1. Content Creation Standards

Florida Express is committed to delivering accurate, timely, and relevant news to the residents of Miami, Florida, and beyond. All content published on our platform undergoes editorial review to ensure it meets our standards for accuracy, fairness, and quality.

• All news articles are based on verifiable facts from official sources, public records, firsthand reporting, or credible news agencies.
• Opinion and editorial content is clearly labeled and separated from news reporting.
• All claims are attributed to specific, named sources whenever possible.
• Direct quotes are used accurately and in proper context.

2. AI Content Disclosure

2.1 How We Use AI

• AI-Assisted Content: Some articles may be drafted, summarized, or edited with the assistance of AI tools. These articles are always reviewed, fact-checked, and approved by a human editor before publication.
• AI-Generated Content: In limited cases, AI may generate content such as weather summaries, financial data roundups, or event listings. This content is labeled accordingly.
• Human Oversight: No AI-generated content is published without human editorial review. A human editor is responsible for verifying all facts, names, dates, and claims before publication.

2.2 AI Content Rules

• AI cannot be the sole source for any factual claim. All facts must be independently verifiable.
• AI-generated content must not include fabricated quotes attributed to real people.
• AI is not used to create deepfake images, audio, or video content.
• Human editors verify all names, dates, locations, and specific claims in AI-assisted content.
• When an article has been substantially created by AI, this is disclosed in the byline (e.g., "Staff Report" or "AI-Assisted").

3. Fact-Checking Process

• Primary sources (official records, direct witnesses, government documents) are prioritized over secondary sources.
• Claims from a single source are independently verified before publication when possible.
• When verification is not possible, the article clearly states that the information comes from a single source and has not been independently confirmed.
• Breaking news is updated as new information becomes available, with timestamps noting updates.

4. Attribution & Sourcing

• All factual claims are attributed to their source using phrases such as "according to," "police said," "court records show," or "sources report."
• Named sources are preferred over anonymous sources.
• When anonymous sources are used, the article explains why the source requested anonymity and provides as much identifying information as possible without revealing the source's identity.
• Government records, court documents, and official statements are cited with specific references.
• Social media posts used as sources are attributed to the poster and include a note that the content may be deleted or modified.
• When citing other news organizations, we provide attribution and link to the original report.

5. Sponsored Content & FTC Compliance

Florida Express complies with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines regarding sponsored content, native advertising, and endorsements:

• Sponsored content is clearly labeled with designations such as "Sponsored," "Paid Content," "Advertisement," or "Promoted."
• Native advertising is visually and textually distinguished from editorial content.
• Affiliate links are disclosed. Articles containing affiliate links include a disclosure statement.
• Product reviews and endorsements include material connection disclosures as required by FTC 16 CFR Part 255.
• Advertisers do not have editorial control over sponsored content. All sponsored content is reviewed by editorial staff.

6. Byline Standards

• Named Bylines: Articles written primarily by a specific journalist carry that journalist's byline.
• "Staff Report": Used for articles compiled from multiple sources, press releases, or wire services where no single journalist is the primary author.
• "Florida Express Editorial Board": Used for editorials and opinion pieces representing the publication's stance.
• Contributing Writers: Guest contributors and freelancers are identified as such.

7. Image & Media Usage

• All images used in articles are either owned by Florida Express/MediaChief, licensed, obtained under fair use, or sourced from the public domain.
• Stock images are labeled as such and not presented as photojournalism.
• Images are not digitally altered in ways that would mislead readers about the content they depict.
• Photo credits are provided when required by the license or source.

8. Pre-Publication Compliance Checklist

Every article published on Florida Express must satisfy the following before publication:

9. Corrections & Updates

When errors are identified after publication, we follow our Corrections Policy. Significant corrections are noted at the top of the article with the date of correction. We do not silently alter published content.

10. Contact

Questions about our editorial practices? Contact our editorial team at:

Email: editor@florida-expres.com
See also: Ethics Policy | Corrections Policy