Requests for content revisions

Elon News Network believes in the power of information to serve the public good. We aim to preserve the historical record and keep our community informed, even when the stories we cover are complex or difficult. But we also recognize that circumstances change. If maintaining a specific piece of content is causing demonstrable harm to an individual, yet no longer serves the broader community interest, we’re open to revisiting it thoughtfully.

To be clear, ENN prioritizes maintaining the integrity of our published work. Granting requests for changes to our content is exceedingly rare, and we are especially unlikely to remove an entire article from our website. If we do determine a revision is warranted, we aim for minimal adjustments to stories that address both the individual’s concerns and the importance of the original context.

We are also mindful during our review process that every individual petition — and story — has unique circumstances. Our discussions are grounded in empathy for the individual making the request while also being mindful of broader social and cultural contexts, both past and present. In other words, we understand that societal attitudes change over time, but we're also committed to maintaining a record of what those attitudes used to be, too.

Our content revision form is available online. Submissions should meet the following requirements:

• The petition must be filed by the person directly involved, and not be made on behalf of an individual.
• One year must have passed from the content’s publication.
• Include as much specific context as possible. Any relevant documents that the review board should be made aware of should be submitted alongside the form.

Once the form has been submitted, a staff member will email you to acknowledge receipt and provide details about next steps.

The review board — made up of student leaders from Elon News Network — generally meets once a month during the fall and spring semesters to review requests. Members of Elon University's journalism department faculty and the organization's advisers often join those meetings, but they do not vote on the merits of the petition. All content decisions at Elon News Network are made by students.