Standards & sourcing
The rules we publish under — written down before you ever have to ask.
Where our reporting comes from
The Current reports from the public record: meeting agendas and minutes, official press releases, court dockets, public filings, and statements from public agencies. Every story links to the documents it is based on. We report what the record says, attribute it to the record, and link the record so you can check us.
How stories are produced
The Current is a technology-assisted newsroom. Stories are drafted from source documents using automated tools built for this purpose, then held to the standards on this page; anything naming a person is reviewed by the editor before it publishes. We byline stories to the desk that produced them — the Civic Desk, the Courts Desk and so on — rather than to an individual, because that is an accurate description of how the work is done. We do not publish under invented reporter names, we do not fabricate quotes or sources, and every factual claim traces to a document we link. Corrections are published at the top of the story, always.
An arrest is not a conviction
When we report charges from official releases or court records, we say "charged with" or "arrested on suspicion of" — never language that assumes guilt. Every named charge we publish creates a follow-up obligation: we track the case and report the outcome — dismissal, acquittal, or conviction — with the same prominence we gave the charge. A case update appears at the top of the original story.
What we don't publish
- No mugshots, even when agencies attach them to releases.
- No names of minors in criminal matters. Students are named only in positive or routine contexts — sports, honors, board recognitions.
- No speculation. If it isn't in a document, a docket, or an official statement, it isn't in the story.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, the correction appears at the top of the story, dated — not buried at the bottom. See our corrections page for the running record and how to request one.
Updates and takedown requests
We do not unpublish accurate reporting on public records. We do append case outcomes, note when matters are resolved, and update stories about expunged matters when provided with documentation. If a story about you is incomplete because the record moved on, tell us — completing the record is the job.
Contact
Corrections, tips, and records: reach the publisher through the contact information on this site. Every correction request gets a human response.