Reading the Record publishes its journalism under the publication's name rather than individual bylines. This page explains that choice - and what it means for you as a reader.
The choice
This is a place where people run into one another: at the grocery store, in school gyms, in church parking lots, and in the meeting rooms where local decisions are made. The officials we cover, the institutions we examine, and the readers we serve are part of the same communities.
We made a deliberate decision that our work should stand or fall on the strength of the reporting and the documents behind it - not on who wrote a story, who they know, or what anyone thinks of them.
Publication-level bylines are an established tradition in journalism. For us, the choice is practical and editorial: the publication is the accountable voice, and every story must survive scrutiny on its own terms.
What does not change
Publishing this way raises a fair question: why should you trust a newsroom that does not put individual names on its stories?
Our answer is that you should not have to take our word for it. You should be able to check the work.
- Stories link to their records. Wherever a public document supports a material claim, we link to the document whenever possible.
- Our methods are public. The Methodology page explains how we gather, weigh, and label evidence - and how we separate confirmed facts from claims, analysis, and open questions.
- Corrections are visible. Factual errors are corrected promptly, with a dated note when the change is material.
- Criticized subjects get a right of reply. Anyone criticized in our reporting is offered a genuine opportunity to respond before publication.
- A real editor is responsible. Reading the Record is written and edited from the Yakima Valley by a reachable editor who is ethically and legally accountable for every word published here.
What we will not pretend
We will not pretend that a publication byline is a legal shield. It is not. The editor and publisher remain responsible for the journalism in every way a publisher is responsible.
Our protection is not invisibility. It is accuracy, fairness, documentation, and accountability.
Sources and tips
If you share information with us, tell us up front if it is sensitive. We will discuss the safest way to provide it before you send anything. We honor confidentiality agreements and handle source material with care.
If you have something the public should see, start at Contact and Submit a Tip.
Questions
If this raises questions, ask. The contact page reaches the editor directly. Reading the Record works for its readers - and this page, like everything else we publish, is subject to correction and improvement.