CatlinSpeak’s Unpublishing & Correction Policy

Adopted: December 5, 2025

Purpose 

CatlinSpeak is committed to truthful reporting, ethical journalism, and maintaining a reliable historical record of our school community. Because digital publishing creates a permanent archive, we follow strict standards for altering, unpublishing, or correcting our content.

Corrections

  • CatlinSpeak corrects errors of fact as soon as they are verified.

  • Corrections appear at the bottom of the article and include a brief note explaining what was changed. 

  • We do not remove articles for minor errors that can be corrected through standard correction practices.

Unpublishing

Unpublishing (removing an article from public view) is an extraordinary action and is rarely granted. Providing more insight as to why you would like an article unpublished would help our team fully consider your request. CatlinSpeak only unpublishes material when:

  • The content is factually inaccurate and the inaccuracy cannot be corrected safely.

  • There is a clear, immediate safety risk to the student, alum, or member of the community that cannot be mitigated by other means.

  • The article was produced through a serious ethical breach, such as

    • Quotes obtained without consent

    • Information published in violation of privacy laws

    • Fabricated or plagiarized material

  • The story contains private identifying info (e.g., medical details, legal status, home address) that should not be published.

CatlinSpeak does not unpublish material because:

  • a subject regrets speaking on the record,

  • a subject’s opinions or political views have changed,

  • a story could be embarrassing,

  • a source is concerned about searchability or reputation alone,

  • a parent or community member requests it for non-safety reasons.

Alternatives we offer to unpublishing: 

  • Add an editor’s note

  • Offer opportunity for an update or follow-up

    • A subject may write or request an update, reflection, or new interview to document how their perspective has evolved.

  • Allow anonymization under certain circumstances.

    • In cases involving personal safety (not reputation), identifying details may be removed or reduced.

  • We offer the courtesy for interviewees to request to read over their quotes in an article before it is published. 

Request Process

Use the Contact Us page. Please include your name, email (so we can follow-up) and the reasoning for request for correction or unpublishing. All requests will be evaluated by the Editorial Board using this policy.