What Guides Our Work

Explore The Beacon's foundational principles and operational guidelines outlined in our Bylaws. As a beacon of independent news for Jefferson County, Washington, our Bylaws provide transparency and clarity on our organizational structure and decision-making processes, serving the local community's needs. See link to PDF below.

The Jefferson County Beacon Board of Directors Conflict of Interest Statement

1. Each member of The Jefferson County Beacon Board of Directors, or any of its Committees, must place the interest of The Jefferson County Beacon foremost in any dealings impacting the organization.
2. Each individual shall disclose to The Jefferson County Beacon any personal interest they may have in any matter pending before the Board, or any matter that may affect the welfare of the The Jefferson County Beacon, and shall refrain from participation in any decision on such a matter. A conflicted board member may not be counted in determining a quorum for the meeting in connection with the conflicted matter.
3. No director or committee member shall derive any personal profit or gain for themselves, their relatives or friends, directly or indirectly, by reason of their participation with The Jefferson County Beacon except as otherwise agreed to by three-quarters of the voting members of the Board. This provision does not apply to the purchase of advertising in any The Jefferson County Beacon publication at the standard rate.
4. Any board member or committee member who is an officer, board member, committee member, or staff member of any The Jefferson County Beacon member organization shall identify their affiliation and shall not participate in any decision affecting that member or organization.
5. Any board or committee member shall refrain from obtaining any list of The Jefferson County Beacon members or advertisers for personal private solicitation purposes at any time during the term of their affiliation.
6. At the first meeting of the year, board and committee members will submit an annual statement agreeing to these General Principles and disclosing any potential conflicts. If a potential conflict arises during the year, it is the member’s responsibility to report it to the Board.
7. If at any time, any one or more board and/or committee member becomes the subject of a newsworthy story of wide public interest (as determined by the staff of the The Jefferson County Beacon), such board and/or committee member shall inform the The Jefferson County Beacon's Board of Directors of such potential conflict. A “newsworthy story of wide public interest” does not include a story involving only matters internal to the affairs of The Jefferson County Beacon.

The Jefferson County Beacon is committed to transparency in every aspect of funding our organization. Accepting financial support does not mean we endorse donors or their products, services or opinions.

We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals, organizations and foundations to help with our general operations, coverage of specific topics and special projects. Acting as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit due to our fiscal sponsor, The Institute for Nonprofit News, we operates as a public trust, and not pay certain taxes. We may receive funds from standard government programs offered to nonprofits or similar businesses.

Our news judgments are made independently—not based on or influenced by donors or any revenue source. We do not give supporters the rights to assign, review, or edit content.

We make public all revenue sources and donors who give $5,000 or more per year.

As a news nonprofit, we avoid accepting charitable donations from anonymous sources, government entities, political parties, elected officials or candidates seeking public office. We will never directly solicit donations from public officials or individuals running for office. We will not accept donations from elected officials or political candidates above $500 (either in a single donation, or collectively over a year). If an official or candidate attempts to donate above this level, the gift will be returned.

We will not accept donations from sources who, deemed by our board of directors, present a conflict of interest with our work or compromise our independence.

The Jefferson County Beacon welcomes advertising and sponsorship from our community, which helps us meet our operating expenses and fulfill our mission. This policy explains how we maintain our integrity and our readers’ trust.

No influence. Advertising and sponsorship are separate from editorial decisions. Advertisers and sponsors have no role in what, when, or how we publish content.

No endorsement. Acceptance of advertising or sponsorship does not mean that The Jefferson County Beacon endorses the organization, individual, product or service promoted. 

No deception. All advertising on our website and in our newsletters is clearly labeled as such and is clearly distinguishable from editorial content.

We do not accept sponsored content, although we are happy to speak with you about underwriting a specific beat or column. The sponsors of underwritten content are clearly identified. We do not accept advertising that looks like editorial content (advertorials). 

Ads that contain a URL or domain in the body must link to that same URL or domain. The ad must relate directly to the content of the landing page, which must remain the same whenever users click an ad. Advertisers cannot use “fake” close behavior or any spam behavior recognized as malware.

No hate. We believe in the fundamental dignity and worth of all people. Because of that belief, we will not accept ads that:

• contain or promote racism, sexism, or other hateful ideas.
• promote organizations or companies with a demonstrated record of discrimination against people based on their race, gender indentity, religious identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or any other protected status.
• insult, harass, or threaten an individual or organization.

No secrets. We are transparent in all financial support. We do not accept advertising or sponsorship from anonymous individuals or from political action committees that do not publicly disclose their donors. 

