Trust starts with being clear about where our information comes from. LocalBrief Asheville is committed to transparent sourcing in everything we publish.
Primary sources first
We prioritize primary sources: official records from the City of Asheville and Buncombe County, court and government documents, FEMA and state recovery data, direct statements, public meetings and original interviews. Where we can, we link to the original material so you can check it yourself.
Verified links and attribution
External links in our articles are reviewed to make sure they point to credible, relevant sources. When we rely on another outlet for a fact, we attribute it clearly by name and link to it. We credit the local outlets whose work informs ours, including Asheville Watchdog, Blue Ridge Public Radio, Mountain Xpress and Carolina Public Press, all of whom do valuable journalism in this region.
Secondary sources
We also use reputable secondary sources for context and background, always attributed and always assessed for credibility.
Google News and X (Twitter) are discovery tools only
Aggregators like Google News, and social platforms like X, Facebook and Reddit, help us spot breaking news and trends. We treat them strictly as discovery tools. Nothing found on them is published without independent verification against primary sources. We do not treat social media posts or unverified aggregator items as sources of record. This is especially important for recovery coverage, where rumour spreads fast and verification protects readers.
Protecting confidential sources
Where journalists rely on confidential sources for sensitive matters, we protect their identity and corroborate their information through independent means before publishing.