Contributor & Intern Handbook

Editorial Standards, Policies & Procedures

Let’s Really Talk Nebraska (LRTN) is a community-focused Nebraska media platform covering local news, government, development, businesses, nonprofits, events, community issues and the people and places that shape Nebraska communities.

Our goal is to make local information accessible, useful and relevant while telling stories that might otherwise be overlooked.

1. OUR APPROACH

LRTN journalism should answer at least one of these questions:

What is happening in our community?
What is changing?
Why does it matter to residents?
How will this affect people who live here?
What should residents know?
What are people talking about?
What deserves more attention?
What makes this community interesting or unique?

Not every story needs to be breaking news.

A construction project, changing neighborhood, new public facility, local tradition, community concern, interesting person, nonprofit initiative or piece of Nebraska history can all become strong LRTN stories.

The key is finding the local connection.

2. STORY ASSIGNMENTS

Story ideas may come from:

LRTN leadership
Contributors and interns
Residents
City Council or other government meetings
Public agendas and records
Community organizations
Social media discussions
News tips
Development and construction activity
Events
Businesses
Nonprofits
Schools
Public safety agencies
Observations while in the community

Interns are encouraged to pitch stories.

Before beginning a story

Unless otherwise instructed, send:

STORY IDEA:
CITY/AREA:
WHY IT MATTERS:
WHO/WHAT I PLAN TO CONTACT:
PHOTOS/VIDEO NEEDED:

Stories should be approved before significant work begins so multiple contributors aren't unknowingly covering the same subject.

3. ORIGINAL REPORTING

Whenever possible, LRTN should add something original.

That could include:

An interview
Original photographs
Attending a meeting
Visiting the location
Reviewing government documents
Obtaining public records
Speaking with residents
Contacting the organization involved
Comparing what was proposed with what actually happened

Simply rewriting another news organization's article is not LRTN reporting.

Other reporting can help identify a story, but contributors should then find the original information and independently report it whenever possible.

4. SOURCES

Whenever possible, use primary sources first.

Preferred sources include:

Firsthand reporting and interviews
Government records and public documents
Official agencies and organizations
Direct statements from the people involved
Company or organization documents
Credible established news organizations
Other secondary sources

Wikipedia, Facebook discussions, Reddit and similar sources can provide leads but generally should not be the sole authority for important factual claims.

5. VERIFY BEFORE YOU WRITE

Never assume something is true because:

Someone posted it on Facebook.
Several people are saying it.
Another publication reported it.
A source says they heard it.
It seems obvious from photographs.
AI says it is true.

Verify important facts.

Pay particular attention to:

Names
Titles
Dates
Addresses
Dollar amounts
Project costs
Election information
Criminal allegations
Government actions
Quotes
Statistics
Opening and closing dates

If something cannot be independently confirmed, attribute it clearly.

6. INTERVIEWS

Identify yourself as working with Let’s Really Talk Nebraska when interviewing someone for a story.

Do not misrepresent who you are or why you are asking questions.

Whenever possible, confirm the spelling of the person's:

Name
Title
Organization

Taking notes is always appropriate.

Recording conversations requires additional care. Contributors should follow applicable law and LRTN instructions before recording interviews.

Never promise a source that something will be published exactly as they want it.

An interview is not an opportunity for the subject to approve the finished article.

7. ON THE RECORD

Unless another arrangement has been clearly established beforehand, assume interviews conducted for publication are on the record.

If someone requests to speak:

Off the record
On background
Without attribution

Stop and clarify the terms before continuing the conversation.

If you aren't sure what those terms mean or whether to agree, contact LRTN leadership before proceeding.

8. QUOTES

Quotes must reflect what the person actually said.

Do not:

Invent quotes
Combine separate statements into a quote
Change someone's meaning
Remove important context
Turn a paraphrase into quotation marks

Minor cleanup of obvious verbal fillers may sometimes be appropriate, but substantive wording should remain accurate.

When uncertain, paraphrase rather than presenting questionable wording as a direct quote.

9. FAIRNESS

A story does not have to give every possible viewpoint equal space.

It does need to be fair.

If a story contains meaningful criticism, allegations or claims about an identifiable person, organization, business or government agency, make a reasonable effort to give that party an opportunity to respond.

Document the attempt.

If they do not respond by deadline, the story can state that LRTN reached out for comment and did not receive a response before publication.

10. OPINION VS. REPORTING

News reporting and opinion are different.

Unless a story is specifically designated as commentary or opinion, contributors should avoid inserting their personal political views or telling readers what they should think.

It is appropriate to describe community reaction when it can be supported.

For example:

Good:
“Residents commenting during Tuesday's meeting expressed concerns about traffic.”

Not good:
“Everyone in Papillion hates this project.”

Don't turn assumptions into facts.

11. POLITICAL COVERAGE

Political and government reporting requires additional care.

LRTN contributors may cover:

Elections
Candidates
City government
County government
State government
Public policy
School boards
Political organizations
Public spending

Coverage should distinguish between:

what happened, what someone claims happened, and what the evidence establishes.

Personal political opinions should not influence factual reporting.

Any contributor with a significant personal, professional, campaign, financial or organizational relationship to the subject of a political story must disclose that relationship to LRTN leadership before accepting the assignment.

The story may be reassigned when appropriate.

12. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Tell LRTN leadership if you have a personal connection to something you're covering.

Examples include:

Family relationships
Close friendships
Employment
Business relationships
Campaign involvement
Financial interests
Organizational leadership
Significant personal disputes

Disclosure does not automatically prevent someone from covering a story.

