My Parkland News
A Publication of Leadbelt Operating LLC

Effective Date: November 8, 2026

1. Our Mission

My Parkland News is an independent digital news publication dedicated to delivering accurate, timely, fair, and informative news to the residents of St. Francois County and the surrounding Parkland region of Missouri.

Our mission is to keep our communities informed about matters that affect their daily lives, including local government, public safety, education, business, sports, community events, and statewide developments.

We believe that responsible local journalism plays an important role in promoting transparency, accountability, and an informed public.

Our reporting is guided by accuracy, fairness, independence, and a commitment to serving the public interest.

2. Editorial Independence

My Parkland News is owned and operated by Leadbelt Operating LLC, a privately held Missouri company.

Editorial decisions are made independently and are not controlled by advertisers, sponsors, political organizations, government agencies, or outside interests.

Advertising purchases do not guarantee favorable coverage, influence editorial decisions, or prevent critical reporting.

We reserve the right to investigate and report on any individual, organization, business, or government entity when the subject is newsworthy and the reporting serves a legitimate public interest.

3. Accuracy and Fact-Checking

Accuracy is a fundamental responsibility of our publication.

We strive to verify information before publication using credible and identifiable sources whenever practical.

Sources may include:

• Official government documents and public records.
• Law enforcement and emergency services reports.
• Court filings and judicial records.
• Public meeting minutes and agendas.
• Official statements and press releases.
• Direct interviews and firsthand accounts.
• Established news organizations and other reliable sources.

We make reasonable efforts to distinguish confirmed facts from allegations, opinions, estimates, and developing information.

When information cannot be independently verified, we will seek to identify its source and communicate relevant uncertainty.

Breaking news stories may be updated as additional verified information becomes available.

4. Sources and Attribution

My Parkland News recognizes the importance of transparency in reporting.

Whenever practical, we identify the source of factual information and provide links to original documents, public records, or official announcements.

Information obtained from other news organizations will be appropriately attributed when relied upon.

We do not knowingly present another publication’s original reporting as our own independent reporting.

Press releases and official statements may be summarized, rewritten, or incorporated into news coverage, with attribution to the issuing organization when appropriate.

We respect applicable copyright laws and do not reproduce protected material without authorization or a lawful basis.

5. Anonymous and Confidential Sources

We generally prefer sources who are willing to be identified.

However, anonymous sources may be considered when the information is newsworthy, the source has a legitimate reason to request confidentiality, and the information can be reasonably evaluated for credibility.

When using anonymous sources, we will make reasonable efforts to verify important claims through independent evidence.

Confidentiality arrangements must be expressly agreed upon before they are assumed to exist.

We do not automatically guarantee confidentiality to individuals submitting news tips or contacting our newsroom.

6. Crime, Arrests, and Court Reporting

My Parkland News may report on arrests, criminal investigations, court proceedings, and other law enforcement activities when they are matters of legitimate public interest.

Our reporting may rely on information released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, county sheriff’s offices, municipal police departments, prosecutors, courts, and other official sources.

We recognize that an arrest or criminal charge is not proof of guilt.

All individuals accused of criminal offenses are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

We strive to distinguish allegations from established facts and accurately describe the status of criminal proceedings.

When practical and relevant, we may update earlier reporting to reflect significant developments, including dismissed charges, acquittals, or other case outcomes.

We exercise additional care when reporting allegations involving minors, victims of sexual offenses, and individuals whose identification may create unnecessary harm.

7. Accident and Emergency Reporting

My Parkland News covers traffic crashes, fires, severe weather, public safety emergencies, and other incidents affecting our communities.

We may obtain information from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, fire departments, emergency management agencies, and other official sources.

Early reports may contain preliminary information that changes as investigations progress.

We strive to identify preliminary findings as such and avoid presenting unconfirmed causes or circumstances as established facts.

We will exercise sensitivity when reporting fatalities, serious injuries, and traumatic events.

We do not intentionally publish graphic or disturbing material solely to attract attention.

8. Government and Political Coverage

My Parkland News is committed to fair and independent reporting on local, county, state, and federal government.

Coverage may include public meetings, elections, legislation, government spending, public officials, and matters involving taxpayer funds.

We strive to represent relevant perspectives fairly and distinguish factual reporting from commentary or opinion.

My Parkland News does not endorse political candidates or parties through its straight-news reporting.

Any future editorial endorsements or opinion positions will be clearly identified as opinion content and distinguished from news reporting.

Political advertising, when accepted, will be identified in accordance with applicable law.

9. Corrections, Clarifications, and Retractions

We recognize that errors can occur despite reasonable efforts to verify information.

When a significant factual error is identified and confirmed, we will take appropriate steps to correct it.

Depending on the circumstances, we may:

• Correct inaccurate information within an article.
• Add an editor’s note explaining a material change.
• Publish a clarification or correction notice.
• Retract an article when its central claims cannot be supported.
• Update a developing story when additional verified information becomes available.

We generally seek to preserve transparency regarding substantive corrections rather than silently changing the historical record.

Requests for corrections should include the article title or URL, a description of the alleged error, and any supporting documentation.

