Ethics and standards
Windsor News is here to give Windsor residents accurate, neutral civic news. This page explains how we work, what we will and will not do, and how to hold us to it.
Last updated Oct. 3, 2026. See also our About page and corrections policy.
Independence and neutrality
Windsor News is independent. We are not affiliated with any candidate, party, campaign or other Windsor news outlet.
We do not endorse candidates, and we do not back any side in an election. During the 2026 municipal election we use the same standards for every candidate: we report their records and their pledges, and we label campaign pledges as pledges, not City policy.
Our news stories report what is on the record. We keep our own opinions out of them.
Checking facts against primary sources
We check facts against primary sources wherever we can: council agendas, minutes and votes, budgets, staff reports, court and tribunal records, official statements, and the people directly involved.
When a fact comes from another news outlet, we name that outlet. If we cannot confirm something, we say so or we leave it out. When something is still not known, we label it Unclear rather than guess.
Every story lists its sources and links them when they are online, so you can check our work yourself.
Documents and freedom of information
We use public records, and Ontario's freedom-of-information law when records are not public. Each request appears on our FOI tracker once it is filed, and we report what the records show when they arrive.
Our documents page lists public records only. We do not publish private emails or letters, or personal information about private people that the public does not need to know.
Anonymous sources
We name our sources whenever we can. We agree not to name a source only when the information matters to the public, cannot be confirmed on the record, and naming the person could cause them real harm, such as losing their job.
Even then, we must know who the source is, and we check what they tell us against documents or a second independent source before we publish. When a story relies on an unnamed source, it says so and explains why. We do not let unnamed sources make personal attacks.
We do not publish a tipster's name without permission.
Corrections
We correct errors as soon as we confirm them, with a dated note on the story saying what changed. If the error was in a post on X or Facebook, we correct it there too. Read our full corrections policy.
Conflicts of interest
Our publisher, Kyle L. Stewart, has a day job with a local employer. To keep our coverage fair, the publisher stays out of any coverage involving that employer. If a story touches that employer in passing, we will say so in the story.
Windsor News does not accept gifts, favours or special access in exchange for coverage. If we ever have a personal or financial connection to a story, we will disclose it or step back from it.
Money, advertising and sponsorship
Windsor News does not currently carry advertising, sponsored content or paid posts. No one can pay to have a story published, changed or removed.
If that ever changes, paid content will be clearly labelled and kept separate from our news, and we will update this page.
How we use AI tools
We use AI tools to help with research and drafting, for example finding and summarizing public records and suggesting wording. AI tools do not decide what we publish.
Every story is checked against primary sources and approved by the publisher before it is published. We do not use AI to invent quotes, and we do not present AI-generated images as real photos.
Photos and credits
Our story cards mostly use Creative Commons or public domain photos, credited with the photographer, the source and the licence. Photos that do not show the actual place or event are labelled as illustrative. Excerpts from public documents are labelled with their source.
If you own a photo we used and believe we used it wrongly, email us and we will fix the credit or remove it.
Questions and complaints
If you think we got something wrong or fell short of these standards, email [email protected]. Include the story link and what concerns you. We reply to every complaint and correction request, and we will tell you what we did about it.