Welcome to Auburn Advance, a digital media initiative from the Department of Journalism at Auburn University. Auburn Advance is dedicated to showcasing the work of our undergraduate students while simultaneously offering quality and in-depth reporting on issues important to the Auburn community. Our aim also allows student journalists to experiment with new approaches to telling stories, with the integration of multimedia.
We Work for the Bylines
AuburnAdvance.com is a product connected with the Department of Journalism at Auburn University. Students produce news and features stories through their classwork, exercising ethical standards aligned with the Society of Professional Journalists. Students produce original, professional-level content, often through collaboration with peers and faculty, with real audiences in mind. All the work on this site is edited by the standards of a professional newsroom before publication.
We prioritize working and collaborating with other publications, including the republishing of any content on this site. All work on AuburnAdvance.com is covered by a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0), which allows the use and republication of this content with the inclusion of the original author and any contributors.
Under this license, any individual, news organization or media outlet may:
- Reproduce and republish our content in full or in part, in print or digital form, at no cost.
- Adapt or translate content for their publication’s format or audience.
Republication requires the following:
- The reporter(s) byline must be preserved and displayed prominently.
- The publication must be credited as the original source (e.g. “This story was originally published by AuburnAdvance.com, a reporting project out of Auburn University’s Department of Journalism.”)
- No changes may be made to the factual content of the story without prior written consent from the faculty editorial staff.
If you have any questions or comments about information on the site, please contact Justin Blankenship at AuburnAdvance@gmail.com.
Editorial Independence and University Relationship
While AuburnAdvance.com is housed within the Auburn University Department of Journalism, the editorial content published on this platform is the work of student reporters and is subject to the editorial judgment of the publication’s faculty editorial staff, not the university administration.
Auburn University does not direct, review, approve or endorse the content published on this site. The university is not responsible for, and assumes no liability for, the accuracy, completeness, or legal implications of any story, photo, graphic, or other content appearing on AuburnAdvance.com. Readers with questions or concerns about specific concerns should contact the publication directly using the information provided in the Corrections and Clarifications section of this policy.
What We Publish
We publish original news content produced by students enrolled in journalism courses at Auburn University. This includes text-based and multimedia news and features. Content is selected for publication based on the following criteria:
- Newsworthiness: The story addresses matters of genuine public interest or relevance to the Auburn area, its surrounding communities, and the state of Alabama.
- Accuracy: All facts, quotes and claims are independently verified through original reporting and are attributed to identified, credible sources.
- Fairness: We believe in “no surprises” journalism. All subjects and stakeholders have been given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the reporting.
- Editorial quality: The work meets the standards of professional journalism, as determined by the publication’s faculty editors.
- Originality: The content is the original work of the student reporter(s) and has not been plagiarized, fabricated or generated with artificial intelligence.
- Transparency: Sources of information will be identified and attributed appropriately. Any use of artificial intelligence will be disclosed.
Not all work from the journalism courses is published. Faculty editors make the final decisions on what is published and may decline to publish work that does not meet the standards above, that raises unresolved legal or ethical concerns, or that is not ready for public consumption, even after editing.
Reporting and Accuracy Standards
All work we publish on this platform is based on original reporting conducted by student journalists. We do not republish press releases, rewrite the work of other outlets without direct reporting of our own, or rely on anonymous sources without compelling editorial justification and faculty editor approval.
Our reporters are expected to:
- Interview primary sources directly and record the interviews (either electronically or through proper and thorough note-taking).
- Seek comment from any and all people or organizations named in a story, especially if they are subject of criticism or significant claims.
- Use documents, data, and public records to support and verify reporting.
- Follow the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, which specifies that journalists should seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable and transparent.
Stories that involve serious allegations, legal matters or public safety concerns receive heighted editorial review before publication.
Note to Story Subjects and Sources
Our reporters cover topics and people as newsworthy subjects, not as representatives of a particular demographic or identity group. The people, organizations and communities featured in our reporting are covered on the basis of their roles, actions, statements and public significance, not their race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, disability or other protected characteristics.
Alabama law imposes certain restrictions on how state institutions approach diversity, equity, and inclusion in their programs and activities. This publication’s editorial coverage is not subject to those restrictions. The act of reporting on a person, organization, or community does not constitute an institutional “DEI program” as defined under state law, and no subject of a story should interpret their inclusion in our journalism as placing any legal obligation on them in connection with that legislation. Our reporting is governed by the First Amendment and the standards of professional journalism, not by restrictions on institutional programming.
Corrections and Clarifications
We are committed to correcting errors promptly and transparently, without qualification. Factual accuracy is foundational to our mission, and we take errors seriously, regardless of their source.
