Editorial Standards

Last reviewed 2026-08-14.

Westlake News is a member of the Nexcom Media Network and adheres to these editorial standards in every article and editorial decision.

1. Accuracy

Every article is traceable to an attributed source; our systems summarize only what the cited source reports, and editors correct the record when errors are found.
Statistics, dates, and quotes reflect what the cited source reported; we link to that source so readers can verify the original.
Headlines must accurately summarize the article body; sensational, misleading, or click-bait headlines are not permitted.
When facts are disputed or under investigation, we say so explicitly.

2. Attribution & sourcing

Every article credits its original source publisher in the citation and isBasedOn JSON-LD fields and links out to that reporting. The author field names our own editorial desk — never the source journalist, who does not work for us. Some outbound links route through the syndication feed an item reached us through (such as Google News) rather than directly to the publisher.
Anonymous sources are used only when (a) the information is in the public interest, (b) cannot be obtained on the record, and (c) is verified through additional channels.
Government documents, court filings, and primary records are cited with permalinks where available.
We do not publish unsubstantiated rumors or unattributed claims.

3. Independence

Westlake News accepts no payment for favorable coverage and no pay-for-play.
No outside party influences editorial decisions.

4. Diversity & inclusion

We aim for source diversity in every story — across race, gender, geography, profession, and viewpoint.
Editorial decisions about which stories to cover are made independently of advertisers, political affiliation, or social pressure.
We invite tips and contributions from underrepresented communities at editor@nexcom.media.

5. Corrections & updates

See our full corrections policy. In summary: we correct confirmed errors within 24 hours, include a dated correction notice on the affected article, and document every correction in a public log.

6. AI use & disclosure

AI tools (large language models) may be used for summarization, transcription, headline drafting, and metadata generation.
Editors set and review the rules the automated systems follow, review flagged items, and review post-publication samples; not every item receives individual prepublication review.
AI is not used to fabricate quotes, sources, statistics, or events.
AI assistance is disclosed at the publication level — on this page and at /about-nexcom — and every article carries an attribution block naming where its reporting comes from.

7. Plagiarism & paraphrasing

Direct copying without attribution is grounds for retraction and editor dismissal.
Paraphrased material is rewritten substantially and the original source is cited.
Article excerpts from other outlets are limited to the minimum necessary for context (fair use) with a link to the canonical article.

8. Privacy & sensitive subjects

Victims of crimes are not named without consent unless legally required or already publicly identified.
Names of minors are withheld in juvenile-justice contexts and most sensitive personal stories.
Medical, financial, and immigration information is not published without subject consent or strong public-interest justification.

9. Conflicts of interest

Editorial staff disclose any personal, financial, or political conflicts before reporting on a topic.
Where a conflict cannot be avoided, it is disclosed in the article footer.
Editors recuse themselves from stories involving family, business partners, or financial holdings.

10. Accessibility

All articles are published with semantic HTML, alt text on images, and a JSON Feed at /feed.json. We do not paywall and do not require login. Nexcom-authored summary text is licensed CC BY 4.0; third-party reporting and images are not ours to license.