Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy

Effective Date: September 14, 2026

Know Oak Park is an independent digital publication operated by KnowMedia LLC.

We publish local news, investigative reporting, public-affairs coverage, analysis, commentary, opinion, satire, parody, political cartoons, and other editorial content.

Our goal is to provide readers with useful, accurate, independent coverage while preserving a clear distinction between factual reporting and expressive forms such as opinion, criticism, humor, and satire.

This policy describes the editorial principles we use when producing and maintaining Know Oak Park content.

1. Editorial Independence

Know Oak Park makes its editorial decisions independently.

Government officials, political candidates, businesses, advertisers, advocacy organizations, community groups, sources, and other outside parties do not determine what we investigate, publish, criticize, or decline to publish.

Our editorial decisions may include:

• Which subjects we investigate or cover.
• Which public records we seek.
• Which sources we interview.
• Which documents or evidence we rely upon.
• Which opinions or viewpoints we publish.
• How stories are written, illustrated, headlined, and presented.
• Whether previously published material should be updated, clarified, corrected, or removed.

Advertising, sponsorship, or another commercial relationship does not entitle an outside party to favorable editorial treatment.

2. News Reporting and Factual Accuracy

When publishing material presented as factual news reporting, we seek to accurately describe the information reasonably available to us at the time of publication.

Depending on the story, our reporting may rely upon:

• Government records.
• Freedom of Information Act responses.
• Meeting agendas and minutes.
• Audio or video recordings.
• Court records.
• Financial records.
• Public databases.
• Official statements.
• Direct observation.
• Interviews.
• Photographs and recordings.
• Communications provided by sources.
• Other primary or secondary sources.

We attempt to distinguish confirmed facts from allegations, interpretations, estimates, and conclusions.

Where material facts are uncertain, disputed, or developing, we strive to make that uncertainty clear rather than presenting an unresolved matter as conclusively established.

3. Reporting on Public Officials and Matters of Public Concern

Public officials, governmental bodies, candidates for public office, and public institutions are legitimate subjects of scrutiny and criticism.

Know Oak Park may investigate and report on matters including:

• Government decision-making.
• Public spending.
• Conflicts of interest.
• Elections and political activity.
• Public statements.
• Government transparency.
• Ethics.
• Public records.
• Performance of official duties.
• Conduct relevant to public office.
• Other matters affecting the community.

Critical reporting does not require us to adopt the characterization or preferred framing of the person or institution being covered.

At the same time, serious factual allegations require particular care.

Before publishing a significant allegation involving matters such as corruption, criminal conduct, dishonesty, misuse of public resources, conflicts of interest, or other serious wrongdoing, we endeavor to examine the underlying evidence and accurately characterize what that evidence establishes.

We distinguish between evidence showing that something occurred and an inference about why it occurred.

4. Opportunity to Respond

When a story contains a significant factual allegation about an identifiable person or organization, we will generally make a reasonable effort to obtain that person's or organization's response before publication when circumstances permit.

The nature and timing of that opportunity will depend on factors including:

• The seriousness of the allegation.
• The strength and nature of the underlying evidence.
• Whether the subject has already publicly addressed the issue.
• Whether the story concerns an urgent or developing event.
• Whether the subject can reasonably be reached.

We are not required to delay publication indefinitely because a subject does not respond.

If a response is received after publication and materially contributes to the story, we may update the article.

Providing an opportunity to respond does not mean that the subject controls the wording, conclusions, timing, or publication of a story.

5. Attribution and Sources

We seek to identify the source of significant factual claims when doing so is practical and appropriate.

Attribution may include links to:

• Government documents.
• Public records.
• Source documents.
• Meeting recordings.
• Court filings.
• Official reports.
• Statements.
• Other underlying materials.

Whenever practical, we prefer primary sources over summaries of those sources.

We may quote or rely upon third parties, but attribution of a statement does not necessarily mean that Know Oak Park endorses or independently verifies every assertion made by that person.

6. Anonymous and Confidential Sources

There may be circumstances in which a source has important information but has a legitimate reason not to be publicly identified.

Know Oak Park may use anonymous or confidential sources when we believe the information is newsworthy and the circumstances justify protecting the source's identity.

Where practical, we seek to independently corroborate significant information obtained from anonymous sources.

A source is not confidential merely because the source requests anonymity.

An agreement to protect a source's identity must be expressly made by Know Oak Park.

Readers should understand that source confidentiality can involve complicated legal and practical issues, and no method of communication can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

7. Opinion, Commentary, and Analysis

Know Oak Park publishes opinion and commentary in addition to factual news reporting.

Opinion content may contain:

• Personal judgments.
• Political viewpoints.
• Criticism.
• Advocacy.
• Interpretation.
• Predictions.
• Rhetorical questions.
• Strongly worded conclusions.
• Hyperbole or figurative language.

Opinion does not require neutrality.

However, factual assertions contained within opinion or commentary should still have a reasonable factual basis.

Where the distinction may not otherwise be apparent, we may label content as opinion, commentary, analysis, editorial, column, or similar terminology.

8. Satire, Parody, Humor, and Political Cartoons

Know Oak Park may publish satire, parody, humor, political cartoons, caricatures, and other forms of nonliteral expression.

These works may use exaggeration, fictionalization, irony, absurdity, caricature, rhetorical hyperbole, or invented scenarios to comment upon real individuals, institutions, events, or public controversies.

