The Western Plains App has been the region’s trusted source for local news since 2021.

It is a free news service funded through advertising.

Editorial material published is covered by copyright and may not be used without attribution or republished without permission.

Code of Editorial Conduct

We take our role as a journal of record for our community seriously, and have developed these policies to hold ourselves accountable as a reliable news source.

Reputation for integrity

Our articles will be honestly reported, and not influenced by advertising considerations. 

Reporting aims for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all the essential facts, and is respectful of personal privacy.

Our conduct will comply with the ethical standards expected of journalists.

Accuracy and clarity

We will check our facts to ensure accuracy. If relevant aspects are unknown, we will highlight that. We will attribute facts to their source. Anonymous sources will be used with discretion. Specialist terms (e.g. planning proposal) will be explained within their context, so that the wider community can understand the meaning or impact of the matter being reported.

We will refer back to earlier reporting on the matter in question or give readers the opportunity to consult more information by providing links (e.g. to reports available at the Council’s website).

Any mistakes that are brought to our attention will be rectified through a clarification through a highlighted edit to the article.

Fairness and balance

We will obtain material for our articles in a fair manner, by identifying ourselves and our intent to report. We will disclose to readers any conflicts of interest that could be seen to affect our reporting on any issues.

We will strive for balanced reporting by collecting information from a variety of sources, in order to get a complete view of the issue at hand.

When appropriate, we will provide a fair opportunity for reply.

Privacy

We will respect the right to personal privacy in our reporting.

We will not disclose contact information to other parties.

We will be respectful in times of personal tragedy.

Handling of complaints

We welcome feedback about our stories, and any complaints received will be dealt with promptly. Contact details are available here.

If it is obvious that we have made an error, it will be corrected or clarified swiftly through a highlighted edit to the article.

If a person or an organisation feel that they have been misrepresented, we will discuss with them the best way to clarify their position.

As specified by the NSW Ombudsman, we will record the complaint and the supporting information, and file it on our records.

If we are unable to come to a mutually acceptable solution, we will inform the complainant of their ability to refer their complaint to the Australian Press Council, through our membership of the NSW Country Press Association.

The Council is the principal body with responsibility for responding to complaints about Australian newspapers, magazines and associated digital outlets, such as websites. Most complaints result in a correction, apology or some other form of action being taken. Where the complaint cannot be resolved without a formal adjudication, the publisher is required to publish the Council’s adjudication promptly and with due prominence.

Social Media engagement

Western Plains App (WPA) welcomes contributions to our social media accounts and encourages discussion related to the community we serve. To ensure a safe environment for all members of the community, we ask users to abide by our following Terms of Use and we reserve the right to remove, un-tag and/or report any content we deem inappropriate, and/or block individuals from posting should content or tone indicate a lack of respect for our Terms of Use and our community. 

Online Community Terms of Use

You understand and agree that WPA has ultimate editorial control over all its online services. WPA may edit, remove, or exercise its discretion not to publish your contribution for legal or editorial reasons, or if the content of your post does not align with WPA values. 

Comments and posts on our social media accounts do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WPA, its employees, or affiliates. WPA does not endorse user-posted material and is not responsible for its accuracy. 

WPA takes a zero tolerance approach regarding harassment, racial vilification, privacy breaches, contempt, and lateral violence.

In addition, users may not post any material that:

• is abusive, obscene, threatening, discriminatory, defamatory, or otherwise deemed offensive;
• is unlawful, fraudulent, intentionally false, misleading, or malicious;
• infringes on intellectual property rights, including copyright;
• infringes on the privacy rights of others, including personal information;
• is repetitive or vexatious;
• is entirely off-topic or not relevant to the original content material posted by us;
• advertises, contains spam, direct soliciting, or any other commercial message not posted by WPA; or
• impersonates someone else. 

When posting, please respect the views of others, the sharing of diverse opinions, and the reasonable expectation for community members to treat each other with respect and courtesy. Also, be aware that our accounts can be accessed by minors and therefore posts and contributions should be suitable for individuals of all ages. 

Users who breach these Terms of Service may be blocked from contributing. WPA accepts no liability for any loss arising out of or in connection with users being blocked from WPA. 

If you have concerns about inappropriate content on WPA social media pages, you can alert us via [email protected]