# Provenance: How We Know What We Know
Last updated: July 16, 2026
HastingsNow.com, Soundbites, Local Pigeon Messenger, Brand Channels, and related services are operated by Local Pigeon, LLC, doing business as HastingsNow.com (“HastingsNow,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).
This page explains how we handle the origin, capture, review, publication, correction, and updating of local information.
“Provenance” means the chain from:
source → capture → review → publication → correction or update
## 1. Our provenance goal
We want readers to be able to understand:
- where a piece of information came from
- who supplied it
- whether it was self-reported, publicly sourced, reviewed, sponsored, or externally summarized
- whether AI tools materially assisted with the output
- when the information was published or updated
- what we can state confidently
- what remains uncertain or limited
## 2. Common source paths
A HastingsNow item may originate through one or more of the following paths.
### A. Direct local voice
A verified or identified business, nonprofit, agency, community organization, or individual records or uploads a Soundbite or submits another update directly.
### B. Organization-provided information
An authorized representative provides:
- business details
- public contact information
- events
- jobs
- deals
- announcements
- photographs
- interviews
- corrections
- other organization information
### C. Editorially assembled material
HastingsNow personnel or contractors compile information from:
- direct reporting
- interviews
- approved submissions
- public records
- official announcements
- public websites
- public social-media pages
- event materials
- previous HastingsNow coverage
- other identified sources
### D. Public or third-party source
We may obtain business, organization, civic, or community information from publicly accessible sources such as:
- official websites
- public government records
- public directories
- press releases
- public social-media posts
- event calendars
- publicly distributed materials
- public meeting records
Where reasonably practical, we record the source or source category and the date the material was accessed.
Information being publicly available does not automatically mean that every field is appropriate to republish.
We apply additional care to residential addresses, personal telephone numbers, private email addresses, and other information that may be privacy-sensitive.
### E. External-source summary
We summarize or contextualize information that first appeared elsewhere, with attribution or a source link where appropriate.
### F. Sponsored or paid production
A business or organization pays for services such as:
- research
- a Local Visit
- photography
- audio or video production
- Brand Channel setup
- editing
- publishing guidance
- labeled promotional distribution
Payment does not make factual claims verified and does not guarantee organic editorial placement.
### G. AI-assisted media
AI or other software tools may assist with:
- transcription
- draft formatting
- spelling and grammar
- summaries based on source material
- image generation
- video generation
- subtitles
- other production steps
AI assistance is a production method, not an independent source of truth.
## 3. What we may record internally
Depending on the feature used, we may maintain information such as:
- source name
- source category
- source URL
- source access date
- linked account or organization
- submission method
- ingest timestamp
- public-contact approval status
- verification status
- review status
- reviewer identity
- technical metadata
- moderation notes
- publication decision
- update and correction history
- expiration date
- sponsorship status
- AI-assistance notes
For Soundbites, the workflow may include:
- recorded or uploaded audio or video
- transcript generation
- editable draft creation
- source or organization confirmation
- human review
- approval, hold, rejection, or correction
- public publication
- later updates or removal
## 4. Public versus private contact information
We distinguish between:
- information approved for public business use
- private administrative or account information
We do not intend to publish a residential address or personal telephone number as public business contact information unless the person or an authorized representative expressly approves that specific information for public display.
An organization may request that HastingsNow:
- correct public information
- replace a personal number with a business number
- display a service area instead of a street address
- hide a residential address
- remove outdated information
- update the source record
## 5. What readers may see publicly
Depending on the item, readers may see:
- the source or organization name
- the content type
- a transcript or excerpt
- public contact information
- publication date
- last-updated date
- expiration date
- CTA or outbound link
- self-reported label
- reviewed label
- verified-source label
- sponsored label
- corrected or updated note
- category or trust label
- source link or source description
Public labels summarize the handling of an item. They are not necessarily a complete internal audit log.
## 6. How we treat AI-assisted content
We may distinguish among:
- source-provided content
- AI-assisted transcript or draft
- AI-generated illustration or graphic
- human-edited material
- human-reviewed publication
- self-reported factual claims
AI-generated or AI-assisted material should not be presented as an independent local source.
When a formal media-authenticity or content-credential system is active on a particular item, we may identify it clearly.
We will not imply that a formal content credential exists when it does not.
## 7. High-risk exceptions
For content involving minors, health, legal, financial, privacy, safety, or serious reputational harm, we may:
- require human review
- require stronger sourcing
- request confirmation from the affected party
- redact private information
- delay publication
- temporarily hide information
- decline publication
- publish only with additional context or labeling
## 8. Corrections and updates
Provenance does not end when an item is published.
When we correct, clarify, relabel, update, or remove an item, we may:
- update the public version
- add a correction or update note
- preserve an internal decision history
- update the source record
- record why the change occurred
## 9. What this page does not mean
This page does not mean:
- every post is independently fact-checked
- every transcript is perfect
- every source is independent
- every public record is safe or appropriate to republish
- every item receives the same level of review
- every internal note becomes public
It means that we are working to make source origin, ownership, review status, sponsorship, and meaningful corrections understandable.
## 10. Planned improvements
We may introduce:
- clearer provenance indicators
- public source cards
- public-contact approval controls
- reliability or usefulness signals
- stronger content credentials
- public correction histories
- aggregate transparency reporting
We will describe these features as operational only after they are actually in use.
## Contact
Questions about provenance, source status, public contact information, or corrections:
Phone: (651) 829-9234