The Editorial Constitution of Mayday!
Version 1.0
This document defines the principles, standards, and responsibilities that guide every essay, investigation, analysis, and editorial decision published by Mayday! It is intended to be a public commitment to our readers and may evolve over time through transparent revision.
Version 1.0
Adopted June 2026
We believe an informed citizenry is indispensable to a free society.
Democracy does not depend solely on elections. It depends on citizens who understand how decisions are made, who those decisions affect, and who is accountable for them.
Mayday! exists to help make that possible.
This publication was founded on the belief that independent local journalism is a public good. As local newsrooms disappear and public attention shifts toward national politics, fewer people have the time or resources to attend meetings, read public records, examine campaign finance reports, or understand the decisions shaping their own communities.
That gap weakens democracy.
Mayday! exists to help fill it.
Our responsibility is not to tell readers what to think.
Our responsibility is to give readers the information, context, and evidence they need to think for themselves.
Our Mission
Mayday! provides independent journalism covering the politics, government, elections, and public policy shaping Hays County, Texas.
We follow public meetings, voting records, campaign finance reports, budgets, court filings, public documents, and official data to explain not only what happened, but why it matters.
We believe local government deserves the same careful scrutiny often reserved for state and national politics because local decisions frequently have the greatest impact on daily life.
Our Editorial Philosophy
We believe journalism serves the public—not political parties, elected officials, advocacy organizations, or corporations.
We are not interested in manufacturing outrage.
We are interested in increasing understanding.
We believe:
Context matters as much as facts.
Evidence matters more than personalities.
Institutions matter more than individual politicians.
Public records matter more than rumors.
Accountability strengthens democracy.
The goal of Mayday! is not simply to report events.
It is to help readers understand the systems that produce them.
Our Values
Pro-Transparency
Government belongs to the public.
Meetings should be understood.
Records should be accessible.
Campaign finance should be traceable.
Public decisions should never require insider knowledge to understand.
Whenever possible, Mayday! links directly to original source material so readers can verify our reporting for themselves.
Pro-Context
Facts without context can mislead as easily as misinformation.
Every vote has history.
Every policy has consequences.
Every controversy has a timeline.
Whenever possible, Mayday! explains not only what occurred, but how it developed and why it matters.
Pro-Accountability
Power requires scrutiny.
Accountability is not partisan.
Every elected official, political candidate, government agency, political organization, and public institution should expect equal examination.
Supporters and critics alike deserve factual reporting rooted in evidence rather than ideology.
Editorial Independence
Mayday! is an independent publication.
We do not exist to advance any political party, candidate, campaign, or advocacy organization.
When candidates or policies deserve praise, we will say so.
When they deserve criticism, we will say so.
Our loyalty is to the public record and to our readers.
Corrections Policy
Accuracy is essential to public trust.
When factual errors are discovered:
Corrections will be made promptly.
Significant corrections will be acknowledged transparently.
Original reporting will not be silently altered to conceal mistakes.
Readers are encouraged to report potential inaccuracies.
Being corrected is not a failure.
Failing to correct is.
Sources Policy
Whenever possible, reporting should rely on primary sources.
These include:
Government records
Public meetings
Recorded votes
Court documents
Campaign finance filings
Election records
Budgets
Public information requests
Direct interviews
When secondary reporting is referenced, it will be clearly attributed.
Readers should always be able to distinguish between verified facts, analysis, and opinion.
Artificial Intelligence Policy
Artificial intelligence is a research and editorial tool—not a reporting source.
Mayday! may use AI to assist with:
organizing research
summarizing lengthy documents
editing for clarity
identifying patterns in public data
improving accessibility
AI will never replace verification.
Every factual claim published by Mayday! should ultimately be supported by human review and, whenever possible, original source documentation.
Editorial judgment remains human.
Responsibility remains human.
Conflict of Interest Policy
Transparency applies to journalists as well.
When potential conflicts exist, they should be disclosed.
Personal relationships, financial interests, campaign involvement, or other circumstances that could reasonably influence reporting should be acknowledged when relevant.
Readers deserve to understand both the evidence presented and the perspective from which it is examined.
What Readers Can Expect
Every publication bearing the Mayday! name should strive to be:
Accurate before fast.
Curious before certain.
Fair before favorable.
Thorough before sensational.
Independent before popular.
Read the Record
We encourage every reader to ask questions.
We encourage skepticism.
We encourage disagreement.
Most of all, we encourage people to read the public record for themselves.
A healthy democracy is not built on blind trust in journalists.
It is built on citizens who are informed enough to hold everyone—including journalists—to account.
Our Promise
Mayday! exists to document.
To explain.
To question.
To remember.
To help build a more informed citizenry.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Mayday!
Independent journalism covering the politics, government & public policy shaping Hays County, Texas.
Pro-Transparency. Pro-Context. Pro-Accountability.
Read the Record.