The Overlook serves the people of the Catskills by producing independent, community-driven journalism that informs, connects, and empowers residents, fosters civic engagement, and deepens understanding of the region’s unique history, culture, and challenges. Through rigorous reporting and thoughtful well-researched storytelling, we seek to amplify local voices, illuminate pressing issues, and strengthen the fabric of Hunter, Hurley, Olive, Saugerties, Shandaken, Windham, and Woodstock. The Overlook is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization and a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Our Commitment to Integrity

We hold ourselves to the highest journalistic standards of accuracy, fairness, and independence. Our editorial policies are designed to ensure that all content serves the public interest and aligns with our core values of trust and transparency.

Community Guidelines

The Overlook’s mission is to create a trusted platform for thoughtful, independent journalism that serves and reflects the communities of Hunter, Hurley, Olive, Saugerties, Shandaken, and Woodstock. To foster meaningful engagement, we encourage a diversity of perspectives while maintaining a respectful and constructive environment.

While we do not allow commenting directly on articles, we welcome your input through Letters to the Editor. Below are our general guidelines for engaging with The Overlook across platforms, events, and other interactions.

Guidelines for Engagement

  • Respect and Civility: Please ensure your communication remains considerate and respectful to others, even when expressing disagreement.
  • Fact-Based Contributions: Participate by sharing credible information, informed questions, and relevant commentary that furthers the conversation.
  • Zero Tolerance for Misconduct: We will not tolerate threats, harassment, hate speech, or discriminatory remarks.

Letters to the Editor

The Overlook encourages community members to share their thoughts through letters. This is an opportunity to engage in thoughtful, written dialogue about issues that matter to our region. Submit letters that meet the following requirements to PO Box 414, Saugerties, New York 12477 or email to letters@theoverlooknews.com. 

Guidelines for Submission:

  • Letters should preferably be between 150 and 200 words.
  • They should generally reference an article published within the past seven days.
  • Include your name, city or town, and phone number (for verification purposes; your phone number will not be published).
  • Do not send attachments—please include all text in the body of the letter.
  • Letters must be exclusive to The Overlook. We do not publish open letters or letters intended for third parties.

Selection Process and Timeline:

  • Writers of selected letters will typically be notified within one week.
  • All letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, and style.
  • Not all letters submitted will be published, but we value every submission and the perspectives shared.

Corrections Policy

The Overlook strives for accuracy, fairness, and transparency in all reporting. Every article is edited and fact-checked before publication, and when possible we provide links to source materials so readers may review information themselves. If we make an error, we will correct it promptly and note the correction at the bottom of the article in question.

In the rare case of a serious editorial error that requires a story to be removed, we will publish an explanation on our website.

Readers are encouraged to alert us to possible inaccuracies, suggest clarifications, or propose story ideas. To request a correction, contact info@theoverlook.news.

Editorial Independence

We subscribe to standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News.

The Overlook retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services, or opinions.

We accept gifts, grants, and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our work, but our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Should The Overlook provide news coverage of a sponsor, that relationship will be clearly noted as part of the coverage. Our organization may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but our organization maintains editorial control of the coverage. We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content, nor of unauthorized distribution of editorial content.

Our organization will make public all donors who give a total of $5,000 or more per year. We will accept anonymous donations for general support only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with INN’s Membership Standards.

Donor and Financial Transparency Policy

We are committed to transparency in every aspect of funding our organization. We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals, organizations and foundations to help with our general operations, coverage of specific topics and special projects. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as a public trust, we do not pay certain taxes. We may receive funds from standard government programs offered to nonprofits or similar businesses.

As a news nonprofit, we avoid accepting charitable donations from government entities, political parties, and elected officials or candidates in active public office campaigns. We will not accept donations from sources who, deemed by our board of directors, present a conflict of interest with our work or compromise our independence.

We gratefully acknowledge the following donors whose generous contributions of $5,000 or more help sustain our mission.

  • Scott Widmeyer and Alan Yount
  • The Golden Notebook
  • Josh King
  • Sharon Hayes
  • Bob Bauer
  • The Dates Fund
  • Anthony Scaramucci
  • Paul Mutter
  • Windham Mountain

Diversity Policy

We believe strong local journalism should represent many voices and perspectives, especially those that have historically been excluded by the media. In our reporting, we strive to include a wide range of sources, highlight stories across different cultures and communities, and avoid stereotypes or assumptions.

Our newsroom also seeks diversity within its own staff, contributors, and leadership. We view inclusion not as an afterthought but as an essential part of producing journalism that is fair, relevant, and trusted. We welcome feedback from readers about how we can better capture the richness and complexity of life in the Catskills.

Editorial Collaboration Policy

The Overlook is committed to editorial independence and transparency in all of our reporting. As such, any collaboration with external partners must align with our mission and uphold our commitment to editorial excellence.

We approach editorial collaborations with the following guidelines in mind:

All collaborations must be disclosed to our readers, including the names of any partners and the nature of the collaboration. This disclosure will be made in a prominent location, such as the top of the story or on a dedicated page on our website, and will be clearly labeled as a collaboration. Any financial support for a collaboration will also be prominently disclosed.

Our editorial team maintains full control over the content produced by our outlet as part of the collaboration. This includes maintaining control over the reporting, writing, editing, and fact-checking of all content produced as part of the collaboration. If there is disagreement on the final versions of stories any participant has the right to not publish a story that has been created from a collaboration.

We will not enter into collaborations that compromise our ethical, content, and reporting standards or that would give the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Content Usage Policy

If a reputable news outlet, journalist, historian, or content creator of any profession wishes to republish content originally published in The Overlook for the purpose of a blog, news outlet, or independent website, we ask that they first get in touch with noah@theoverlooknews.com. Upon receiving permission, the republished material must utilize all of the following:

  • the full original headline
  • the source of the material (The Overlook)
  • Author’s original byline/The Overlook (eg. Jane Smith/The Overlook)
  • no more than 550 characters of such content
  • and a link to the original content on The Overlook.

All photos must properly credit the photographer and The Overlook.

Advertising Policy

Acceptable Advertising Content

The Overlook welcomes advertising from individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and organizations that:

  • Provide goods, services, or information relevant to the communities we serve (Hunter, Hurley, Olive, Saugerties, Shandaken, and Woodstock).
  • Align with ethical business practices and legal standards.
  • Do not contain false, misleading, or deceptive claims.

We will NOT accept advertising that includes:

  • Hate speech, discriminatory messaging, or defamatory content.
  • Political endorsements or campaign advertisements.
  • Tobacco, vaping, illegal substances, or misleading health claims.
  • Pornographic, sexually explicit, or violent content.
  • Payday loans, high-interest financial services, or deceptive investment schemes.
  • Advertisements that mimic The Overlook’s editorial content or attempt to mislead readers.

The Overlook is committed to maintaining the integrity and independence of our journalism while providing advertising opportunities that align with our mission. For advertising inquiries, rates, or submissions, please contact: advertising@theoverlooknews.com

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