Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 14, 2026

Last Updated: September 23, 2026

KnowMedia LLC ("KnowMedia," "we," "us," or "our") operates Know Oak Park and respects the privacy of our readers, contributors, sources, and website visitors.

This Privacy Policy describes information we may collect through Know Oak Park, how we use and disclose it, and the choices that may be available to you.

1. Information You Provide to Us

Depending on how you interact with Know Oak Park, you may provide information including:

• Your name.
• Email address or other contact information.
• Information submitted through contact forms.
• Newsletter subscription information.
• Comments or other public submissions.
• News tips and story ideas.
• Correction or response requests.
• Photographs, recordings, documents, public records, or other material you submit.
• Communications you send to our writers, editors, or staff.

Information submitted as part of a news tip or other editorial communication may contain information about you or other individuals.

Please use appropriate caution before transmitting particularly sensitive information through ordinary email or website forms.

2. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit Know Oak Park, our website automatically records certain technical and request information associated with your visit.

This may include:

• Your IP address.
• The page or URL requested.
• The referring page or website.
• The date and time of the request.
• Request method.
• Browser and user-agent information.
• Device type.
• Operating system or platform.
• Browser type.
• Language preferences.
• HTTP request headers.
• Other technical information transmitted by your browser when requesting a page.

Request headers may contain information such as browser capabilities, language settings, referrer information, and cookies associated with the Know Oak Park website.

We use this information to operate and secure the website, diagnose technical issues, understand general readership and traffic patterns, and evaluate how content is being accessed.

3. Website Analytics

Know Oak Park uses website analytics to understand how readers use the website, which content is being viewed, how visitors arrive at the site, and how the website performs.

We use a locally operated website-visit analytics system that may record information such as IP addresses, visited pages, referrers, browser and device information, language settings, selected request-header information, and the date and time of visits.

We also use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), an analytics service provided by Google LLC. Google Analytics may collect information about interactions with the website as well as technical information about a visitor's browser, device, and use of the site. Google Analytics may use cookies and other identifiers to distinguish users and sessions and provide aggregated information about website usage.

We use analytics information to understand matters such as:

• Which articles and pages are being viewed.
• Overall website traffic and readership trends.
• How readers arrive at the website.
• General device and browser usage.
• Website performance and technical issues.
• The effectiveness of site features and content.

We do not use our analytics systems to intentionally identify individual readers by name.

4. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Know Oak Park uses first-party cookies and similar technologies for website operation, security, preferences, and analytics.

Essential cookies may be used for purposes including:

• Website sessions.
• Cross-site request forgery protection.
• Remembering cookie preferences.
• Security and other necessary website functionality.

Google Analytics may also use cookies and similar identifiers to measure website usage and distinguish users and sessions.

Where required by applicable law, we may request consent before enabling non-essential analytics cookies or similar technologies.

Visitors may be able to control or delete cookies through their browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.

5. News Tips, Sources, and Editorial Communications

Know Oak Park receives communications relating to news reporting, investigations, public affairs, government, community issues, corrections, and other editorial matters.

Information you provide for journalistic purposes may be retained as part of our editorial and newsgathering records.

Submitting a tip or communicating with Know Oak Park does not automatically create a confidential-source relationship. Ordinary email, website forms, social media messages, and similar communications may not be appropriate for highly sensitive information.

If you require confidentiality, contact us before transmitting sensitive material so that an appropriate method of communication can be discussed.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy should be interpreted as creating an obligation for KnowMedia LLC to disclose confidential sources, unpublished reporting materials, editorial work product, or other material protected from disclosure under applicable constitutional, statutory, common-law, or journalistic protections.

6. Pseudonyms, Bylines, and Anonymity

Know Oak Park may permit writers, editors, contributors, sources, and other participants to use pen names, pseudonyms, anonymous attribution, collective attribution, or no individual attribution where appropriate.

KnowMedia LLC may maintain nonpublic information relating to such individuals for editorial, administrative, legal, security, or business purposes.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy requires KnowMedia LLC to publicly disclose the identity of its owners, managers, employees, writers, editors, contributors, contractors, or sources except as required by applicable law.

7. Comments and Public Submissions

If Know Oak Park provides commenting or other public-submission features, information you intentionally submit for publication may become publicly accessible.

This may include your display name, the content of your submission, and other information you choose to make public.

Do not submit information publicly that you wish to remain private.

We may retain moderation and technical information associated with public submissions for security, abuse-prevention, editorial, and recordkeeping purposes.

8. Newsletters and Email

If you subscribe to a newsletter or another email communication, we may use your email address and related information to provide those communications.

Our email service providers may process information relating to delivery and interaction with messages, potentially including whether messages are delivered, opened, or links are selected.

You may unsubscribe from promotional or newsletter communications through the unsubscribe mechanism included in those messages.

