Our Corrections and Clarifications Policy

At Salem Reporter, accuracy is the foundation of our work. We strive to get every fact right the first time, but when we make a mistake, we correct it quickly and transparently.

This page explains how you can request a correction and what you can expect from us.

If You Spot an Error

If you believe we’ve published a factual error or something that could mislead readers, please contact us right away.

Email: [email protected]

Include:

• The headline and date of the story and the link as possible.
  
• A description of the error
  
• Any supporting information or documents
  

We review every request as quickly as possible.

What We Do When We Get a Request

1. We check the facts – Editors review the request, the reporter’s notes, and relevant documents.
   
2. We decide the best response:
   
   • Correction – If we got a fact wrong (like a misspelled name or wrong date), we’ll fix it and note the change.
     
   • Clarification – If our wording was correct but could mislead, we may add context to make the story clearer.
     
   • No Change – If the story is accurate and well-documented, we’ll explain why we’re not making a change.
     

Partner Stories

Salem Reporter regularly publishes articles from other news outlets that make their content available to us, including Oregon Capital Chronicle, The Oregonian/OregonLive and InvestigateWest. The outlet responsible for producing an article is identified in the byline.

If we receive a correction or clarification request for a story produced by another newsroom, we will forward the message to that organization.

We will publish any correction or clarification made to a partner article as soon as we’re made aware of it.

How We Publish Corrections

When we correct or clarify a story, we do it openly.

We update any story as needed with a note at the end of the story, clearly labeled as a Correction or Clarification.

Why This Matters

We believe readers deserve journalism they can trust. Being open about our mistakes – and fixing them – is essential to maintaining that trust.

If you ever have questions about our reporting, please reach out. Email Editor Les Zaitz: [email protected].