Corrections and editorial standards

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. A corrected story keeps a dated note at the bottom that explains what changed, and earlier notes are never removed. We don’t quietly rewrite the record.

To report a mistake, email editor@thelilacpost.com with the link to the story, what is wrong, and, if you can, where the correct information is published. We check it against the source and update the story, the calendar, or the listing.

Sourcing

Every story lists the sources its facts come from, such as the Village of Lombard, the park district, the library, a school, a parish, or another news outlet, and links to them so you can read the original. We name sources in the text as well, for example “the village said.”

We don’t publish rumors, and we don’t fill gaps with guesses. Numbers such as scores, temperatures, budgets, and dates appear only when a public source has published them. If sources disagree, we leave the item out until they match.

Sensitive stories

Stories about crimes, deaths, and elections are held for the editor’s review before they run. We don’t name private individuals, victims, or minors in summaries, and we report youth sports at the team level unless a league or school has already published a player’s name.

Opinion

Editorials and letters appear on the Opinion page and are labeled as opinion. News stories don’t take sides. Letters must be signed, and we edit them for length and clarity and check their facts before they run.

Independence and advertising

The Lilac Post is independent. It is not published by, and does not speak for, the Village of Lombard, the Lombard Park District, Helen M. Plum Memorial Library, any school district, any parish, the Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce, or any business. Nobody outside the paper approves stories before they run, and we don’t take payment in exchange for coverage.

Sponsorships and paid directory listings are always labeled. Some links, such as restaurant app offers on our Eat local page and book recommendations in The Parish Post, are referral or affiliate links, and they are labeled that way. The site may also show ads served by Google, which are marked as ads and are chosen by Google, not by the paper.

Photos

We use photos that are our own, in the public domain, or published under a free license such as Creative Commons, and every photo carries a credit that links to its source. When a story uses a general photo of its subject rather than the exact scene, the caption begins “Representative photo,” and the rare illustration is labeled “Illustration.” We don’t use generated images of people.

Keeping things current

New stories run on weekday mornings, The Sunday Lilac Post comes out every Sunday, and The Saturday Parish Post comes out on Saturdays. Short breaking items and “Good to know” notices come down from the front page when the situation ends, and they stay in the news archive. Calendar events are removed after their date passes.