Editorial Standards

Last reviewed 2026-07-21.

The Houston is a member of the Nexcom Media Network and adheres to these editorial standards in every article and editorial decision.

1. Accuracy

• Every article is traceable to an attributed source; our systems summarize only what the cited source reports, and editors correct the record when errors are found.
• Statistics, dates, and quotes reflect what the cited source reported; we link to that source so readers can verify the original.
• Headlines must accurately summarize the article body; sensational, misleading, or click-bait headlines are not permitted.
• When facts are disputed or under investigation, we say so explicitly.

2. Attribution & sourcing

• Every article links to and credits its original source publisher in the author + isBasedOn JSON-LD fields.
• Anonymous sources are used only when (a) the information is in the public interest, (b) cannot be obtained on the record, and (c) is verified through additional channels.
• Government documents, court filings, and primary records are cited with permalinks where available.
• We do not publish unsubstantiated rumors or unattributed claims.

3. Independence

• The Houston accepts no payment for favorable coverage, sponsored content disguised as news, or pay-for-play.
• No advertiser, sponsor, or donor influences editorial decisions.

4. Diversity & inclusion

• We aim for source diversity in every story — across race, gender, geography, profession, and viewpoint.
• Editorial decisions about which stories to cover are made independently of advertisers, political affiliation, or social pressure.
• We invite tips and contributions from underrepresented communities at editor@nexcom.media.

5. Corrections & updates

See our full corrections policy. In summary: we correct confirmed errors within 24 hours, include a dated correction notice on the affected article, and document every correction in a public log.

6. AI use & disclosure

• AI tools (large language models) may be used for summarization, transcription, headline drafting, and metadata generation.
• Editors set and review the rules the automated systems follow, review flagged items, and review post-publication samples; not every item receives individual prepublication review.
• AI is not used to fabricate quotes, sources, statistics, or events.
• AI assistance is disclosed at the publication level — on this page and at /about-nexcom — and every article carries an attribution block naming where its reporting comes from.

7. Plagiarism & paraphrasing

• Direct copying without attribution is grounds for retraction and editor dismissal.
• Paraphrased material is rewritten substantially and the original source is cited.
• Article excerpts from other outlets are limited to the minimum necessary for context (fair use) with a link to the canonical article.

8. Privacy & sensitive subjects

• Victims of crimes are not named without consent unless legally required or already publicly identified.
• Names of minors are withheld in juvenile-justice contexts and most sensitive personal stories.
• Medical, financial, and immigration information is not published without subject consent or strong public-interest justification.

9. Conflicts of interest

• Editorial staff disclose any personal, financial, or political conflicts before reporting on a topic.
• Where a conflict cannot be avoided, it is disclosed in the article footer.
• Editors recuse themselves from stories involving family, business partners, or financial holdings.

10. Accessibility

All articles are published with semantic HTML, alt text on images, and a JSON Feed at /feed.json. We do not paywall and do not require login. Nexcom-authored summary text is licensed CC BY 4.0; third-party reporting and images are not ours to license.

Editorial contact

Suggestions, complaints, or accountability inquiries: editor@nexcom.media.

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