and Coverage

We are an independent news service supporting local newsrooms through trusted news that lifts up voices of justice, compassion and solutions to help better engage and inform their communities.

A big part of our mission is equity in local news. Our original content is state-level and issue-oriented news, not political or "gotcha" stories, and we aim to raise the level of public dialogue by focusing on historically under-represented voices and perspective.

In any individual story, we're looking to understand the conflict underlying the conflict, not "he said/she said" reporting that creates division, leaves the audience wondering who's lying, or worse, actively turned off to learning more.

We train our editorial team to practice "Polarity Management" and what we call "Deep Balance," the idea that many conflicts are based on polarities that can be respectfully understood and managed, rather than problems that can be "correctly solved" - for example, how do we balance individual responsibility versus collective, or a community's short-term versus long-term needs?

When solutions require balancing many sides of a complex equation, and on a daily news cycle that is fast-paced and often superficial and sensational when communities need more thoughtful deliberation, we seek to include the voices of the quieter, more thoughtful and less powerful.

On a day-to-day basis we reach out to hundreds of grassroots organizations who keep us informed on a cross-cutting range of social justice, environmental and economic issues.

Public News Service is independent and collaborative. We partner with news outlets, journalism schools, our members, and the social change field at large, to develop stories, connect with sources, and ensure high quality news gets out to a geographically, demographically, and ideologically diverse audience.

Verification Standards

Public News Service commits to do its best to publish accurate information across all of its content. We take many steps to ensure accuracy: We investigate claims with skepticism; question assumptions; challenge conventional wisdom; confirm information with experts; and seek to corroborate what sources tell us by talking with other informed people or consulting documents. We verify content, such as technical terms, stats, etc., against source documents or make clear who is providing the information. We may share relevant components of a story with a primary source or an outside expert to verify the information and/or confirm that sources are quoted correctly.

We stand by the information as accurate, and if it's not, we will change it as quickly as possible and be transparent with our readers about the magnitude of the error.

We guide our journalists to ask the following questions when they double-check information in a quest for the truth.

• How do you know?
• How can you be sure?
• Where is the evidence?
• Who is the source, and how does the source know?
• What is the supporting documentation?

If you believe any information about our stories to be inaccurate, please email editors@publicnewsservice.org and include the link to the story in question.

Unnamed Source Policy

Public News Service does not publish stories with unnamed sources, with the following exception: In rare cases, the names of interviewed sources may be withheld to protect people in sensitive situations where using their name could endanger their livelihood or life. If we use an unnamed source, we will inform our readers as much as we can about why our unnamed sources deserve our confidence in the footnote of the story.

Actionable Feedback: Contact Point

You are a frontline witness, and your insights help shape our stories and the possibilities of reimagining equitable public safety, civil rights, politics, health, housing, social movements, schools, immigration, culture, energy, and conservation - the list goes on. We invite your comments and complaints on news stories, and suggestions for issues and events to cover or sources to consult. We believe that news organizations have a responsibility to center the interests of our communities on the values, issues and ideas of the day, and we need your help to fulfill that commitment.

Contact with the editorial staff: Public News Service stories on the web appear with a byline of each respective journalist. By selecting the journalist's name, it leads to a bio and/or contact email. Please contact either an individual reporter, or if you wish to communicate more generally with the editorial staff of Public News Service, please contact us directly through pnseditors@publicnewsservice.org.

Good practices: If you have a comment regarding our editorial process or the coverage of a news item, we invite you to tell us about it at goodpractices@publicnewsservice.org.

You can help us develop a story or news coverage line, answer questions a story may raise, identify related or uncovered issues, and teach us about new sources, experts, and diverse perspectives. If you have a story that deserves or needs to be told, please contact us directly through pnseditors@publicnewsservice.org.

