Your local newspaper is trustworthy.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it is perfect or never makes a mistake. 

How can you know who to trust when it comes to news and information?

Trust is the currency of a legitimate news source.

Trustworthiness is all about accurate reporting, paying attention to detail and holding the very highest journalistic standards for reporters and editors.

Championing the freedom of the press, religious expression, the freedom of speech and the rights of the public to petition and protest should simply be what newspapers do, day in and day out.

Editorial pages should always be a robust marketplace of ideas, encouraging public dialogue and not reflecting any one political party or ideology.

Regular explanatory journalism should inform the public about free speech rights and public recourse.

Good reporting gives a voice to the voiceless.

Holding public officials accountable through solid reporting and publishing strong editorials are essential to an open and free society. Liberty depends on it. We can never just assume every local government agency is in full compliance with our state’s Open Meetings Act and Open Records Act.

Here are some of the primary differences between bona fide, credible newspapers and spurious reports on social media or faux “news” sites.

— Trustworthy news coverage includes verifiable news sources, names readers will recognize or that they can easily verify.

— Trustworthy articles contain multiple sources, not just a single source with an agenda.

— Trustworthy coverage is not agenda driven, and reliable websites are not isolated to single issues, serving as mere partisan mouthpieces.

— Trustworthy news sites have legitimate URLs, ending in .com, .net, .org, etc.

— Trustworthy articles are published with bylines and datelines, specifying the names of reporters and editors who can be easily identified and verified.

— Trustworthy news sources correct mistakes in an open, transparent and visible way.

Of course, reporters and editors make mistakes.

And, they correct them. 

This is in no way a defense of all the so-called media, nor is it a defense of talking heads on cable television who would rather pontificate than report. 

But that’s not your local newspaper which is simply local reporters, people you know, covering meetings, attending events, interviewing your neighbors and sharing their stories. 

Jim Zachary is the editor of The Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI’s director of newsroom training and development and president emeritus of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.