Editorial Policy

Last updated: September 29, 2026

South Florida Media (SFL Media) publishes free local and national news from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This policy explains how we report, verify, correct and label what we publish, so readers can judge our work for themselves.

Our Mission

We cover the stories that matter to people in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties and the Florida Keys, along with national and world news that affects our region. Our job is to be accurate, fair and clear, and to be open about how we do our work.

Who Is Responsible

Editor-in-Chief

Patrick Zarrelli, CEO of South Florida Media, is responsible for our editorial standards and final publishing decisions.

Bylines and Author Pages

Every article carries the name of the person who wrote it, linked to an author page with their background and published work. Meet our newsroom.

Editorial Review

Articles on sensitive subjects, including crime, legal matters, allegations against named people and public health, are reviewed by an editor before publishing.

How We Report

Sourcing and Fact-Checking

  • We verify facts before publishing, using primary sources wherever possible: court records, police reports, government data, official statements and on-the-record interviews.
  • We link to our sources so readers can check them.
  • When a story builds on another outlet’s reporting, we name and link to that outlet.
  • Claims we cannot independently confirm are attributed (“according to…”, “police said…”) and not presented as fact.
  • Names, titles, dates, numbers and quotes are checked against the source before publication.

Anonymous Sources

We use anonymous sources only when the information is important, cannot be obtained on the record, and the source has direct knowledge. An editor must know the source’s identity, and we explain to readers why anonymity was granted.

Fairness and Right of Reply

When we report allegations or criticism against a person, business or organization, we make a genuine effort to contact them for comment before publishing, and we include their response or note that they did not respond.

Crime and Legal Reporting

People who are arrested or charged are presumed innocent unless convicted. We use accurate legal terms such as “charged with” and “accused of,” and we aim to report later outcomes, such as dropped charges or acquittals, when we learn of them. We do not name minors accused of crimes or victims of sexual offenses except in rare, justified cases.

News, Analysis and Opinion

  • News reports what happened, based on verified facts and sources.
  • Analysis explains or interprets the news, grounded in facts.
  • Opinion and commentary express the writer’s own view and are labeled as such.

We aim to make these labels clear on every article so readers always know what they are reading.

Corrections and Updates

  • When we make an error, we correct it as soon as we confirm it.
  • Significant corrections are noted at the end of the article with the date and what was changed.
  • Minor fixes such as spelling or formatting may be made without a note.
  • We do not quietly delete or rewrite articles to hide mistakes.

To report an error, email [email protected] with the subject line “Correction” and a link to the article.

Independence and Transparency

Advertising and Sponsored Content

  • Advertisers, sponsors and business partners do not decide what we cover or how we cover it.
  • South Florida Media also operates a digital marketing and web services business. That business is separate from our newsroom, and its clients do not receive news coverage in exchange for their business.
  • Sponsored articles (paid for by a third party) and Contributor articles (written by people outside our newsroom) are clearly labeled.
  • Our staff do not accept gifts, payments or favors in exchange for coverage.

Conflicts of Interest

Writers disclose any personal, financial or business connection to the people or organizations they cover. Where a conflict exists, the story is reassigned or the connection is disclosed in the article.

Technology and Media

Use of AI Tools

We may use AI tools for tasks such as transcription, research assistance, grammar checks or headline suggestions. A human writer and editor are responsible for every article we publish. We do not publish AI-generated articles without human reporting, verification and editing, and we never use AI to create fake quotes, images or sources.

Images and Video

We credit photos and videos to their source. We do not alter news photos in ways that mislead readers. Illustrative or AI-generated images, when used, are labeled.

Contact Us

Learn more about SFL Media and our team.