West Valley Post covers public decisions, development, business and community life in the West Valley and greater Phoenix. These standards guide the publication’s reporting.
Sources and verification
Reports should link to the records behind their central claims. We prioritize city and county documents, meeting agendas and vote records, agency notices, project plans and other original sources. Company announcements must be attributed. A company’s projection of jobs, investment or economic benefits remains a projection.
Coverage must distinguish a proposal, a staff recommendation, an approval, a funding commitment, construction and an opening. Dates, jurisdiction, location, amounts and project scope must be checked against the source material. An item on a meeting agenda does not establish that it passed.
Disputed claims require corroboration or clear attribution and context. Articles should explain significant gaps in the available record. We do not invent quotations, interviews, eyewitness observations or expert reactions.
News, analysis and opinion
News coverage reports verified developments and their local consequences. Analysis explains what the evidence suggests and identifies uncertainty. Opinion and advocacy must be clearly labeled so readers can recognize the author’s position. Political coverage must identify the relevant decisions, public records and competing claims fairly.
Editorial process
West Valley Post uses research, document-analysis and editorial tools to examine public records and local developments efficiently. The same standards for verification, attribution, source transparency, corrections and the distinction between confirmed facts, proposals and analysis apply throughout the publication process. West Valley Post is responsible for everything it publishes.
Articles should provide direct source links so readers can examine the underlying evidence. Research tools must not turn an inaccessible article, a search snippet or a secondary summary into an unsupported factual claim.
Photographs and illustrations
Images must have verified permission or a suitable license and include the required credit. Captions should identify archival photographs, artist renderings, representative images, composites and other illustrations. An illustration or rendering must not be presented as a photograph of an actual event or as an accurate project plan unless the source establishes that it is one.
Corrections and updates
Material factual corrections should carry a dated note explaining what changed. Substantial updates should identify the new information and preserve the original publication date. Typographical fixes that do not change meaning may be made without a correction note. An old story must not be given a new publication date simply to make it appear recent.
To flag an error, leave a comment on the relevant article identifying the disputed statement and, when available, the supporting document or link. Comments are moderated before appearing publicly.
Advertising and conflicts
Advertising, sponsorships and paid content must be clearly labeled. A financial or personal relationship relevant to a story should be disclosed. Payment must not be presented as independent editorial endorsement.