Where do our articles come from?

Many newspapers do not reveal where or how they come across the information published in their articles.

It might be assumed that it is through the newspaper's interest and investigation, or that they in some way endorse the information being conveyed in their articles.

This is not necessarily the case, at least not at Peninsula News.

Peninsula News includes "source lines" at the end of each article which aim to provide readers with information about where and how we came across the information, so that they might judge for themselves the veracity of what they are reading.

In some cases, such as with articles concerning council, they also provide a reference for readers to look at for themselves.

It should not be assumed that the article is a verbatim reproduction of the source. Often articles are edited for readability and reader interest and given different headings, and are consequently quite different from the source material.

Peninsula News usually receives its information in three ways: It is sent to us by someone wanting to promote their activities; it is sent to us in response to our inquiries; or it comes from a newsletter or other document to which we have access.

Source lines attempt to reflect this and are usually comprised of four parts: the format of the source document, the date written or submitted, the author and the organisation (or, in the case of letters, the suburb).

Material sent to us unsolicited will usually be described as a Media Release, or in the case of Forum contributions Email if sent electronically and Letter if written on paper.

Material sent to us in response to our questions will usually be described as Media Statement if written, or Interview if verbal.

Where we gather information from a meeting (for example, of council), the Reporter's name will usually be given.

Council reports will usually be attributed to an Agenda item, which can be read on the council website.

Reports about development applications may include both the DA number and fact it was sourced from the Counci's DA Tracker website.

Reports of activities in our schools and local community groups often come from a Newsletter or Website of these organisations, which are providing information to the public.

Occasionally, we will be sent or come across a document in another format, such as Spreadsheet or Report or Letter (between third parties) or other Document, upon which we will base an article. It is quite possible in these cases that these may be used without the knowledge of the author.

Mark Snell, editor