It allows LRTN to determine the appropriate approach.

13. PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

Original photography is strongly encouraged.

When covering a location, try to capture:

Horizontal photographs for website stories
Vertical photographs/video for social media
Wide establishing shots
Medium shots
Close details
Signs identifying the location
Relevant construction or changes
People interacting with the location when appropriate

Do not trespass to obtain photographs.

Do not enter construction sites, restricted property or dangerous areas without authorization.

Photographs should accurately represent what was present.

Basic adjustments such as cropping, exposure and color correction are acceptable.

Images used as documentary journalism should not be manipulated to add, remove or materially change elements of the scene.

14. PHOTO RIGHTS

Do not take photographs from Google Images, another news outlet, photographer or social media account and assume they can be republished.

Use:

LRTN original photography
Contributor photography
Images provided with permission
Properly licensed material
Government imagery when reuse rights allow it
Official promotional material when permission or usage terms allow publication

Keep documentation when permission is obtained.

15. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI may be used as a research and productivity tool, but it is not a source.

Appropriate uses may include:

Brainstorming questions
Organizing notes
Identifying areas requiring research
Reviewing grammar
Helping structure information
Suggesting headlines
Transcribing or organizing material when accuracy is independently checked

AI-generated information must be verified against reliable sources.

Never:

Publish invented AI facts
Use fabricated quotations
Create fictional sources
Present an AI-generated image as a photograph of an actual news event
Ask AI to rewrite another publication's article and submit it as original reporting

The contributor remains responsible for everything submitted under their name.

16. PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is prohibited.

Do not copy another writer's:

Sentences
Paragraphs
Story structure
Unique descriptions
Reporting

Information learned elsewhere should be independently verified whenever possible and written originally.

Direct quotations from documents or people must be clearly identified and appropriately attributed.

17. WRITING STYLE

LRTN stories should sound like they were written for people who live here, not for government officials or industry insiders.

Prefer:

Clear language
Shorter paragraphs
Specific examples
Local context
Explanations of unfamiliar terms
Strong openings
Useful information

Avoid unnecessary jargon.

When government documents use complicated terminology, explain what it means to an ordinary resident.

18. STORY STRUCTURE

There is no mandatory formula, but most stories should contain:

HEADLINE

Clear and interesting without being misleading.

OPENING

Give readers a reason to continue.

WHAT HAPPENED

Establish the basic facts.

WHY IT MATTERS

Connect the issue to residents.

DETAILS

Provide evidence, interviews, documents and context.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Tell readers what to watch for.

Longer stories may use subheadings.

19. HEADLINES & CLICKBAIT

We want people to click our stories.

We do not mislead them to get the click.

A strong headline can create curiosity:

What Are They Building at 192nd & Highway 370?

A misleading headline cannot promise something the article doesn't establish.

Accuracy comes before algorithms.

20. SUBMITTING A STORY

Unless another process has been established for an assignment, submit:

STORY TITLE:
ARTICLE:
SOURCES/LINKS:
INTERVIEWS:
PHOTO/VIDEO FILES:
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
SOCIAL MEDIA IDEAS:
ANY FACTS YOU COULD NOT VERIFY:

Do not hide uncertainty.

Flag it.

21. EDITORIAL REVIEW

Intern and contributor stories are reviewed before publication.

Editing may include changes to:

Headlines
Structure
Grammar
Length
Tone
SEO
Formatting
Sourcing
Context
Social media presentation

Editors may request additional reporting before publication.

Submitting an article does not guarantee publication.

22. BYLINES

Published original reporting should generally include the contributor's name.

Example:

By Jane Smith | Let’s Really Talk Nebraska

Photography may receive a separate credit.

Journalists should receive credit for meaningful original reporting they perform.

23. CORRECTIONS

Mistakes happen.

Hiding them damages credibility.

If you discover an error in something already published, immediately notify LRTN leadership.

Significant factual errors should be corrected promptly and transparently.

Never quietly change a major factual mistake simply to make it disappear.

24. EMBARGOES & CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Do not publish information provided under an agreed embargo before the embargo expires.

Do not publish confidential personal information simply because you obtained access to it.

When uncertain about whether information should be published, stop and ask.

25. SAFETY

No story is worth putting yourself in danger.

Do not:

Enter active crime scenes
Cross police barriers
Trespass
Enter active construction sites without authorization
Confront potentially dangerous individuals
Interfere with emergency personnel
Photograph while driving

Follow instructions from law enforcement and emergency personnel when legally required.

26. SOCIAL MEDIA

Anything posted under the LRTN name represents the publication.

Interns should not independently publish stories, corrections, official responses or controversial statements on LRTN accounts unless specifically authorized.

Personal social media activity should not create the impression that an individual's personal opinion represents LRTN.

When covering controversial subjects, avoid arguing with readers in comment sections.

27. COMMUNITY COMES FIRST

LRTN isn't interested only in bad news.

Our communities also deserve reporting about:

Growth
Improvements
Interesting people
Volunteers
Nonprofits
Local history
Recreation
Tourism
Neighborhoods
Public projects
Community traditions
Opportunities
Problems residents are trying to solve

A community publication should reflect the entire community.

28. THE LRTN TEST

Before submitting a story, ask:

Is it true?

Can I prove it?

Is it fair?

Is it original?

Why should someone in this community care?

If those five questions have good answers, you're probably working on an LRTN story.

OUR STANDARD

We don't need to be the first publication to report something.

We need to be the publication that helps Nebraska residents understand what happened, why it matters and what comes next.