Berks Connect

News Editorial Standards

Last Updated: August 11, 2026

These are the written editorial standards that govern The Berks Beat, the Berks Connect county news desk. Every part of our news operation, human and AI, works under them. They apply to all news content published under /news: meeting coverage, reports, guides, and opinion. For a plain-language introduction to the desk, see About The Berks Beat.

1. Sourcing

  • News stories are drafted from primary official documents: posted agendas, minutes, budgets, contracts, ordinances, and public notices from the governments we cover.
  • We do not report from rumor, social media chatter, or anonymous claims.
  • We do not repackage other outlets' reporting. When another outlet reports something first, we say so and link to them.
  • Every article links to the documents it is based on, so readers can verify our work without taking our word for anything.

2. Verification

  • Before a news story publishes, an independent fact-check with no stake in the draft re-reads every cited document and verifies every claim against it: each number, name, date, and vote.
  • The fact-check is instructed to try to prove the story wrong, not to confirm it.
  • A story that fails fact-checking is corrected and re-checked, or it does not run. Anything that cannot be verified stays out.
  • Guides are periodically re-verified, because fees, deadlines, and procedures change.

3. How the Desk Is Organized

The Berks Beat is produced with advanced AI, organized the way a news desk is organized: monitoring reads the official record on a schedule built around each body's meeting calendar; writing drafts from those documents; fact-checking verifies; editing corrects or kills. AI performs these roles under these written standards, with human oversight.

A human publisher owns the desk. The publisher sets these standards, decides what the operation covers, owns every decision under our Corrections and Content Complaints Policy, and is responsible for everything published here.

4. Opinion Is Labeled

Reporting and opinion are kept separate. Occasional editorials about what should change are clearly labeled as opinion on the article. Everything not labeled opinion is intended to be verifiable fact drawn from the public record.

5. Corrections

We still make mistakes sometimes. When we do, we correct the article promptly and note the correction on it. How to report an error, and exactly what we do when you contact us, is published in our Corrections and Content Complaints Policy.

6. Independence

  • The Berks Beat and Berks Connect are fully independent. Neither is affiliated with, endorsed by, funded by, or produced by any government body: not the County of Berks, not any township, borough, or city, and not any school district or municipal authority.
  • News coverage is never for sale. No business, advertiser, official, or paid plan can buy, change, or suppress coverage.
  • Business promotion on news pages is clearly labeled and appears beside our reporting, never inside it, as described in our Advertising Disclosure.

7. What Our News Content Is and Is Not

  • News content is general information about local government and civic life, provided for informational purposes.
  • It is not legal, tax, financial, or other professional advice. Confirm details with the relevant office before acting on anything you read here.
  • Our use of the Site is governed by our Terms and Conditions, which incorporate these standards.

Contact

News tips, corrections, and questions about coverage: hello@berksconnect.com

    News Editorial Standards - BerksConnect