The Chesterfield Valley Post follows a clear set of standards for how we report, write, and publish. This page describes them so readers — and the subjects of our coverage — know what to expect from us.

Scope of coverage

We report on news, decisions, and events that affect people living in Chesterfield, Wildwood, Eureka, and the surrounding communities of west St. Louis County. That includes:

• City, county, and special-district government (fire, library, parks)
• Public school districts — primarily Rockwood and Parkway — and independent/parochial schools in our footprint
• Local business, development, and zoning
• Public safety
• Community life — cultural institutions, faith communities, nonprofits, events
• High-school and local sports

We generally do not cover: national politics, national business news, or stories where there is no Chesterfield-area angle.

Sourcing

Every story should be grounded in at least one of the following:

1. Primary source documents — meeting agendas and minutes, court filings, public records requests, ordinances, contracts, audits.
2. On-the-record interviews with people directly involved in the story.
3. Direct observation — attending a meeting, event, or scene ourselves.
4. Reporting from other credible outlets, clearly attributed with a link.

We avoid anonymous sources. When we use one, we explain in the story why their identity is being protected and what we did to corroborate their account.

Verification

Before publishing, we aim to:

• Confirm names, titles, dates, and dollar figures against at least one primary source
• Reach out to every individual or organization named in a way that could affect their reputation, and give them a reasonable chance to respond
• Read public meeting minutes or watch recordings, not just rely on press releases
• Link to source documents wherever possible so readers can check our work

Corrections and updates

If we make a mistake, we fix it promptly and publicly. See our Corrections policy for details.

If we add significant new information to a previously published story, we note the update at the top of the story with a timestamp.

Fairness

• Right of reply: Anyone criticized or named unfavorably in our coverage is given a reasonable opportunity to respond before publication.
• Off-the-record: We honor off-the-record agreements made before an interview begins. We do not retroactively change the terms of an interview.
• Headlines: Our headlines must accurately reflect the story. We revise headlines when they don't.

Independence

• We do not accept payment, gifts, or favors in exchange for coverage or favorable treatment.
• Advertisers do not influence editorial decisions. We do not let advertisers preview coverage.
• We disclose any relevant conflicts of interest in the story itself — see our Ethics policy.

AI and editorial tooling

We use modern digital tools to research, organize, and publish our reporting — spreadsheets, document-search software, transcription services, and similar. All editorial judgment — what to cover, who to interview, what to publish, and what to headline — is made by human editors.

Questions

Questions about these standards, or about a specific editorial decision, can go to social@surroundsoundnews.com.