We publish what we can confirm, and we label everything else. Every story separates three things: what officials or first-hand sources have confirmed, what is alleged or reported (always with who is saying it), and what is still unknown.
How we verify
- Each story rests on a primary source: an agency news release, an official account, a public or court record, or something we saw or filmed ourselves.
- We get a second, independent confirmation before naming a suspect, reporting deaths or injuries, reporting a threat to a school, or relying on anything other than an official source.
- Scanner traffic, social media comments and tips are leads. We never publish them as facts.
- We link to our sources so you can check them.
Crime and courts
- We attribute every allegation: "police say", "a warrant alleges".
- We use the right legal step. An arrest is not a charge, a charge is not an indictment, and only a conviction means someone was found guilty.
- We do not imply guilt before a conviction.
- We publish mugshots only when officials release them and there is a public-safety reason.
- We do not name people who were only detained or questioned.
- When charges are dropped or someone is acquitted, we report it as prominently as we reported the arrest.
Privacy
- We do not publish exact home addresses. We describe locations by block, road or neighborhood.
- We do not name minors unless officials release the name and there is a clear public interest.
- We withhold the names of victims unless officials release them or the person agrees.
- We leave out personal details that aren't needed to understand the story.
"Developing" stories
A story is marked Developing while officials are still releasing information or the situation is ongoing, such as a road closure, a search or a weather warning. If 24 hours pass without new information, the label changes to Updated. We mark a story Resolved when there is a clear end: the road reopened, the warning expired, or a case reached a decision.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we fix it in the story and add a note saying what changed, when and why. We never change a fact silently. Corrections are listed on our corrections page. A clarification means we improved the wording without changing the facts.
To report an error, use our contact page.
Removing or changing old stories
We rarely unpublish stories. We review requests on accuracy, public interest, the age of the story, and whether the person was a minor. We may update a story with later developments, such as dropped charges, instead of removing it.
Independence
No one pays for coverage. If we take sponsors or advertising in the future, they will be clearly labeled and will have no say in what we report.
Photos and video
We use our own photos, images officials release for publication, or images we have permission to use, and we credit them. We do not copy other outlets' reporting or photos.
Not an emergency service
Triangle Local is not an official or emergency source. In an emergency, call 911. For official alerts, follow the agency involved and the National Weather Service.