Corrections Contact: NewsRoom@MyParklandNews.com

Removal of accurate, lawfully published reporting is not automatic and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

10. Opinion and Commentary

My Parkland News may publish editorials, opinion columns, letters to the editor, and guest commentary.

Opinion content will be identified as such and distinguished from factual news reporting.

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of My Parkland News or Leadbelt Operating LLC.

We reserve the right to edit, decline, or remove submitted commentary based on editorial judgment and applicable law.

11. Advertising and Sponsored Content

Advertising helps support the operation of My Parkland News.

We maintain a distinction between independently produced editorial content and paid promotional material.

Sponsored articles, paid announcements, and other advertising presented in an editorial-style format will be appropriately identified.

Advertisers do not receive editorial control over independent news coverage merely because they purchase advertising.

We reserve the right to reject advertising that is misleading, unlawful, or inconsistent with our publication standards.

12. Artificial Intelligence and Digital Content

My Parkland News recognizes that artificial intelligence and other digital tools can assist with news production.

AI-assisted tools may be used for activities such as organizing information, preparing preliminary drafts, summarizing documents, proofreading, creating graphics, and supporting editorial workflows.

However, AI-generated material can contain errors, omissions, or misleading information.

Our editorial standards require that factual claims be evaluated against reliable source material before publication.

We do not consider AI-generated text or images to be independent evidence that an event occurred.

AI-generated illustrations must not be presented as authentic photographs of actual events.

When a synthetic image could reasonably be mistaken for a documentary photograph, we will identify it as an illustration or AI-generated image.

Responsibility for published content remains with My Parkland News, regardless of whether digital tools assisted in its preparation.

13. Photographs and Visual Content

13. Photographs, Featured Images, and Visual Content

My Parkland News uses photographs, videos, graphics, and illustrations to support our reporting and provide readers with visual context.

Images published by My Parkland News may include original photography, photographs provided by government agencies, licensed images, stock photography, and digitally created or artificial intelligence-generated illustrations.

When an actual photograph of a news event is unavailable, My Parkland News may use a generic or illustrative featured image to accompany the article.

To maintain transparency and prevent confusion, images that do not depict the actual event, individuals, or circumstances being reported may be identified using labels such as:

• Illustrative Image – A generic image used to represent the subject of a news article.
• AI-Generated Illustration – An image created using artificial intelligence for illustrative purposes.
• File Photo – A previously captured photograph used to provide relevant context.
• Courtesy Photo – An image supplied by a government agency, organization, business, or other third party.

My Parkland News will not knowingly present an AI-generated image or generic illustration as an authentic photograph of an actual news event.

For stories involving traffic accidents, criminal investigations, fires, arrests, and other public safety incidents, illustrative images are intended to provide general visual context and should not be interpreted as photographic documentation of the specific incident.

Images may be cropped, resized, or adjusted for presentation purposes. However, we will not knowingly manipulate documentary photographs in a manner that materially misrepresents the events or individuals depicted.

Our goal is to maintain accuracy, transparency, and reader trust while providing appropriate visual content to accompany our reporting.

14. Conflicts of Interest

Individuals involved in producing editorial content should avoid conflicts that could compromise the fairness or independence of reporting.

Potential conflicts involving financial interests, personal relationships, business activities, or political involvement should be evaluated before publication.

When a material conflict cannot reasonably be avoided, appropriate disclosure or reassignment of editorial responsibility may be necessary.

Leadbelt Operating LLC may operate or hold interests in other business activities. Such relationships do not automatically determine the editorial positions or coverage decisions of My Parkland News.

15. Community Submissions and Press Releases

My Parkland News welcomes community announcements, school news, nonprofit updates, business announcements, event information, and other submissions of local interest.

Submission does not guarantee publication.

We reserve the right to verify, edit, shorten, decline, or remove submitted material.

We may publish information derived from official press releases when the information is relevant to our readers.

Promotional content may be treated differently from independent news reporting and may be subject to advertising policies.

16. Privacy, Fairness, and Minimizing Harm

We recognize that journalism can affect individuals, families, businesses, and communities.

We seek to balance the public’s right to know with reasonable considerations of privacy, fairness, and potential harm.

We exercise particular care when reporting on children, victims, grieving families, vulnerable individuals, and sensitive personal circumstances.

Information being publicly available does not automatically mean that every detail must be republished.

Editorial decisions will consider newsworthiness, accuracy, relevance, and the legitimate public interest.

17. Accountability and Reader Feedback

We welcome constructive feedback, factual corrections, and questions about our reporting.

Readers may contact our newsroom to raise concerns about accuracy, fairness, attribution, or editorial practices.

We will review legitimate concerns and take appropriate action when warranted.

Our commitment to accountability does not mean that individuals or organizations covered by our reporting have editorial approval over published articles.

18. Updates to Our Editorial Standards

These Editorial Standards may be reviewed and updated as My Parkland News grows and its operations evolve.

Any revisions will be reflected on this page with an updated effective date.

19. Contact Our Newsroom

For editorial questions, corrections, news tips, or concerns regarding our reporting standards, contact:

My Parkland News
A Publication of Leadbelt Operating LLC
Missouri, United States

Email: NewsRoom@MyParklandNews.com
Website: https://MyParklandNews.com