Standards, corrections & image reuse

Our coverage is not for sale. We decide what to cover, and what to say about it, on our own judgment as journalists. Advertising, sponsorship, a friendly relationship, or the promise of future access never buys a review, a rating, or a favourable word.

Getting into a show for free does not change that. Photo passes and press tickets are free entry. That's how live-music coverage works, and we'd rather say so than pretend otherwise. A pass, a ticket, or a promoter's coverage kit buys us the chance to photograph and write about a night. It does not buy a positive review, a guaranteed story, or any say over what we publish.

When a venue, artist, or promoter page carries a verified badge, that means we confirmed the factual details with the subject: a capacity, a contact, an opening date. It does not mean the subject approved our prose. Verified means the facts were checked, not that anyone signed off on our words. Our profiles stay editorial writing, not sponsored listings.

What we publish holds to a few commitments:

• Every published piece offers at least one of: an original point of view, original reporting, or original photography.
• We don't publish press releases as editorial, and we don't publish AI-generated filler. Artists can send us an announcement directly, and we do run those, but in their own labelled lane: marked "Submitted by the artist", never presented as our reporting.
• Reviews reflect the honest assessment of the writer and photographer who were actually in the room.
• Contributors work under a signed agreement and keep copyright in their own work.

We get things wrong sometimes. When we do, we want to fix it, and we want the fix to be visible.

Spotted an error, whether it's a misspelled name, a wrong date, a misattributed photo, or a factual mistake? Email corrections@quockerwodger.ca with the page and what's wrong. We read every message and follow up, though we're a small publication and can't promise a fixed turnaround.

A correction fixes something that was factually wrong when we published it. An update adds new information to a piece that was accurate at the time. We treat the two differently, and we'll tell you which one we've made.

No silent edits. When we correct a published piece, we add a dated note to the piece itself saying what changed. We don't quietly rewrite the record and pretend the mistake never happened. The only exception is fixing an obvious typo before a piece has meaningfully circulated.

This is a small scene. The people who cover it know the people who play it, and pretending otherwise would be the dishonest option. So we disclose instead.

• Contributors disclose any personal, financial, or professional relationship with a subject they cover, including bands, venues, promoters, and sponsors.
• Where a subject is also a photography-services client of Quockerwodger Media, a sponsor, or a close personal connection, we either assign someone else or clearly disclose the relationship within the piece.
• If we cover a show we have a personal stake in, one the editor shoots, promotes, or plays, we say so in the piece.
• Coverage is never offered, promised, or withheld as part of any paid arrangement.

Anything we are actually paid to publish is labelled as such, clearly, wherever it appears. The same goes for anything we didn't write ourselves: artist announcements carry a "Submitted by the artist" line, so you always know whose words you're reading.

• Sponsored or partner content is always clearly labelled, for example "Presented by" or "Paid partnership", and is visually and editorially distinct from independent coverage.
• Sponsors may support a section, guide, or newsletter, but receive no influence over editorial coverage, reviews, or which shows we cover.
• We accept local, relevant partners, and we decline advertising that is privacy-invasive or misaligned with our audience and values.

Our photographers keep the copyright to their work. These are the terms on which you can share it.

Personal and social sharing is welcome, with credit. If you want to post one of our photos to your own social media or personal page, please do. Just credit it in this format, and link back to us where the platform allows:

Photo: <photographer> / Quockerwodger Media

Artists are welcome to use our shots of themselves on their own social channels, with the same credit line.

Commercial, press, or promotional use, meaning advertising, merchandise, a label or agency campaign, or print, needs our okay first. Email Contact@quockerwodger.ca and we'll sort it out. (Promoters we cover can also arrange a coverage kit of cleared, credited photos.)

Please don't crop out, cover, or remove a watermark or credit, and don't edit a photo in a way that misrepresents what happened. The credit travels with the photo. That's the whole deal.