Collin County Journal aims to publish accurate, clear, and responsible journalism. When we make a factual error, we aim to correct it promptly and transparently once the issue is verified.
This policy explains how readers can request corrections, how CCJ evaluates those requests, and how updates or corrections may appear. CCJ reserves final editorial discretion over whether a correction, clarification, update, editor's note, removal, or other action is appropriate.
What We Correct
We review correction requests involving factual claims, names, titles, dates, numbers, locations, links, quotes, public-record references, article descriptions, image captions, and other concrete information.
If a factual error is verified, CCJ may correct the article, add a correction note, add a clarification, update the story, revise related metadata, or take another appropriate editorial action.
What May Not Require A Correction
A disagreement with analysis, framing, opinion, headline emphasis, editorial judgment, topic selection, reader interpretation, or the fact that a story was covered does not automatically constitute a factual error.
Minor edits for grammar, spelling, formatting, readability, broken links, image optimization, metadata, or style may be made without a formal correction note when they do not materially change the meaning of the story.
Clarifications and Updates
Sometimes a story is accurate but can be made clearer. In those cases, CCJ may add context, clarify wording, update a paragraph, add sourcing, revise a headline, or include an editor's note.
Developing stories may also be updated when new information becomes available. An update is not necessarily a correction. It may simply reflect new records, new statements, new votes, new court action, new data, or later developments.
How To Request A Correction
To request a correction, contact CCJ through our contact page or email corrections@collincountyjournal.com.
Please include:
- The article title or URL.
- The specific sentence, number, name, quote, caption, or claim you believe is wrong.
- A clear explanation of the issue.
- Supporting documentation, links, records, screenshots, statements, or other evidence when available.
- Your name and contact information so we can follow up if needed.
How We Review Requests
CCJ reviews correction requests using available records, source material, documentation, editorial judgment, and the public-interest context of the story. We may contact the requester, sources, public officials, agencies, organizations, or other relevant parties for more information.
Submission of a correction request does not guarantee a response, correction, removal, update, or republication. Repeated, abusive, vague, bad-faith, anonymous, or unsupported requests may receive limited or no response.
Correction Notes
When a material factual correction is made, CCJ may include a correction note or editor's note explaining what was changed. The wording, placement, and level of detail depend on the nature of the correction.
A correction note may not be added for routine copy edits, typographical fixes, formatting improvements, image compression, link updates, metadata updates, or minor wording changes that do not affect the substance of the article.
Removal Requests
CCJ generally does not remove accurate published reporting simply because a person, organization, campaign, business, public official, reader, or source dislikes it. We may consider removal or substantial revision in limited circumstances, including legal requirements, verified serious factual problems, safety concerns, privacy concerns, duplicate publication, technical errors, or other exceptional editorial reasons.
Quotes and Interviews
Quotes may be edited for punctuation, capitalization, obvious transcription cleanup, readability, or minor false starts when the meaning is preserved. Longer interview articles, transcripts, captions, and audio summaries may be organized or lightly cleaned for clarity unless a different standard is stated in the article.
Contact
Correction requests can be sent through our contact page or by email to corrections@collincountyjournal.com.