Effective October 24, 2026. This public charter applies to every existing and future California58 Local newspaper edition, including Searles Valley News. Each newspaper has its own name, defined community or coverage area, local-news archive and public contact path. California58 provides central publishing infrastructure, editorial supervision and shared policies. A unique newspaper title does not imply that it is a separate incorporated company, that a journalist is physically based in that community or that the newspaper has received official press accreditation.

One accountable publisher, individually identified community newspapers

California58 Local is an independent network of local online newspaper editions. The network was founded by Vitaly Ataev Troshin, Founder and Editor-in-Chief. Each edition is identified by its community name and county, and has its own About, Contact, Local News, History, Community and related sections as available. Find your own edition at Find Your Local Newspaper.

California58 manages shared infrastructure and editorial standards, but the editorial identity of Albany News is not the editorial identity of Emeryville News; the reporting scope, readers, public agencies and published local stories must differ. Searles Valley News serves Trona, Argus, Pioneer Point and neighboring Searles Valley communities as one paper, rather than fictitiously counting those settlements as four newspapers.

What qualifies for a distinct local edition

  1. A stable publicly identifiable newspaper title and geographic scope, with the publisher’s name and accountable editorial contact.
  2. Local-news items assigned specifically to that edition, based on original reporting, independently verified public records, or clearly identified source-based reporting relevant to the community.
  3. Clear distinction between local articles, statewide context, syndicated or network material, opinion, user submissions and paid advertising. We never copy one statewide story into hundreds of editions to inflate local coverage.
  4. Bylines or accurate newsroom attributions, publication dates, material update dates where possible, accessible canonical story URLs and a continuing local archive.
  5. Corrections and reader feedback procedures, named editorial responsibility, protection of private information and image rights.
  6. Clear disclosures when an article uses a generated illustration, materially assisted automation, affiliate link or sponsored placement, as appropriate.

Editorial responsibility and verification

We prioritize reliable primary documents, interviews where actually conducted, direct observations where honestly sourced and verified public information. Reporters and contributors must distinguish independently witnessed events from public announcements and future plans. We do not invent reporters, interviews, quotations, eyewitness accounts or local offices. The shared editor may work remotely; local volunteer or freelance participation is acknowledged only when real. High-stakes reporting involving emergencies, health, legal rights, elections, allegations or privacy requires additional review.

Accuracy, fairness, corrections and article updates

We check dates, places, official documents and consequential claims before publication. When a factual error is reported, contact california58com@gmail.com and include the newspaper name, specific article URL, disputed text and supporting evidence. The editor evaluates the request, checks the original source and makes any warranted correction. Material factual changes should be transparently noted with an update or correction record; routine typographical fixes need not be separately announced. See Sources & Corrections.

News, opinion, sponsorships and advertisements

News is selected for public importance and verified information. Opinion and commentary must be labeled. Business profiles, paid announcements, sponsorships, affiliate links and advertisements must be clearly distinguished from independent news; advertisers or donors do not buy favorable reporting, vetoes or suppression of legitimate public-interest stories. Paid posts that resemble editorial reporting should carry a conspicuous label such as Advertisement or Sponsored Advertising Content. The common network may offer both commercial services and independent reporting, with clear disclosures and editorial separation.

Archives, rights and reader information

We aim to preserve original stories and working links. Images and other creative material require ownership, a suitable license or another lawful basis; attribution alone does not create copyright permission. Materially AI-generated illustrations must not masquerade as photographs of real events. A public local History section documents the place, rather than being an unrelated news feed. Personal information submitted to newsroom forms, subscribers, newsletters, advertising contacts and local classifieds is covered by the California58 Privacy Policy and applicable laws.

Community participation and corrections

Each edition offers an editorial contact route through its own Contact section, routed to the California58 Local shared newsroom. Submit sourced local events, civic decisions, neighborhood issues, historical records, original photos with rights information or verified news tips. Reader submissions are reviewed by an editor and are not published automatically. We do not promise payment, accreditation, a local physical office, guaranteed publication, or continuous staffing of every locality. We welcome people who can contribute independent reporting for their community.

Press status and official notices

California does not generally issue a special state license authorizing an ordinary website to call itself an online news publication. Press passes, government or event accreditation and access decisions are determined separately by each issuer. California58 and individual editions do not claim court adjudication as a “newspaper of general circulation” solely because they publish online news. Publication of statutory legal notices may require a different status and eligibility review under California Government Code §§ 6000–6008 and related law. The California shield-law protections under Evidence Code § 1070, where applicable, depend on the journalist’s activity and legal circumstances, not on a website label or an automatically issued certificate.

Verify your newspaper’s public identity

Visit the directory, open the edition’s front page, and review its own title, county, published local articles, About, Contact, dated story archive and advertising disclosures. Founding editions with no original stories remain plainly identified as editions being developed, not as fully staffed or continuously active local newsrooms. Our goal is for every community to have genuine, distinctive, verifiable reporting and locally useful information.

Network contacts: About California58 · Editorial Standards · Ownership · Contact · california58com@gmail.com.