DFP covers accountability journalism across Northern California's 209, 925, 707, and 510 area codes — from the Central Valley (Manteca, Lathrop, Stockton, Tracy, Modesto, Turlock, Merced) into the Tri-Valley and East Contra Costa (Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Livermore, Pittsburg), the North Bay/Solano corridor (Vallejo, Napa, Fairfield, Vacaville, Benicia), and the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley, Hayward, Alameda, Richmond, San Leandro, Fremont). We believe that how we report is inseparable from what we report. This document exists to make our practices visible to the people we cover and the readers who fund us.
Why a Four-Region Footprint
The accountability stories that surface in the Central Valley rarely stop at the county line. Lathrop's housing-growth pressures mirror those in Hayward and Fremont; Stockton's post-bankruptcy fiscal recovery shares a vocabulary with Vallejo's longer struggle to climb out of Chapter 9; federal corruption investigations that have touched Antioch's police department in the 925 echo patterns DFP has documented in 209 agencies; and Oakland's tug-of-war over civilian oversight provides a useful comparative lens for sheriff and police accountability reporting in San Joaquin County. We cover all four regions because the institutions, contractors, and policy networks operating in them overlap — and because readers in one region routinely commute, work, and own property in another.
Sourcing Standards
DFP applies the following standards to all news reporting. Opinion and commentary content is separately labeled and does not carry the same evidentiary requirements, though it must still be factually accurate where it makes factual claims.
On-Record Preference
DFP strongly prefers on-record sources. We ask all sources to speak on the record. When a source requests anonymity, we require that the reporter explain to an editor why the information cannot be obtained from an on-record source, why the source has a credible basis for the information they are providing, and why granting anonymity serves the public interest. We do not grant anonymity for attacks on third parties, for opinions or characterizations rather than facts, or for sources whose primary interest is advancing a political or institutional agenda without accountability.
Document Standards
DFP anchors factual claims in primary documents wherever possible. For stories involving public agencies in California, we obtain underlying records through the California Public Records Act rather than relying solely on agency-provided summaries. When we quote from documents, we quote directly rather than paraphrasing. When documents are not publishable due to privacy concerns (for example, records involving minors or medical information), we describe their content as precisely as possible and note that the underlying records have been reviewed by DFP.
Right of Response
DFP contacts every individual or institution named in a critical or investigative story before publication, with a specific list of questions or claims to be responded to. We provide a minimum of 48 hours for response on breaking stories and a minimum of five business days on investigations. Non-responses are noted in the published story. Responses received after publication that materially change the public record are appended to the published story with a date stamp.
Verification Standard
Factual claims that are central to a story's premise require at least two independent sources of verification. In practice this means two independent human sources, or one human source confirmed by documentary evidence, or documentary evidence reviewed by an independent expert who can confirm its authenticity and interpretation. We do not publish based on a single unconfirmed source.
Corrections Log
DFP corrects errors as quickly as possible after they are identified. Corrections are made in the published story with a correction notice at the top of the piece, and the correction is logged here. We distinguish between corrections of factual error (which appear here), updates that add new information without correcting an error (which are noted in-story with an update timestamp), and clarifications that address ambiguity without correcting a false statement.
Story: San Joaquin County Jail Conditions, October 12, 2025.
Error: The story stated that a medical services contract was administered by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office. The contract is administered by the county's Health Care Services department. The sheriff's office has oversight of custody conditions but does not administer the medical contract.
Correction: The online story was corrected on October 14, 2025. The substantive reporting on medical conditions at the facility was not affected by this error.
As of May 2026, DFP has issued one formal correction since launch. We are not proud of any error; we are committed to publishing them transparently.
Editorial Independence and Conflicts
DFP does not accept advertising from agencies, officials, campaigns, or entities it regularly covers. DFP staff and contributors are required to disclose any financial, familial, or professional relationships with sources or subjects of coverage to the editor before a story is assigned or accepted. DFP does not cover stories in which a reporter has a direct personal stake without written disclosure to readers.
DFP's editor-in-chief has final authority over all editorial decisions. No donor, foundation officer, or board member of the DFP parent organization has editorial authority or pre-publication access to stories. DFP has documented its editorial independence policy in its foundational governance documents, which are available upon request.
Coverage of Elections and Candidates
DFP does not endorse candidates for office. Coverage of elections is treated as accountability journalism: we report on candidates' records, public statements, campaign finance, and conduct in office. We apply the same scrutiny to candidates of all parties. DFP staff who are candidates for public office must take a leave of absence from news reporting duties for the duration of any campaign in which they are a candidate.
AI and Automated Tools
DFP does not publish AI-generated news content. AI tools may be used for transcription assistance, document review assistance, and research support. All published content is written, edited, and verified by human journalists. Any use of AI tools in a story's production is disclosed in the story's methodology notes if it was material to the reporting.
Contact the Newsroom
To report an error or request a correction: corrections@dismalfreedompress.org
To submit a tip or story idea: tips@dismalfreedompress.org
To reach the editor: editor@dismalfreedompress.org
For legal matters or records requests: legal@dismalfreedompress.org