Editorial standards

The Vail Tribune holds itself to the standards of an independent newsroom. This page states them publicly so readers can hold us to them.

Accuracy

• Every factual claim traces to a retrievable source. News stories follow a two-source rule.
• We never invent facts, quotations, people, prices, dates, events, scores, transactions, or visits.
• Quotations are verbatim from published sources, attributed, with the source recorded. No composite quotations, no paraphrase inside quotation marks.
• We make no first-hand claims (visits, tastings, tests) unless a verified record of that visit exists.

Corrections

See our corrections policy. Material errors get dated correction notes, never silent edits.

Bylines and accountability

Every story carries a byline and a datestamp. Our masthead lists the publication's house bylines: named editorial voices of the Vail Tribune, produced under our AI use policy. They are the named voices of the masthead, not individual reporters, and the Vail Tribune stands behind every piece under these standards. Masthead bios carry names, roles, and beats only; we do not invent personal histories for our bylines.

Editorial and advertising

No advertiser influences coverage. Sponsored content is always labeled "Sponsored by [Brand]" above the headline, per our advertising disclosure.

Conflicts of interest

Journalists disclose conflicts to their editor and recuse themselves where a conflict would compromise coverage.

Anonymous sources

Used rarely, only when the information is newsworthy and cannot be obtained on the record, and only with an editor's approval. We explain to readers why anonymity was granted.

Photo ethics

Every photograph is a real photograph of the actual subject. We do not misrepresent what a photograph shows; captions name what is pictured, and credits appear on the article page.