PUBLISHER TRANSPARENCY
Editorial standards
These standards govern NorthArkNow's automated local-news workflow.
Accuracy before speed
We publish only when the story package has sufficient source material, a stable publication time, a relevant image, audio and video. We do not knowingly invent quotations, people, dates, motives or events. Thin source material should remain a short brief rather than being padded.
Attribution and provenance
Facts should be attributed to the agency, document, official or reporting organization that supplied them. When another publisher's reporting is used, the article page identifies and links to that publisher. A rewrite is not represented as independent eyewitness or interview reporting.
Public safety and fairness
Arrest and charge reports describe allegations, not guilt. Vehicle crashes are not classified as crime merely because law enforcement responded. Obituaries are excluded. Missouri-only stories are excluded unless they have a direct Arkansas connection. Duplicates are consolidated.
Images and video
Source photographs are used only when they appear relevant to the reported event. Generated or representational visuals must not portray an identifiable real person as a suspect or victim, fabricate documentary evidence, or imply that an illustration is a photograph of the event. Maps and street views provide geographic context, not evidence.
Automation
NorthArkNow uses automated systems for collection, classification, drafting, audio, imagery and video. Automation does not excuse factual error or unclear sourcing. Readers are encouraged to report errors and source concerns through our corrections process.
Updates
Publication dates remain the original publication time. A story may receive a modified time when meaningful information is added, but stories are not artificially refreshed simply to appear new.