Editorial Policy

Corrections Policy

Our commitment to accuracy and trust

Accuracy and reader trust are the foundation of our work at The Tennessee Firefly. Despite rigorous verification, mistakes can occur. When they do, we correct them promptly and transparently—because corrections are not just good practice, they are an ethical responsibility central to our relationship with our audience.

Core Principles

We prioritize accuracy over speed. Getting it right matters more than getting it first.

We maintain transparency over silence. We will never quietly remove or alter problematic content without notice.

We preserve published articles as historical record, correcting errors rather than unpublishing content.

We correct errors consistently across all platforms—website, social media, and newsletters.

Types of Corrections

Minor errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax may be corrected without formal notice.

Factual errors—including incorrect names, titles, dates, numbers, or misrepresented quotes—require a formal correction notice appended to the article.

How We Correct

When a factual error is confirmed, The Tennessee Firefly will:

Update the original article with accurate information
Append a clearly labeled formal correction notice
Correct all related social media posts, often including screenshots of the original error

Depending on the nature of the issue, we may also issue:

Clarifications — for ambiguous language that may have been misinterpreted
Editor’s Notes — for editorial oversight or process failures
Updates — for developing stories where new information materially changes the original reporting
Retractions — in rare cases where the central premise of an article is invalidated

Report an Error

We encourage readers to help us maintain accuracy. If you believe you’ve found an error in our reporting, please email corrections@tnfirefly.com with:

The article URL
The incorrect information
The correct information with sources

Please include “Correction” in the subject line.

Institutional Learning

We review significant errors to improve our processes. Every correction is an opportunity to strengthen our journalism and maintain the trust our readers place in us.

Core Principles

We prioritize accuracy over speed. Getting it right matters more than getting it first.

We maintain transparency over silence. We will never quietly remove or alter problematic content without notice.

We preserve published articles as historical record, correcting errors rather than unpublishing content.

We correct errors consistently across all platforms—website, social media, and newsletters.

How We Correct

When a factual error is confirmed, The Tennessee Firefly will:

Update the original article with accurate information

Append a clearly labeled formal correction notice

Correct all related social media posts, often including screenshots of the original error

Depending on the nature of the issue, we may also issue:

Clarifications — for ambiguous language that may have been misinterpreted

Editor’s Notes — for editorial oversight or process failures

Updates — for developing stories where new information materially changes the original reporting

Retractions — in rare cases where the central premise of an article is invalidated