Satire and parody should be presented in a context that reasonably communicates their nonliteral nature.

Where there is a meaningful risk that readers could mistake satirical content for factual reporting, we may identify it as satire, parody, humor, a political cartoon, or similar content.

A satirical label does not permit us to intentionally disguise a false factual accusation as humor.

9. Headlines, Images, and Social Media

Headlines, photographs, captions, illustrations, social-media posts, and other promotional material should fairly reflect the substance of the underlying story.

We may write headlines designed to attract attention, but we seek to avoid headlines that materially misrepresent what the article itself establishes.

Photographs and illustrations should not be manipulated in a manner that materially deceives readers about a factual event unless the altered or fictional nature of the image is apparent from context.

Satirical artwork, political cartoons, illustrations, and other expressive imagery may intentionally exaggerate or distort subjects for editorial purposes.

10. Corrections

Accuracy matters to us.

If we determine that published factual information is materially incorrect, we will endeavor to correct it.

Corrections may take different forms depending on the nature of the error, including:

• Correcting text within an article.
• Adding a correction or editor's note.
• Clarifying ambiguous wording.
• Updating information that has changed.
• Correcting a headline, caption, photograph, or other element.

Minor typographical, grammatical, formatting, or stylistic changes may be made without a correction notice when they do not materially alter the meaning of the article.

Substantive corrections should generally be made transparently.

A correction does not necessarily mean that the article as a whole was inaccurate.

Correcting an error is not an admission of legal liability.

11. Clarifications and Updates

A story may be accurate when published but later benefit from additional information.

We may update an article when:

• New information becomes available.
• An individual provides a response after publication.
• A government agency releases additional records.
• A developing event changes.
• Additional context improves a reader's understanding.

An update does not necessarily indicate that the original reporting was incorrect.

Where appropriate, significant updates may be identified within the article.

12. Retractions and Removal

Know Oak Park does not automatically remove accurate reporting merely because a subject finds it unfavorable, embarrassing, critical, or outdated.

Removal or retraction may be appropriate in unusual circumstances, including when:

• A fundamental factual premise of an article is shown to be false.
• Publication creates a significant and unnecessary risk to an individual's safety.
• Material was published in violation of law or our editorial standards.
• Continued publication would cause substantial harm that significantly outweighs the continuing public interest in the material.

Whether material should be removed, corrected, updated, archived, or retained is an editorial decision made by KnowMedia LLC.

13. Requests for Corrections

Readers, sources, and subjects of coverage are encouraged to notify us of potential factual errors.

A useful correction request should include:

• The article or content at issue.
• The specific statement believed to be inaccurate.
• Why the statement is inaccurate.
• Supporting records, documents, or other evidence when available.
• Contact information if a response is requested.

Disagreement with an opinion, interpretation, criticism, editorial judgment, satire, or political viewpoint is not by itself a factual error.

Correction requests may be sent to:

[email protected]

14. Conflicts of Interest

Know Oak Park seeks to avoid undisclosed conflicts that could reasonably call the independence of our reporting into question.

When a material personal, financial, organizational, or other relationship is directly relevant to a story, we may disclose that relationship where necessary for readers to fairly evaluate the coverage.

Not every ordinary community connection constitutes a conflict requiring disclosure.

15. Sponsored and Commercial Content

Paid or sponsored material should be distinguishable from independent editorial content.

Where Know Oak Park publishes sponsored or paid content, it may be labeled using terms such as:

• Sponsored.
• Advertisement.
• Paid Content.
• Partner Content.

Payment for advertising or sponsorship does not entitle the purchaser to influence independent news coverage.

16. Artificial Intelligence and Editorial Work

Know Oak Park may use technology, including artificial intelligence tools, to assist with editorial or production tasks.

Any use of such tools does not eliminate our responsibility for material we publish.

We do not treat an artificial intelligence system as an authoritative source of fact.

Material facts obtained through automated tools should be independently evaluated or verified as appropriate before publication.

AI-generated or materially altered imagery should not be presented as documentary photography of an actual event.

17. Pseudonyms and Editorial Anonymity

Know Oak Park's writers, editors, contributors, and other personnel may publish under their legal names, pen names, pseudonyms, collective bylines, or without individual attribution.

The absence of a legal name from a byline does not change the editorial standards applicable to the work.

The publication of a pseudonym should not be interpreted as a representation that it is the individual's legal name.

KnowMedia LLC is the publisher of Know Oak Park.

18. Fairness Does Not Require False Balance

Our commitment to accuracy and fairness does not require us to treat all arguments as equally supported by evidence.

When credible evidence strongly supports one conclusion over another, we may accurately report that fact.

Similarly, fairness does not require equal space for every person, political position, organization, or viewpoint.

Our goal is to provide sufficient context for readers to understand the issue and the basis for our reporting.

19. Editorial Judgment

No editorial policy can anticipate every reporting situation.

KnowMedia LLC may exercise reasonable editorial judgment when circumstances require an approach not specifically addressed by this policy.

We may also revise these standards as the publication develops.

20. Contact

Questions concerning these standards or requests for corrections may be directed to:

KnowMedia LLC
Publisher of Know Oak Park
Oak Park, Illinois

Corrections: [email protected]
General inquiries: [email protected]