How to Request a Correction
Anyone who believes a published story contains a factual error, a significant omission, or a misleading statement may contact the publication at AuburnAdvance@gmail.com. Requests should include the headline of the story, the specific passage or sentence in question, the claimed error and any supporting evidence to show it is false. We review all correction requests, typically within five business days.
Types of Corrections
- Correction: A factual error has been identified and confirm. The story will be updated and a correction statement will be added to the original story, noting what was changed and when.
- Clarification: A passage of the story was accurate, but created a reasonable misunderstanding. The story will be updated with language that addresses the confusion, and a clarification statement will be added to the original story.
- Editor’s Note: For significant structural issues that require context beyond a simple correction, an editor’s note may be added to the story.
- Retraction: In some cases, where a story cannot be corrected or should not remain in publication, it will be retracted. A notice explaining the retraction will remain on the original URL.
We do not remove stories from the public record except in cases of retraction or when required to by law. Requests to remove accurately reported and lawfully published content will not be honored. If a subject believes their request for a correction was wrongfully denied, they may appeal in writing the faculty editor, whose decision is final.
Student Contributors
Bylines and Credit
Stories are published under the byline(s) of the student reporter(s) who conducted the original reporting and wrote the article. Students who contribute substantially to a story’s reporting or production may receive shared credit, as determined by the faculty editors.
Publication Agreement
Before any student’s work may be published, that student must sign a publication agreement provided by the Department of Journalism. This agreement confirms the student’s consent to publish, their understanding of the Creative Commons licensing terms, and their acknowledgement that they have conducted original reporting using standard ethical practices and they have not plagiarized or fabricated any of the content. They also agree to the terms of this editorial policy.
Compensation
This publication does not pay students for work published on this platform. Participation is undertaken as part of coursework and for the professional development and public benefit that comes from publishing original journalistic work. Students retain their bylines and all attribution rights to their work under the terms of the Creative Commons license. The department reserves the right to submit published work for contests and awards.
Independence, Conflict of Interest and Ethics
Our student journalists are expected to operate with independence and integrity. Reporters should not cover organizations, people or issues in which they have a personal, financial, or familial interest without disclosing that relationship to their editor. This means students should not use their professors, coaches, advisers, close friends, classmates, bosses, relatives, or other people who they could be perceived as having a conflict of interest with, as sources in their work. Exceptions to this rule might apply, but the student should discuss that with the faculty editor prior to interviewing the subject. Editors will determine on a case-by-case basis whether the conflict disqualifies the reporter from the assignment or the story from publication.
We do not accept payment, gifts or other consideration in exchange for coverage. We do not allow advertisers, donors, or other outside parties to direct or influence our editorial decisions. We adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics.
Plagiarism, Fabrication and Artificial Intelligence
The credibility of this publication relies on its authenticity of the work we publish. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism and fabrication.
Plagiarism is when someone presents another person’s work or words as their own without giving proper credit or attribution. Fabrication is when someone misrepresents or invents facts, quotes or sources of information. Work found to contain either will not be published. If a work is published and is later found to contain plagiarized or fabricated content, it will be retracted. Such violations are also referred to the Department of Journalism for academic disciplinary action.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used to assist in some parts of the reporting process, such as idea generation, data structuring, or transcription. However, AI tools should not be used to generate, draft or shape any part of a story including the reporting, source selection, structure or writing. The work published here must reflect the intellectual and journalistic labor of the student reporter. The student reporter is responsible for ensuring all AI-generated work is independently checked and verified, and the student remains responsible if any inaccuracy is reported because of their dependence on an AI product. All uses of AI should be disclosed at the end of the story when it is submitted for publication. When a student is in doubt about the standards, they should consult their faculty editor before using any AI tool in connection with a story.
Privacy and the Treatment of Sources
We recognize that journalism sometimes requires asking people to share personal or sensitive information. We approach all sources with respect and care, whether they are public officials or members of vulnerable communities.
We do not publish the names of minors involved in criminal matters, the names of sexual assault survivors, private medical information, or other sensitive personal information unless the individual has consented or there is a compelling public interest justification reviewed and approved by a faculty editor.
We generally require that sources be named and identified in stories. Anonymous sourcing requires a compelling editorial justification and must be approved by a faculty editor. The publication retains the identity of confidential sources in its internal records, though that information is not shared publicly.
Donations
While Auburn Advance subscribes to the editorial independence policies laid out by the Institute for Nonprofit News. Our organization retains full authority over the editorial content to protect the journalistic interests of the publication. We maintain a clear delineation between editorial and financial concerns. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products. Reversely, financial support is not tied to the support of any editorial content.
We can accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals and organizations through Auburn University for the general support of the Department of Journalism. We will not accept anonymous donations and will make public any donation of over $500.
Contact
AuburnAdvance.com
Department of Journalism, Auburn University
AuburnAdvance@gmail.com For media partner inquires, corrections requests, or general questions about this policy, please use the email address above.