Our obligation is to the reader
Local service reporting often involves local companies. Some may be independent sources. Others may advertise, sponsor work, provide project material, be considered for a future commercial relationship, or have a paid service relationship with a separate company under common ownership with this publication. Those connections can create access, but they do not determine what we write or make a business's claims true.
A commercial connection does not guarantee coverage
A client is not entitled to an article, endorsement, favorable language, or editorial link. A business we may want to work with in the future is not described as a client and does not receive praise as a sales tactic. We consider other businesses and sources when fairness or the reader's question calls for them.
How we handle business links
We include an editorial link only when the destination helps the reader understand or act on the story and the link was not promised as part of a business arrangement. We use the business's name or a plain description of the relevant resource—not search-engine phrases designed to manipulate rankings.
If payment, sponsorship, a referral arrangement, a service exchange, or guaranteed placement caused the link to appear, we label the placement as sponsored and mark the link accordingly. We may also mention a business without linking to it. We reject unrelated, misleading, unsafe, undisclosed, or link-exchange placements.
What readers will see
The complete relationship disclosure appears before the article text on desktop and mobile and describes the connection in plain language. If a participating business supplied project details or images, we say so. We also say whether the publication independently visited or inspected the property; readers should assume it did not unless the article explicitly documents otherwise. Sponsored links use the standard rel="sponsored" label in the page code as well as a visible disclosure.
Questions about a relationship
If you believe we missed or misstated a relevant connection, please use the contact page and include the article URL and any supporting information. We will review the disclosure and correct it when needed.