Corrections policy

Last updated October 1, 2026

We will get things wrong sometimes. When we do, we'll fix it, say so plainly, and put the correction where you can see it.

How we correct mistakes

• We fix the story and say what changed. A note at the end of the story explains what was wrong and when we fixed it. We never quietly change a fact.
• Every correction runs in the paper. The Corrections section of the next Friday issue lists it, with a link to the original story.
• Clarifications get the same treatment. If a story was accurate but unclear, or left out something that changes how it reads, we add a clarification note.
• Small fixes are just fixed. A typo that doesn't change the meaning gets corrected without a note. A misspelled name is a mistake, and gets a correction.

Sponsored content and ads are held to the same standard. Paying for space never changes what we check or what we correct.

Report an error

Email tips@northcountryli.com with "Correction" in the subject line. Tell us which story (a link or the issue date is perfect), what's wrong, and how you know. We check every request against the record and let you know what we decided.

Police and court stories

The Blotter reports what police and prosecutors say, and says that they said it: "Suffolk County Police said…", never as settled fact. An arrest is an accusation, not a conviction.

• We follow the case. When charges are dropped or reduced, or someone is found not guilty, we update the original story to say so.
• We don't publish mugshots.
• We don't name victims, anyone under 18, or people charged with low-level offenses.

Requests to remove a story

We don't take down accurate stories because they're unflattering. The paper's archive is part of the public record, and quietly removing stories would undercut it.

But a name in an old police brief can follow someone long after the case is over. We'll consider removing a person's name from a police or court story, or taking the story down, when:

• the charges were dismissed, or the person was found not guilty;
• the record has been sealed, including under New York's Clean Slate Act;
• the story was about a minor offense and a fair amount of time has passed; or
• the story was wrong.

We generally won't remove stories about serious violent crimes, or about public officials' conduct in office.

How to ask

Email tips@northcountryli.com with "Removal request" in the subject line. Include a link to the story and the reason you're asking. Court paperwork, like a certificate of disposition or a sealing order, helps us move faster. The editor reviews every request and we reply to every one.

When we change a story this way, we add a note saying it was updated under this policy. We also ask search engines to refresh their copies, though we can't control what they or other websites keep.

Corrections