How USVI News approaches publishing
These standards describe the intended practices for material published by the USVI News editorial desk and explain how other kinds of content on the platform differ.
Accuracy and verification
Editorial-desk material should distinguish verified fact from allegation, opinion, estimate, and prediction. Reporters and editors should use primary documents, direct observation, named sources, and official records when practical, and should seek independent confirmation for consequential claims.
Speed does not remove the obligation to identify uncertainty. Developing stories should say what is known, what remains unconfirmed, and where the information came from.
Attribution and source transparency
Material from another publisher, government agency, public record, business listing, or data service should identify that source and link to it when a useful public URL is available. Quotes should preserve their meaning and should not be presented out of context.
Articles distributed through the affiliate source network carry the outside publisher's identity, a link to the original report, and a notice that its reporting, analysis, and views remain those of the source outlet. Affiliate material is not an original USVI News byline.
Community posts and business profiles
Registered members publish under their own account or managed business profile. Those contributions are community content, not reporting verified by the USVI News editorial desk merely because they appear in the feed. Reports from readers may be reviewed for safety, abuse, impersonation, rights issues, and compliance with the site terms.
Imported business and directory profiles can contain information from public or third-party datasets. A listing is not an endorsement. Owners and managers can use the site's claim process to request control or corrections.
Automated public-service updates
Weather, alert, aviation, business spotlight, and other recurring posts may be produced from external data and scheduled publishing systems. These posts should identify their source and automation context. Conditions and schedules can change after publication, so readers should follow the linked official source before making safety or travel decisions.
Artificial intelligence
USVI News uses OpenAI services for Ask Scoops answers and offers AI assistance for image descriptions and proofreading. AI output can be incomplete or wrong. It should not be treated as verified reporting, and people using publishing tools remain responsible for reviewing factual claims, names, context, and rights before publication.
AI assistance should not be used to manufacture quotes, sources, eyewitness accounts, or certainty. The Privacy Policy explains what may be sent to an AI service when a person chooses to use these features.
Conflicts, promotional material, and labels
A material financial, ownership, family, or advocacy relationship that could affect how a reasonable reader evaluates editorial content should be disclosed. Promotional, sponsored, or affiliate relationships should be labeled in language readers can understand. A source relationship does not give an outside publisher control over USVI News editorial-desk reporting.
Corrections
Material factual errors should be corrected promptly once verified. Significant changes should be explained to readers rather than silently reversing the substance of a report. Minor spelling, grammar, formatting, and link repairs may be made without a correction note when they do not change meaning. See the full Corrections Policy.