Third Party Ad Networks

We use third parties such as network advertisers to serve advertisements on our Site and on third-party websites or other media (e.g., social networking platforms). This enables us and these third parties to target advertisements to you for products and services in which you might be interested. Third-party ad network providers, advertisers, sponsors and/or traffic measurement services may use cookies, JavaScript, web beacons (including clear GIFs), Flash LSOs and other tracking technologies to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalize advertising content to you. These third-party cookies and other technologies are governed by each third party’s specific privacy policy, not this one. We may provide these third-party advertisers with information about you.

Users in the United States may opt out of many third-party ad networks. For example, you may go to the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) Consumer Choice Page for information about opting out of interest-based advertising and their choices regarding having information used by DAA companies. You may also go to the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) Consumer Opt-Out Page for information about opting out of interest-based advertising and their choices regarding having information used by NAI members.

Opting out from one or more companies listed on the DAA Consumer Choice Page or the NAI Consumer Opt-Out Page will opt you out from those companies’ delivery of interest-based content or ads to you, but it does not mean you will no longer receive any advertising through our Site or on other websites. You may continue to receive advertisements, for example, based on the particular website that you are viewing (i.e., contextually based ads). Also, if your browsers are configured to reject cookies when you opt out on the DAA or NAI websites, your opt-out may not be effective. Additional information is available on the DAA’s website at www.aboutads.info or the NAI’s website at www.networkadvertising.org.

Privacy Policy

Public News Service operates a website, found at www.publicnewsservice.org; operates several social media accounts; delivers news and other content via email; and makes the same or similar content available to mobile users. Our Privacy Policy applies when you use any of these Services. It describes the kinds of information we may gather when you use the Services, how we use your information, when we might disclose your information, and how you can manage your information.

By visiting and/or subscribing to Public News Service, you are accepting the practices described in our Privacy Policy, including our use of cookies and similar online tools. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not use our Services.

What information do we gather about you?

The information we gather falls into two categories: Non-identifying tracking information collected as you navigate through our site, and personal information you voluntarily supply when you subscribe, contribute, complete a survey, or provide your email address.

Log Data

When you visit our website, our servers may automatically log the standard data provided by your web browser. This data is considered “non-identifying information,” as it does not personally identify you on its own. It may include your computer’s Internet Protocol (IP) address, your browser type and version, the pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on each page, and other details. This information is used for internal purposes only.

Personal Information

If you choose to subscribe, Public News Service will send you a daily email of stories. This data is considered “identifying information,” as it can personally identify you. We request personal information relevant to providing you with our email newsletters, and only use it to help provide or improve this service. This is a voluntary service we offer — you are not required to provide your email address or sign up for our email newsletters.

Public News Service complies fully with the federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. We will not share, sell, rent, swap or authorize any third party to use your email address. If you feel you have received an email from us in error, please contact info@publicnewsservice.org

Our policy does not apply to websites maintained by other companies or organizations to which we may link or who may link to us. We are not responsible for the actions and privacy policies of third party websites.

Voluntary Information for Contributions

Contributing to fund our work is a voluntary action and no user is required to provide this information to navigate the Public News Service site and content. You are not required to submit personal information to use this site, but if you choose to make a contribution to Public News Service, we will request the following information in order to process your payment:

Cardholder Name
Credit Card number, expiration date and CVC code
Billing address, including ZIP code
Email address
Phone number (optional)

None of your personal financial data, including credit card numbers and other identifying information, is housed on Public News Service’s servers, nor is it retained or re-sold for commercial use. Records are maintained through third-party point-of-sale systems (PayPal) to enable recurring contributions when authorized by you, the user, and to contact you should an issue arise with payment. Recurring contributions can be cancelled at any time by emailing info@publicnewsservice.org.

How we collect information

Cookies

As is standard practice on many websites, Public News Service uses “cookies” and other technologies for legitimate interests to recognize you to help us understand which parts of our website are the most popular, where our visitors are going and how much time they spend there. We use Google analytics to do some of this collection. We reserve the right to change the vendors who provide us with usage data.

Use of information

We may use a combination of identifying and non-identifying information to understand who our visitors are, how they use our services, and how we may improve their experience of our website in future. We use the IP address log in an aggregate fashion to track access to, and analyze usage of, our site.