No partisanship. We accept advertising from individuals seeking public office. However, we do not accept ads that advocate for particular candidates, public officials, political parties or policies but do not disclose the names and affiliations of their donors.

Violations of this policy may lead to consequences up to and including removal of the from The Jefferson County Beacon’s website, newsletters, and other material. This policy is subject to change without notice.

The Jefferson County Beacon subscribes to standards of editorial independence adopted by The Institute for Nonprofit News:

• Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions.
• We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support.
• Our organization may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but our organization maintains editorial control of the coverage. We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content, nor of unauthorized distribution of editorial content.
• Our organization will make public all donors who give a total of $5,000 or more per year. We will accept anonymous donations for general support only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with INN’s Membership Standards.

Reporters name their sources because readers need to know where information comes from. Knowing who told us what lets you decide if the information is valid and credible. 

Sometimes, though, naming a source can jeopardize that person’s job or their emotional or physical safety. When someone asks to remain anonymous, we weigh the value of the information against potential harm to the source. We also consider the person’s reliability and knowledge of the topic.

When we use anonymous sources, we always try to confirm the information with others to ensure that it’s true. And we will always tell you why a source has been granted anonymity.

We are dedicated to accurate, accessible reporting. If you find something wrong or unclear in our reporting, please let us know by emailing info@jeffcobeacon.com. 

When you report an error, the Beacon staff will review the information and make one of three determinations:

1. The information in the story is factually incorrect. We will correct the information in the text. Notes indicating that a correction was made will appear at the end of the story, although major errors will be noted more prominently. If the incorrect information came from a source we reasonably expected to be trustworthy, we’ll note that, too.
2. The information is correct, but requires clarification. We will reword or rewrite the text to make the information clearer. Clarifications will be noted at the bottom of an article.
3. No error was made. No change will be made. If you disagree, you are welcome to comment on the article.

Typographic or inconsequential errors will be corrected without a note.

As a hyperlocal news organization, we want to promote civil discussion of our community’s strengths and challenges. We invite letters to the editor that address issues and activities that are specifically relevant to residents of Jefferson County. Writers addressing national or international issues should describe how those issues affect people here in Jefferson County.

We also welcome comments on our coverage on our website or on our social media pages. Comments may be removed at our discretion if they do not align with our policies below.

We will not publish letters in support of candidates or issues in the two weeks before an election. The last day to submit letters related to the primary elections is the Tuesday three weeks preceding the primary election, and for the general election, the cutoff is the Tuesday three weeks preceding the general election.

Regardless of subject, all submissions must include:

• The writer’s first and last name and place of residence, and;
• Disclosure of affiliations with groups that promote or lobby for the issues relevant to the letter.

Productive discussion is civil, respectful and relevant. Commentary on all platforms is subject to the following guidelines:

• Be brief. Letters to the editor are limited to 500 words. Op-ed pieces are limited to 800 words.
• Stick to the subject.
• No hate. We will not publish letters or allow comments that we deem to be racist, xenophobic, homophobic, misogynistic or otherwise bigoted or violent against an individual or a group. No name-calling or personal attacks. If you see such comments, please let us know.
• Check your facts. Letters to the editor, op-ed columns and comments are part of journalism, and journalism’s first responsibility is to truth. We will not publish letters or allow comments that contain misinformation or disinformation. Before you submit, verify any claims with credible sources. (Need help evaluating sources? Check the American Library Association’s guide.) We reserve the right to append fact-checking notes to submissions.
• No advertorials. We will not publish letters or op-eds that promote, directly or indirectly, a for-profit product or service. Contact us about advertising in our newsletters or on our website!
• Respect others’ privacy. Do not post information that could be used to identify the name, address or workplace of private individuals. Don’t encourage others to do so.
• Be mindful. Before you hit the send button, ask yourself: Is this true? Is it necessary?

We reserve the right not to publish any given letter. We also reserve the right, but undertake no duty, to review, edit (for clarity, grammar, and accuracy), move, or delete any content submitted by users, in our sole discretion, without notice, including but not limited to the reasons listed above, on our website and social media pages.

Integrity is the foundation of trustworthy news. At The Jefferson County Beacon, we promise to abide by the Society of Professional Journalists’ four principles of ethical journalism:

1. Seek truth and report it. Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
2. Minimize harm. Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect.
3. Act independently. The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public.
4. Be accountable and transparent. Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decisions to the public.