We may retain limited information necessary to honor an unsubscribe request.

9. Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager

Know Oak Park uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Tag Manager, services provided by Google LLC.

Google Tag Manager allows us to manage and deploy website tags. We currently use it in connection with Google Analytics and may use it to manage other website measurement or functionality tags in the future.

Google Analytics helps us measure website traffic and understand how visitors interact with Know Oak Park. Information processed through Google Analytics may include information about pages viewed, interactions with the website, approximate geographic information, referral information, browser and device characteristics, and identifiers associated with browsers, devices, or sessions.

Google may process information collected through Google Analytics in accordance with Google's own privacy terms and policies.

We do not currently use Google Analytics for personalized advertising or use Google Ads conversion tracking or Meta Pixel unless otherwise disclosed in this Privacy Policy.

If we materially change the third-party analytics, advertising, or behavioral tracking technologies used by Know Oak Park, we may update this Privacy Policy accordingly.

10. How We Use Information

We may use collected information to:

• Operate, secure, and maintain Know Oak Park.
• Conduct journalism and newsgathering.
• Evaluate news tips, documents, and potential stories.
• Communicate with sources and readers.
• Respond to questions and correction requests.
• Publish reader submissions where appropriate.
• Deliver requested newsletters and communications.
• Understand readership and website performance.
• Improve our editorial products and website.
• Detect attacks, scraping, spam, fraud, and other abuse.
• Maintain editorial and business records.
• Exercise or defend legal rights.
• Comply with applicable legal obligations.

11. Disclosure of Information

We may disclose information to vendors and service providers that assist with functions such as:

• Hosting and infrastructure.
• Content delivery and website security.
• Analytics.
• Email and newsletters.
• Advertising.
• Spam and abuse prevention.
• Development and website maintenance.

We may also disclose information when disclosure is required by applicable law or valid and binding legal process, or when reasonably necessary to protect our legal rights, security, users, or property.

KnowMedia LLC may review, challenge, object to, seek to narrow, or otherwise respond to subpoenas, court orders, governmental demands, discovery requests, or other requests for information as permitted by law.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy constitutes an agreement to voluntarily disclose information merely because it has been requested by a person, governmental body, litigant, attorney, or other third party.

Where applicable, KnowMedia LLC reserves all rights, privileges, defenses, objections, and protections relating to freedom of speech and the press, journalistic sources, unpublished newsgathering materials, editorial work product, and other protected information.

Information may also be transferred in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar transaction involving KnowMedia LLC.

12. Third-Party Links and Embedded Content

Know Oak Park may link to or embed content from third-party services, including government websites, video platforms, maps, social media platforms, and other publishers.

Those services may collect information directly from your browser or device when their content is loaded or when you interact with it.

Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, not this Privacy Policy.

13. Data Retention

We retain information for periods appropriate to the purpose for which it was obtained.

Editorial and newsgathering materials may be retained for historical, journalistic, archival, legal, research, source-management, or recordkeeping purposes.

Other information may be retained as reasonably necessary to operate the website, provide requested services, maintain security, resolve disputes, comply with legal obligations, and protect our rights.

14. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures intended to protect information under our control.

No electronic communication, website, network, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Particularly sensitive news tips or source communications should therefore not be sent through ordinary website forms or email without first discussing an appropriate communication method with us.

15. Children's Privacy

Know Oak Park is a general-audience publication and is not directed specifically to children under 13.

We do not knowingly solicit personal information online from children under 13 in circumstances requiring parental consent under applicable law.

If you believe a child has improperly provided personal information to us, please contact us.

16. Privacy Requests

Depending on applicable law and your relationship with us, you may have rights regarding certain personal information maintained by KnowMedia LLC.

Requests may concern access, correction, deletion, or other treatment of personal information.

These rights are subject to applicable exceptions and limitations, including those concerning journalism, freedom of expression and the press, editorial activities, legal claims, recordkeeping, security, and other protected activities.

We may take reasonable measures to verify the identity and authority of a person making a request.

17. Privacy Signals and Browser Controls

Web browsers and devices may provide cookie settings, tracking restrictions, or privacy preference signals.

Our response to such technologies will depend upon applicable law and the technologies and third-party services used by Know Oak Park.

As our advertising and analytics systems evolve, we may update this section to describe particular preference mechanisms that we recognize.

18. Visitors From Other Jurisdictions

Know Oak Park is operated from the United States and primarily serves a U.S. audience.

Privacy rights vary among jurisdictions. Where a privacy law applies to KnowMedia LLC and grants an individual a legally enforceable right, we will respond as required by that law, subject to its applicable exemptions and limitations.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy when our practices, technology, services, or legal obligations change.

The effective date at the top of this page will identify the current version.

20. Contact

Questions regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices may be directed to:

KnowMedia LLC
Publisher of Know Oak Park
Oak Park, Illinois
[email protected]