How we report
Cabarrus Insider uses software to watch public sources around the clock and turn what they say into short news posts. Here is exactly how that works, so you can decide how much weight to give each post.
What is automated
Most posts are written by software from public records and official feeds, using the source's own facts and, where it matters, its own words. Those posts are labeled Automated report. Stories based on an agency's news release say so in the byline (for example, “From a City of Kannapolis news release”) and link to the original.
Posts from scanner radio are the least certain. Radio traffic is often incomplete and first reports are sometimes wrong, so every one is marked unconfirmed, gives a road rather than an address, and is updated or marked cleared as the incident develops.
What a person checks
- Every reader photo is reviewed by a person before it is published.
- Corrections and removal requests are handled by a person.
- New sources are checked by hand before the software is allowed to post from them.
Where our stories come from
| Fires, crashes and police activity | Public safety radio that anyone can legally listen to. These posts are marked unconfirmed. |
|---|---|
| Traffic and road closures | NCDOT's DriveNC traffic feed. |
| Weather forecasts and warnings | The National Weather Service. |
| Arrests and missing people | Official news releases from police and sheriff's offices, and the NC Center for Missing Persons. Never jail booking lists. |
| City, county and school news | News releases and meeting agendas published by the cities, Cabarrus County, Cabarrus County Schools and other public bodies. |
| Restaurant grades | Public health inspection records from the NC Division of Public Health inspection site. |
| What's being built | Building permit records. |
| Elections | The NC State Board of Elections. |
| Events | Public event calendars, including the Cabarrus County visitors bureau. |
Every post names its source and links to it when the source is online.
What we won't publish
- Anything we can't tie to a reliable source. A missed story costs nothing; a wrong one costs your trust.
- Names of people involved in crashes, fires or police calls heard on the radio.
- Medical details, information about minors, or anything from encrypted or private channels.
- Jail booking lists, or mugshots taken from them.
- Endorsements of candidates, parties or ballot questions.
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