How we report, source, and verify the stories you read.
Independence
Daily Durham is editorially independent. No advertiser, sponsor, municipality, or political party has any influence over what we cover or how we cover it. Reporters do not accept gifts, paid travel, or payments from anyone we cover. Sponsorship and advertising are clearly labelled and never reviewed by the newsroom.
Sourcing and verification
- We attribute every fact to a source readers can check — documents, named officials, on-the-record interviews, or publicly available data.
- We use anonymous sources only when the public-interest value is clear, the information cannot be obtained another way, and an editor has approved the arrangement. We always explain to readers why anonymity was granted.
- We confirm news with at least two independent sources before publishing whenever possible. Single-source stories are labelled as such.
- We give people accused of wrongdoing a meaningful chance to respond before publication, and include their response in the story.
Use of AI
Daily Durham reporters do not publish AI-generated articles. We may use AI tools for tasks like transcription, summarizing public records, or improving accessibility (for example, generating image alt text), but a human reporter is responsible for every story we publish. AI-generated images are labelled as such.
Conflicts of interest
Reporters disclose any personal, financial, or political relationship that could create a real or perceived conflict of interest with a story they are writing. When a conflict cannot be eliminated, the story is reassigned. We disclose sponsorships and personal connections directly within the relevant article when readers should know about them.
Plagiarism and attribution
We do not use other people's words, images, or research without credit. We link to the original source whenever possible. Reposting wire copy or syndicated content as our own work is grounds for dismissal.
Diversity and fairness
Our coverage aims to reflect the people, places, and concerns of all eight Durham Region municipalities — not just the largest or loudest. We actively seek sources outside our existing networks and cover stories that affect groups historically underrepresented in local news.
Funding transparency
Daily Durham is funded by reader memberships, local sponsors, newsletter ads, and a small number of grants. The full revenue breakdown is published on our About page. No single funder or category of funder controls editorial decisions.
Corrections
Mistakes are corrected publicly and quickly. See our corrections policy for how we handle errors and how to report one.
Contact
Questions about our editorial process? Email info@dailydurham.com.