# Trust, Safety, and Editorial Standards
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”).
We built these services to make useful local information easier to share, understand, verify, correct, and trust.
This page explains what our labels mean, how we review content, and what practices are currently active versus still planned.
## 1. Our core commitments
We aim to:
- make the source of local information understandable
- distinguish self-reported information from material reviewed by HastingsNow
- identify paid and sponsored material clearly
- prioritize resident usefulness over popularity or engagement alone
- review higher-risk subjects more carefully than routine local updates
- avoid publishing private residential or personal contact information without appropriate authorization
- honor good-faith correction, privacy, and takedown requests
- keep internal records of important moderation, correction, and safety decisions
- avoid overstating certainty when evidence is incomplete
- separate payment from verification and editorial judgment
## 2. What our labels mean
### Verified Local Source
We have confirmed the identity, organizational authority, or local connection of the business, organization, agency, or person to our reasonable satisfaction.
This label does not mean that every future statement made by that source has been independently verified.
Verification is not purchased through advertising, sponsorship, or a Brand Channel service.
### Self-Reported
The main claim, statement, or update came from the person, business, organization, agency, or source identified with the item.
This label helps readers understand where the information originated. It is not a guarantee that every claim is complete or literally correct.
### Reviewed by HastingsNow
A human reviewer checked the content for matters such as:
- source attribution
- policy compliance
- readability
- format
- obvious privacy concerns
- basic trust and safety concerns
This label does not mean that every statement has been exhaustively fact-checked or independently investigated.
### Sponsored or Paid
The item, placement, production, or distribution includes a paid relationship, sponsorship, advertising arrangement, or purchased service.
We aim to identify sponsored or paid material clearly and prominently.
Payment does not purchase:
- verification
- editorial endorsement
- immunity from correction or removal
- guaranteed organic ranking
- guaranteed LOCAL 10 selection
### Corrected or Updated
We changed an item after publication to:
- correct an error
- improve accuracy
- add context
- clarify wording
- update information
- remove information that should not remain public
Depending on the significance of the change, we may display a correction or update note.
### AI-Assisted
Software or artificial-intelligence tools materially assisted with transcription, drafting, formatting, editing, illustration, video, or another production step.
AI assistance does not establish factual accuracy or trustworthiness by itself.
## 3. Privacy-sensitive information
We apply additional care to:
- residential addresses
- personal telephone numbers
- private email addresses
- information involving minors
- private administrative contact information
- health or disability information
- financial information
- account credentials
- unpublished submissions
- information that may create a credible safety risk
We do not intend to publish a private home address or personal telephone number as public business contact information unless the individual or an authorized organization representative has expressly approved that information for public display.
Private administrative contact information should be kept separate from public-facing business information.
## 4. Subjects receiving heightened review
We may apply additional review, sourcing requirements, context, labeling, or restraint to content involving:
- minors
- health, legal, or financial claims
- allegations involving identifiable people or organizations
- harassment, threats, stalking, or hateful conduct
- graphic, exploitative, or sexual material
- private or sensitive personal information
- impersonation
- synthetic voice or likeness misuse
- deceptive media manipulation
- public-safety emergencies
- claims that may cause significant reputational harm
We may hold, edit, label, limit distribution, reject, remove, or escalate such material.
## 5. Sponsored content and editorial separation
Paid participation may support:
- Brand Channel setup
- research
- photography
- audio or video production
- editing
- publishing guidance
- clearly labeled promotional distribution
- platform operations
A paid relationship may affect clearly labeled sponsored placement or distribution.
It does not override our privacy, correction, moderation, safety, or editorial standards.
Paid relationships do not guarantee inclusion in LOCAL 10 or any other organic editorial selection.
## 6. Ranking and distribution
Not every HastingsNow surface is purely chronological.
Depending on the feature, we may consider:
- resident usefulness
- freshness
- timeliness
- actionability
- local relevance
- category fit
- source clarity
- verification status
- review status
- expiration
- duplication or spam risk
- editorial judgment
- limited aggregate engagement signals
Popularity or payment should not determine organic editorial treatment by itself.
Automated scores may assist reviewers, but final editorial and moderation decisions remain subject to human judgment.
## 7. LOCAL 10
LOCAL 10 is intended to identify up to ten useful, reviewed local signals that residents may need to know, hear, or act on.
LOCAL 10 is not:
- a raw social feed
- a popularity contest
- guaranteed inventory
- a pay-to-rank system
- an automatic AI digest
- a promise that ten items will always be published
Sponsored or paid participation does not guarantee LOCAL 10 selection.
## 8. AI and model-assisted work
We may use software tools, including AI tools, to assist with:
- transcription
- subtitles
- spelling and grammar
- formatting
- draft generation
- summaries based on approved sources
- image, video, or media production
- moderation assistance
- duplicate detection
- internal organization and scoring assistance
AI tools must not be treated as an independent source of local facts.
We aim to keep meaningful public statements grounded in identified sources, submitted materials, public records, direct reporting, or other reviewable information.
Higher-risk content generally requires greater human review.
## 9. Corrections, challenges, and takedowns
To report information that you believe is:
- inaccurate
- misleading
- unsafe
- private
- outdated
- improperly attributed
- infringing
- impersonating you or your organization
contact:
Please include:
- the relevant URL or item
- the information at issue
- what you believe is wrong
- the basis for your request
- any supporting evidence or context
- your preferred contact information
We may:
- temporarily hide the information
- correct it
- add context
- change its attribution
- label it
- limit distribution
- remove it
- decline the request with an explanation where appropriate
We may request reasonable information to confirm your identity or authority.
We maintain internal records of significant correction and takedown decisions where appropriate.
## 10. Appeals and additional review
If you disagree with a correction, privacy, moderation, or takedown decision, you may request an additional review by replying to the decision or emailing:
Subject line:
TRUST AND SAFETY APPEAL
Please explain why you believe the decision should be reconsidered and include any additional evidence.
## 11. What is active today
Our current practices may include:
- source and organization attribution
- sponsor labeling
- self-reported and reviewed distinctions
- human review for higher-risk material
- correction and takedown handling
- private moderation and decision records
- structured Local Updates
- reviewed Soundbites
- expiration and freshness review for time-sensitive information
## 12. What remains planned or evolving
We may introduce or expand:
- clearer provenance indicators
- stronger reliability and usefulness signals
- public correction histories
- content credentials
- transparency summaries
- additional verified-publisher tools
- improved public contact-approval controls
We will not describe a feature as operational until it is actually in use.
## Contact
For trust, safety, correction, or privacy concerns:
Phone: (651) 829-9234