Editorial Standards
Topsail Guide is a local news and information site for the Topsail Island area of coastal North Carolina. People rely on it to make real decisions, from which contractor to call to whether a road project will change their commute. These are the standards behind that.
Accuracy Comes First
Topsail Guide checks factual claims against named sources, official records, firsthand reporting, or direct confirmation before publishing. When something is still developing or unconfirmed, that is stated plainly instead of guessed at.
How Information Is Verified
Every factual claim is held to a few consistent practices:
- Unconfirmed or developing information is clearly labeled
- Source documents are linked when they are available
- Firsthand reporting is distinguished from summaries of outside reporting
- Material changes are noted with a visible update
- Meaningful errors are corrected on the article itself
Where Information Comes From
Topsail Guide relies on primary sources whenever possible: town governments, county records, official announcements, public safety agencies, schools, and the businesses and organizations involved. When it builds on another outlet’s reporting, that outlet is named and linked. Rumor and social media chatter are not presented as confirmed fact.
Corrections
When something is wrong, it gets fixed, and the fix is not hidden. Report an error on the corrections page. Every submission is read. Real errors of fact are corrected promptly, and significant corrections are noted on the article itself.
Accuracy Is Ongoing
Topsail Guide has a growing library of local content, some of it historical, and not all of it has been re-checked against the standard on this page. Accuracy here is a commitment I keep going, not a one-time claim. If you find something wrong or out of date, tell me on the corrections page and I will fix it. I would rather be honest that a site run by one person can contain mistakes, and make them easy to correct, than pretend it never happens.
Authorship and Accountability
Topsail Guide is written and edited by Eric Lander, a Hampstead resident since 2017 with more than 25 years of professional experience in websites, analytics, and digital content. I am the publisher, writer, and editor. A locally run site with a visible, accountable owner is more trustworthy than a vague editorial team, and I would rather be clear about that. Every article carries a visible byline and a publish date, plus an updated date when it has been revised.
Independence and Funding
Topsail Guide is independently owned and operated. Advertising, affiliate relationships, and paid listings do not determine what Topsail Guide reports or how a story is covered. Advertisers and sponsors do not approve, edit, or influence news coverage. When a post contains affiliate links or sponsored placement, that is disclosed.
Directory Listings and Reviews
Business listings are compiled from public information and from the businesses themselves. Topsail Guide does not currently publish its own reviews. The star ratings shown on listings come from Google, attributed to their source and dated. Paid or featured placement affects a listing’s visibility, never its rating or its news coverage. If Topsail Guide begins publishing firsthand reviews, any complimentary product, service, or invitation involved will be disclosed.
AI and Editorial Responsibility
AI tools help me organize research and draft and edit content. They make the work faster, and they can also introduce errors, which is why every factual claim is subject to source verification and reader corrections. AI does not make editorial decisions. Every published claim remains my responsibility.
Questions
Questions about how Topsail Guide works, a concern about a story, or information to share can go through the contact page.