Ethics & Standards

Last updated: Oct. 7, 2026

Willamette News covers Salem and the Willamette Valley: local news every day, electric-vehicle success stories a few times a week, a Wednesday tech column, and a Saturday NFL roundup focused on the Seahawks and 49ers. This page explains how we work and what you can expect from us.

Our code

Willamette News follows the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent. The rest of this page explains how we apply it here.

Who's responsible

Every story carries a byline and a publication date. Phil Harpster is our Editor-in-Chief and is responsible for everything Willamette News publishes. Electric-vehicle stories and the Wednesday tech column run under his name. Local news and the Saturday NFL roundup run under "Willamette News Staff." Whoever the byline names, the Editor-in-Chief answers for the story, including fixing it if we get something wrong.

How we use AI

We use an AI assistant, and we want to be clear about how.

What it does: The assistant helps research stories and write first drafts. It works from public sources like agency announcements, court records, public meeting materials, and reporting by other news outlets.
What it doesn't do: It doesn't invent quotes, sources or facts. Quotes come from public statements, documents, or reporting we credit by name.
Sources are shown: Each article links the sources it relies on, with a source list at the bottom, so you can check our work.
No fake images: We never use AI-generated images of real people, places or events. Our photos are credited and free to reuse, often from Wikimedia Commons, and we name the photographer and license under each one. If we ever run an illustration, we'll label it.
Where it's used: Our AI assistant helps produce most of what we publish, including stories under the Willamette News Staff byline and under Phil Harpster's name. "Willamette News Staff" does not mean a team of human reporters. It's the byline for our newsroom's work, which relies heavily on AI.
People are accountable: AI is a tool, not an excuse. Our Editor-in-Chief answers for every story, and when we get something wrong, we correct it (see below).

Sourcing and attribution

We tell you where information comes from. We favor original sources: the agency, the court filing, the person who said it. When another outlet broke a story or found a fact first, we credit it by name and link to it. We don't copy other people's work. We rarely rely on anonymous sources, and when we do, we explain why.

Fairness and right of reply

When a story includes criticism of a person or business, or an accusation against them, we include their response from public statements or filings, or by asking them. If we couldn't get a response, we say so. If you're in a story and want to respond, email us and we'll consider adding your response or a clarification.

News is kept separate from opinion. If a piece includes analysis or opinion, like a game prediction or a take on a new gadget, we make that clear.

Privacy and minimizing harm

We take extra care with children, crime victims, and people who didn't choose to be in the public eye.

We generally don't name minors involved in crimes or accidents.
We don't identify victims of sexual assault.
We're cautious about naming people who are suspected of a crime but haven't been charged.
We avoid graphic details that don't help readers understand what happened.

Public records being available doesn't automatically make something worth publishing.

Independence and conflicts of interest

Willamette News is independent. No advertiser, business or official decides what we cover.

Some people behind Willamette News, Phil Harpster among them, run small local businesses, including electric-vehicle rentals on Turo and small online shops. When one of those businesses is relevant to a story, we say so in the story. If we feature products made or sold by people connected to Willamette News, we label them clearly as ours.

We don't accept money or favors for coverage. If we get a free product, event pass or trip that relates to a story, we disclose it in that story.

Affiliate links and sponsored content

Some articles include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, Willamette News earns from qualifying purchases, and each of those articles includes a disclosure at the bottom. Those links help pay for the site, but they never decide what we cover or what we say about a product.

We don't publish paid or sponsored articles disguised as news. If we ever run sponsored content, it will be clearly labeled as sponsored.

Corrections

We work hard to get things right, and we fix it when we don't.

To request a correction, email ExecDirector@willamettenews.com with the article link and what's wrong.
Our goal is to respond within one business day and to correct confirmed errors as soon as we've confirmed them.
How we note it: We add a dated correction note at the bottom of the article explaining what changed. We don't quietly rewrite stories. When we update a developing story with new information, we label the update with its date and time.

Tips and contact

Know something Salem should hear about? Send tips, questions and feedback to ExecDirector@willamettenews.com or use our Contact page. We read everything.