Editorial Standards

What we cover

We cover news, events, and community stories that are relevant to Johnson City and Washington County residents. A story earns its place by answering the question: would a Johnson City neighbor care about this?

What we don't cover

-National or state news unless it has a direct, specific impact on Johnson City

-Routine sports scores or game recaps unless the result is a championship or significant milestone

-Crime stories involving individuals unless there is clear community relevance

-Stories that are primarily promotional for a business — that's what the sponsor block is for

Accuracy

We do not publish specific dates, addresses, prices, or statistics we cannot verify. When details are uncertain, we direct readers to the source. We correct errors promptly.

Sources

We link directly to original source articles — not aggregators. We do not publish stories we cannot source.

PR pitches

We welcome story leads from PR professionals. Pitches are evaluated on reader relevance, not who sent them. Paid placement is available and separate from editorial coverage — one does not influence the other. This applies equally to nonprofits, community organizations, and businesses. Editorial coverage is based on reader relevance, not the nature of the organization.

Tone

Neighbor-to-neighbor. Conversational, honest, never corporate. We write like we're telling a friend what happened, not filing a report.

Corrections

If we get something wrong we say so clearly in the next issue.