Operating Standards

About the Southern Utah News
The Southern Utah News is a locally owned, independent newspaper serving Kanab, Kane County, and the Arizona Strip. The SUN has provided continuous local news coverage since 1953.

We are a small-town newspaper with a regional footprint and a strong sense of place. Our reporting is produced by people who live in and understand the communities they cover. Staff members often wear more than one hat, but our standards for accuracy, fairness, and professionalism do not change.

Our credibility depends on trust. Everything in this document exists to protect that trust.

Masthead
Owner: Uzona Media, LLC
Publisher: Don Jennings
Managing Editor: Brooke Knighton
Advertising and Sales: Samantha LeFevre
Production Editor: Maddie Spencer
Senior Reporter: Ty Gant

Mission
The Southern Utah News provides accurate, locally reported news and information that helps readers understand their community, participate meaningfully in civic life, and make informed decisions.

Core Values

• We believe an informed public is essential to a healthy society.

• We believe journalistic integrity is the foundation of our work.

• We believe we are in partnership with our readers and welcome their ideas, questions, and concerns.

• We strive for excellence in reporting, editing, and presentation, with the goal of serving the community first.

Application of These Standards
These standards apply to all Southern Utah News employees, freelance reporters, contributing writers, and editors, for both print and digital content.

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Byline Standards

Most articles published by the Southern Utah News carry the byline of the individual staff member or contributor primarily responsible for reporting and writing the story.

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Articles published under the Staff Report, SUNews, or Southern Utah News bylines are prepared by the Southern Utah News staff using information from official releases, public records, or shared reporting.

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These bylines are used when:

• No single staff member’s reporting predominates, or

• A story is based primarily on verified source material rather than original field reporting

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These bylines reflect collective editorial responsibility and does not indicate automated, unattributed, or unsourced content.

Participation in Civic Affairs and Conflicts of Interest
The credibility of the SUN depends on impartial reporting. Staff members must avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearance of conflicts, that could reasonably call our coverage into question.

Participation in partisan political activity, advocacy campaigns, or other public actions may require reassignment from related coverage. Final decisions regarding conflicts of interest and reassignment rest with SUN management.

Political Coverage and Advertising
The Southern Utah News does not endorse candidates for political office.

Political coverage is reported from a nonpartisan perspective.

Political advertisements must be clearly identified and will include appropriate disclosure language. The Southern Utah News does not accept political advertisements that primarily attack or disparage candidates or ballot measures. The SUN makes no guarantee of publication of political advertising.

Business Interests, Gifts, and Gratuities
Staff members may not use inside knowledge for personal gain, enter business relationships with news sources, or provide advance information about unpublished stories that could confer financial advantage.

The SUN pays its own way on news assignments. Staff members and freelancers may not accept gifts or gratuities connected to coverage that could influence or appear to influence reporting.

Integrity of Reporting
SUN staff and contributors will not invent facts, embellish details, or misrepresent events.

Fictitious quotes, phantom sources, composite individuals, or misrepresentation in newsgathering are prohibited.

Quotes and Attribution
Direct quotes are not edited to correct grammar or slang. When a quote may unnecessarily embarrass a speaker or distract from the substance of the information, editors may paraphrase while preserving meaning.

All material from outside sources is attributed. Exclusive reporting developed by other outlets is credited appropriately.

Photographs and Visual Reporting
Images must not mislead or deceive readers. Any image that alters context or meaning, even if technically unaltered, will not be used.

Photographs are selected and edited to reflect events accurately and in proper context.

Sources and Anonymity
Information from external sources is fact-checked to the fullest extent possible. Sources are identified by name and role whenever feasible.

Anonymous sources may be used only when all of the following conditions are met:

 

• The information is of clear public importance

• No on-the-record source is reasonably available

• SUN management knows the identity of the source

• The reason for anonymity is explained to readers

• The information has been independently corroborated

Exceptions may be made for reasons of privacy, compassion, or safety, including victims of crimes. Final decisions rest with SUN management.

Diversity of Sources
The SUN seeks to reflect the full diversity of the communities it serves, including differences in background, experience, perspective, and belief.

Dealing With the Public
Staff members respond to readers in a timely and professional manner, both during reporting and in routine communication.

Copyright and Ownership
The Southern Utah News retains all rights, including copyright, to materials produced by employees or commissioned contributors as part of their work for the newspaper.

Contests and Awards
Coverage decisions are based on news value and community interest, not the pursuit of awards or recognition.

Reader Submissions and Community Input
The Southern Utah News values reader engagement and welcomes tips, questions, corrections, and story ideas from the community.

The SUN does not publish open letters to the editor.

As a newsroom, we prioritize information that can be independently verified, clearly contextualized, and responsibly presented. Open letters often rely on personal interpretation, speculative conclusions, or incomplete information, particularly when addressing complex or ongoing civic, legal, or administrative matters. Publishing such material does not consistently align with our standards for accuracy, fairness, and clarity.

Reader correspondence may be used by the newsroom to inform reporting, identify issues of community concern, or prompt follow-up coverage. Submission of correspondence does not guarantee publication.

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Letters expressing personal thanks, recognition, or non-political community appreciation may be published at the editor’s discretion outside the Letters to the Editor section.

Editorial decisions regarding the use of reader input are final.

Guest Commentaries and Invited Perspectives
The SUN may publish guest commentaries by invitation on topics of civic process, historical context, or issues of broad community interest.

Guest commentaries are reviewed and may be edited for clarity, length, accuracy, fairness, and consistency with newsroom standards. Editors may:

 

• Replace absolute claims with conditional language when outcomes are speculative

• Adjust framing to emphasize process, impact, or verified context

• Generalize inferred motive when intent is not established as fact

Editors will not change an author’s fundamental position or conclusion. When substantive edits are made, editors will communicate those changes to the author.

Final editorial judgment rests with the Southern Utah News.

Taste and Sensitivity
The SUN exercises good taste in language, imagery, and description. Gratuitous detail is avoided in sensitive situations. Photographs without clear news value may be withheld.

Corrections Policy
The SUN corrects factual errors promptly and transparently.

 

Requests for correction may be directed to contact@sunews.net or (435) 644-2900. Corrections and clarifications are published as soon as practical. Routine errors are corrected without identifying internal sources.

Cause of Death, Race, and Identification
Cause of death is reported only when confirmed or when disclosure is appropriate.

Race or ethnicity is identified only when relevant.

Victims of sexual assault are not identified unless they request identification. Decisions involving sensitive identification rest with SUN management.

Juveniles and Emergency Coverage
The SUN follows applicable Utah law when reporting on juveniles.

Exact addresses may be reported in emergency stories unless withheld for security reasons. Business or institutional names are published when relevant.

Digital Content and Archives
Digital content follows the same standards as print content.

The SUN does not remove published content except in cases involving legal risk, safety concerns, or clear error. Online content is treated as part of the public record.

Social Media
The SUN’s social media platforms are moderated spaces intended to support informed, civil discussion of local issues.
The same standards of professionalism apply as in print. Comments containing profanity, slurs, libelous statements, personal attacks, or harassment may be removed. Repeat offenders may be banned without notice.

Errors on social media are corrected transparently.