Editorial Policy

Story Selection

We prioritize stories according to relevance, public interest, usefulness, timeliness, available evidence and impact on Farmington, Farmington Hills, Oakland County or Michigan.

National stories receive priority when they have a meaningful Michigan connection.

Source Standards

Primary sources are preferred where appropriate. These may include public records, legislation, government documents, official datasets, regulatory materials, court records, company filings, technical documentation, research and direct interviews.

Official statements establish what an organization says. They do not automatically establish that every claim in the statement is independently verified.

Secondary reporting may be used for context, discovery or confirmation. Important or disputed claims should be traced to stronger underlying evidence when reasonably possible.

Anonymous Sources

Farmington Voice rarely uses anonymous sources.

An unnamed source may be considered when the information is materially important, the editorial team knows the source's identity and basis of knowledge, there is a legitimate reason anonymity is necessary, and the information cannot reasonably be obtained on the record.

Additional details are provided in our Unnamed Sources Policy.

Fact-Checking

Writers and editors should verify material factual claims using sources appropriate to the subject. Particular attention is given to names, dates, statistics, quotations, financial figures, election information, regulatory status and other consequential details.

Our detailed process is described in the Fact-Checking Policy.

Fairness and Right of Response

Farmington Voice seeks to represent sources accurately and distinguish facts from allegations, estimates, opinion and prediction.

When serious allegations are made about identifiable people or organizations, we may seek a relevant response before publication when practical and appropriate.

News, Analysis, Opinion and Other Labels

Where useful, content should be identified according to its editorial form. Labels may include News, Analysis, Explainer, Guide, Review, Ranking, Methodology or Opinion.

Farmington Voice does not currently publish sponsored editorial-style articles. If that practice changes, commercial content must be clearly distinguishable from independent reporting.

Reviews and Rankings

Farmington Voice may occasionally publish reviews, comparisons, guides or rankings when a structured evaluation provides useful information.

Relevant methodology should be understandable to readers. Advertisers cannot purchase positive conclusions, review scores or favorable editorial ranking positions.

Paid visibility does not determine editorial ranking position.

YMYL and High-Impact Subjects

Some Farmington Voice coverage concerns health, public safety, law, taxation, finances, housing, employment, benefits or elections. These subjects require additional caution in sourcing and wording.

Farmington Voice reporting is informational and is not personalized medical, legal, financial, tax, investment, mental-health or other professional advice.

AI Use

Farmington Voice currently limits AI use to selected illustrative or graphical images.

AI is not currently used for editorial drafts, translations, article summaries or source monitoring. AI-generated images must not be presented as authentic documentary photographs of real events.

Human editors remain responsible for editorial judgment, verification and publication.

Corrections

Verified factual errors may be corrected, clarified or substantively updated. Corrections are based on evidence, not commercial, political or personal pressure.

Correction requests may be sent to corrections@farmingtonvoice.com.