Public News Service will not sell, rent, swap or authorize any third party to use your email address without your permission. You can unsubscribe to our emails at any time.

What do we do with the information we gather about you?

PNS may collect personal information from our users in connection with voluntarily visiting our site. Data may be collected on our website, on the phone, or via email. Readers are primarily contacted via email, with daily news updates, but may occasionally be contacted by telephone or mail. All survey data is reported and/or used in aggregate form only, and no personally identifiable information is released.

Statistical Analysis         

Public News Service may perform statistical, demographic and marketing analyses of subscribers.

Email & Newsletters

If you provide your email address as a donor or subscriber, Public News Service will send you daily email news stories if you request. PNS reserves the right to send you occasional promotional emails, fundraising campaigns and occasional events or development related to our work. You may opt out of these emails at any time. If you feel you have received an email from us in error, or want to unsubscribe at any time, please contact info@publicnewsservice.org.

Account and Service-Related Email

Public News Service reserves the right to send you email relating to your account status. This includes alerts, confirmations, notices of account problems, other transactional emails and notifications about major changes to our website and/or to our Privacy Policy. If you would like to stop all communications from PNS, please email info [at] publicnewsservice.org with your name, address, and any specific information to help us identify what you want and do not want. If you have registered for online discussions or other services, you may receive email specific to your participation in those activities.

Survey Email

We may send you an email inviting you to participate in user surveys. User surveys greatly help us to improve our website and any information we obtain in such surveys will not be shared with third parties.

Emails From You

If you send us email, you should be aware that information disclosed in email may not be secure or encrypted and thus may be available to others. We suggest that you exercise caution when deciding to disclose any personal or confidential information via email. Please do not send credit card information via email. This is better conveyed via a secure form on our website or over the phone to our Customer Service representatives. We will use your email address to respond directly to your questions or comments.

Data Security

We use reasonable precautions to protect our users’ personal information (e.g. addresses and emails) and to store it securely.

Although we take appropriate measures to safeguard your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. To further protect your data, we recommend that you use complex passwords for your accounts with us and for accounts with third parties that you link to any of your accounts with us. Please do not use the same passwords you use for your account with us for other services or share your password with unauthorized people. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, please immediately notify us in accordance with the “Contact Us” section below.

Financial Information

Public News Service does not collect or store financial information (e.g. credit card numbers) from our website since we process transactions through PayPal. PNS reserves the right to change vendors.

Users in the EEA and Switzerland

If you are a resident of the EEA or Switzerland, the following information applies with respect to personal data collected through your use of our Services.

Purposes of processing and legal basis for processing: We process personal data consistent with our disclosures in this Privacy Policy. We process personal data on the following legal bases: (1) with your consent; (2) as necessary to perform our agreement to provide Services (such as when you become a Subscriber); and (3) as necessary for our legitimate interests in providing the Services where those interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms related to data privacy.

Transfers: Personal data we collect may be transferred to, and stored and processed in, the United States or any other country in which we or our affiliates or processors maintain facilities. We will ensure that transfers of personal data to a third country or an international organization are subject to appropriate safeguards.

Your Rights: You are entitled to the rights under Chapter III of the EU General Data Protection Regulation or Section 2 of the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection with respect to the processing of your personal data, which include the right to access and correct and to request erasure of personal data. To exercise these rights, contact info@publicnewsservice.org and provide as complete a description of your request as possible.

Children Under 18

We do not intentionally collect any personally identifiable information from individuals under the age of 18, and we will make every effort to delete any details of such users where a parent or guardian has informed us that these details have been collected.

Who We Are:  Contact Us

Public News Service
PO Box 40143
St. Paul, MN 55104
Phone: 303.448.9105
Email: info@publicnewsservice.or

For help, email: info [at] publicnewsservice.org

Changes to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be amended from time to time. Any such changes will be posted on this page so you should check here from time to time.

Here's how you can reach us: info@publicnewsservice.org