If you feel we have violated these principles in any way, please get in touch with us. We’ll either make it right or give you a good explanation for our actions.

The Jefferson County Beacon AI Policy

Purpose and Scope

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are becoming more powerful and more commonplace. An effective AI policy directs how The Beacon interfaces with these tools inside and outside of the newsroom, both today and in the future. The Beacon believes in a human-first, human-preferred approach to journalism while also understanding that cautious use of certain AI tools can aid journalists without replacing them. In order to implement any of these tools responsibly, we are committed to the following core values adopted from from the 2025 AI Ethics Guidebook published by The Poynter Institute:

Transparency

When we use generative AI in a significant way in our journalism, we will document and describe to our audience the tools with specificity in a way that discloses and educates. This may be a short tagline, a caption or credit, or for something more substantial, like an editor’s note. When appropriate, we will include the prompts that are fed into the model to generate the material.

Accuracy and Human Oversight

All information generated by AI requires human verification. Everything we publish will live up to our long-time standards of verification. For example, an editor will review prompts, and any other inputs used to generate substantial content, including data analysis, in addition to the editing process in place for all of our content.

Accountability

We take responsibility for all content generated or informed by AI tools. Any errors or inaccuracies resulting from the use of these tools will be transparently addressed and corrected. We will regularly audit feedback forms and incorporate audience feedback into policy updates. And violations of this policy will require retraining and possible disciplinary action. If you feel an article was generated with AI, we welcome you to reach out to us at ross@jeffcobeacon.com; all contact will remain confidential.

Privacy and Security

Our relationship with our audience is rooted in trust and respect. To that end, we will protect our audience’s data in accordance with our newsroom’s privacy policies. We will never enter sensitive or identifying information about our audience members, sources or our own staff into any generative AI tools.

The most recent version of this policy will always be available on The Beacon’s website. Please direct any feedback or suggestions to info@jeffcobeacon.com.

The Beacon may use the following AI tools in our work:

1. We may use Otter.ai to transcribe interviews and make our reporting more efficient. This tool is especially helpful while pulling quotes from long interviews or searching for keywords within a transcript. Humans (our journalists) review transcriptions and verify accuracy against the recordings before any quotes are published.

2. We may use Grammarly as a tool to assist with copyediting tasks, such as identifying grammar and spelling issues, suggesting style improvements, or restructuring sentences for clarity without changing the meaning. A human (the editor) reviews all content suggested or generated by Grammarly for accuracy before publishing.

3. We may use ChatGPT or integrated AI browser summaries (such as Google AI Overview) to begin researching topics. This includes using chatbots to summarize academic papers and suggest others, surface historical information or data about the topic and suggest story angles. [RB6] Humans (our journalists) are responsible for fact-checking and verifying any and all information suggested by or generated by these tools before including them in their articles.

4. We may publish or republish AI-generated content from other newsrooms, and be cautious in doing so. A human (our editor) will attempt to verify such content is accurate and that it was generated in alignment with the core values adopted above before choosing to publish or republish such content.

5. We may use Meta AI to optimize language and targeting through our social media platforms. A human (our Director of Development or staff person managing ads) will verify that such content is accurate and was generated in alignment with the core values adopted above before choosing to publish or re-publish such content.

6. We may evaluate additional AI tools that support our work. New tools will be added to this policy document if or when they are implemented.

The Beacon will not use AI tools in the following ways:

1. Our articles are written by humans. We will not use generative AI to write or rewrite articles. If you feel an article was generated with AI, we welcome you to reach out to us at ross@jeffcobeacon.com; all contact will remain confidential.

2. Our photographs are taken by humans. We will not use generative AI to create images, visuals, or other graphics. Any edits we do in programs that have AI features embedded in them may be used without our knowledge, but we will not knowingly use any AI features. If you feel an article was generated with AI, we welcome you to reach out to us at ross@jeffcobeacon.com; all contact will remain confidential.

3. We will not publish any AI-generated content without clearly identifying such content with a written disclosure explaining which tools were used and how the content was generated.

4. We will not use AI to generate images, visuals, or other graphics for advertisements.

Pending Work

1. Rework the language in our contracts with journalists to refer to this AI policy, and include a statement that they have received and read such policy. In the meantime, this policy will be circulated among the editorial staff.

Discover the generous supporters who contribute $5,000 or more to The Beacon, sustaining our mission of independent news coverage for Jefferson County, Washington. Learn how their contributions help us continue our role as a trusted local paper for Port Townsend news and Jefferson County news.

• NewsMatch
• Kathy Pool