Reporting Standards

Effective: November 2, 2026

The Mountain Messenger reports on Sierra County and neighboring communities. These principles guide our work:

• Accuracy: Verify information before publication, provide context, and distinguish verified facts from allegations.
• Fairness: Represent relevant perspectives fairly and seek a response from people or organizations facing significant criticism.
• Sources: Identify sources whenever possible, credit others’ work, and preserve the meaning and context of quotations.
• Independence: Base coverage on the public interest. Avoid conflicts of interest and disclose unavoidable ones. Keep advertising separate from news and clearly label opinion.
• Care: Respect privacy and weigh potential harm against the public’s need to know, taking particular care with children and vulnerable people.
• Accountability: Take responsibility for our reporting, review concerns, and correct errors promptly. See our Corrections Policy.