Accuracy before speed
California58 prioritizes primary and authoritative sources, original reporting and writing, transparent attribution and correction of material errors. Speed does not override verification.
Photographs, image rights and responsible visual journalism
California58 and its local newspapers prefer authentic, accurately identified photography of the people, places and events they cover. Photographs from third parties are published only where we have permission or a reuse license suitable for the intended use (including any advertising or commercial context). A credit line alone is not permission to use an otherwise copyrighted photograph.
For third-party images, our editorial records identify the original creator, source file, license or permission, and any meaningful editing or cropping. Where the license requires it, the story or image record links to the original source and license terms and provides attribution. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike photographs remain subject to the applicable share-alike requirements if adapted. Public-domain status is checked rather than assumed. Editorial teams preserve license evidence and respond promptly to substantiated rights concerns.
Illustrative images generated or substantially altered by artificial intelligence must be identified as illustrations and must never be presented as documentary evidence of an actual event, incident, person or historic site. Stock imagery cannot imply it depicts the reported event.
To control hosting and readers’ data usage, California58 reuses an existing approved media asset instead of uploading identical copies within a site, favors appropriately compressed images and responsive sizes, and avoids embedding a second duplicate of the article’s featured photograph in its body. Images retain captions and photo credits where appropriate. Contact the editorial desk about an image credit or rights concern.
Automation with editorial oversight
Automation may identify source changes, organize data, assist research, support translation, prepare drafts and help newsroom workflows. It must not silently turn an unverified change into a public fact. High-impact government, legal, tax, health, election and emergency information receives additional source checks.
AI-assisted newsroom work
Some California58 News stories may use AI tools to assist research, drafting, translation or imagery. When AI materially assists an automatically prepared newsroom story, California58 can display an AI-assisted disclosure on that story. Editorial direction, source selection, factual responsibility and publication decisions remain with California58.
AI tools must not be used to invent quotations, sources, official actions, public records or factual events. AI-generated or substantially AI-created imagery should be presented as illustration rather than documentary evidence when that distinction matters.
Originality and sources
California58 does not publish copied rewrites of other news articles as original reporting. News stories should add original language, California context and direct source attribution, with preference for official records and primary sources when available.
Corrections
Material factual errors should be corrected promptly. California58 maintains a separate Sources & Corrections page describing its correction practices.
Affiliated services and advertising
Affiliated, sponsored and paid resources are labeled. Commercial relationships do not replace official free options or determine independent editorial conclusions.