Editorial Standards
_Last updated: May 20, 2026._
Local journalism is only as good as its standards. Ours are short on purpose so we can actually follow them.
Who we are
Best Emerald Coast Media is an independent, locally-operated publisher covering the cities and towns of Florida's Emerald Coast — Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, the South Walton beaches, 30A, and surrounding communities. We are not affiliated with any chamber of commerce, tourism bureau, or local government.
What we publish
We publish three kinds of content, and we label them clearly:
advertiser paid for placement.
"PAID PARTNER CONTENT" above the title.
only for length and clarity.
- Editorial — articles we chose, researched, and wrote. No
- Sponsored — content paid for by a sponsor. Always labeled
- Reader contributions — letters, tips, and corrections, edited
See Advertiser Disclosure for the financial relationships behind those labels.
How we use AI
Some of our articles are drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor before publication. When that's the case, the byline on the article says so explicitly (e.g., "Drafted with AI assistance, edited by [Editor name]"). We are responsible for everything we publish — a draft we couldn't stand behind is a draft we don't publish. AI does not get a byline of its own; it is a tool, not an author.
Sourcing and fact-checking
come from the business's own website, phone call, or an in-person visit when we can manage it. We do not paraphrase another publication as the primary source.
Places at publish time and re-verified periodically.
do not invent quotes or composite multiple speakers.
AI-generated imagery is labeled.
- Direct sources first. Names, hours, prices, addresses, and dates
- Map data. Listings and locations are checked against Google Maps
- Quotes. Quotes are recorded or contemporaneously written down. We
- Photographs. We credit the photographer or source on every photo.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. To request a correction email corrections@bestemeraldcoast.com with the article URL and what's wrong. We aim to respond the same business day and to update the article within 48 hours of confirmation, with a dated correction note appended at the bottom.
Independence and editorial firewall
Editorial decisions — what we cover, how we frame it, which businesses appear in "best of" lists — are made independent of advertiser relationships. Sponsors do not see drafts of editorial pieces, do not have line-edit rights, and do not get told in advance which articles will run. If a sponsor pressures us, we say no and we walk away from the relationship. If a reader spots an apparent conflict we did not disclose, please tell us — see Corrections above.
How we handle outreach
When we email a local business about coverage or services, we include a working unsubscribe path in every message and we honor "remove" requests within 10 business days. We do not sell, share, or reuse contact information beyond the conversation thread it appeared in.
Contact
- Editor: editor@bestemeraldcoast.com
- Corrections: corrections@bestemeraldcoast.com
- Privacy / data requests: privacy@bestemeraldcoast.com
- Legal / DMCA: legal@bestemeraldcoast.com
Mailing address (CAN-SPAM): _Best Emerald Coast Media — operator address goes here. Set OUTREACH_POSTAL_ADDRESS in the production environment AND replace this paragraph with the real address before the first outreach send._