Why We Have These Guidelines
Fremont Neighbor exists to build a stronger, more connected community through reliable local news and thoughtful conversation. We welcome comments and discussion—but we’re committed to keeping our spaces respectful, constructive, and focused on our shared neighborhood.
These standards apply to comments on our website and all our social media platforms.
What We Encourage
Share Your Voice
We want to hear from you. Add context, share your experiences, and bring your perspective to local stories.
Disagree Respectfully
Different viewpoints make for better conversations. Challenge ideas, not people.
Add Value
Contribute local knowledge, suggest story ideas, correct errors with credible sources, or support fellow neighbors.
Stay Neighborly
Treat others how you’d want to be treated if you ran into them at the Fremont Sunday Market.
Community Guidelines
Be Respectful
- No personal attacks, name-calling, or bullying
- Disagree without being disagreeable
- Assume good intent from fellow community members
- Remember there’s a real person behind every comment
Keep It Relevant
- Stay on topic with the article or post
- Take extended debates to private messages
- Avoid derailing conversations
No Harassment or Hate
Zero tolerance for:
- Hate speech or discriminatory language based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics
- Threats or intimidation
- Sharing private information about individuals (doxxing)
Maintain Credibility
- Don’t spread misinformation or unverified claims
- Provide credible sources when correcting information
- Avoid conspiracy theories and inflammatory speculation
- Disclose conflicts of interest when relevant
Keep It Clean
- No profanity or vulgar language
- No spam, promotional content, or solicitations
- No off-topic commercial pitches
How We Moderate
Our Approach
We use a combination of automated filtering and human review. We does our best to keep up, but we rely on community reports to help us catch problems.
What Happens When Rules Are Broken
First offense: Comment removed (with explanation when possible)
Repeated violations: Temporary restriction from commenting
Serious violations: Immediate permanent ban (threats, hate speech, harassment)
Spam/bots: Immediate removal and block
For Controversial Topics
When covering sensitive community issues, we may slow down comment posting, pin reminders of these standards, or close comments if discussion becomes unproductive.
Your Role
Help us maintain a welcoming space:
- Report comments that violate these standards
- Don’t engage with trolls or rule-breakers—just report and move on
- Set a good example with your own comments
- Reach out with questions or concerns
Questions or Appeals
Think we removed your comment by mistake?
Email us and include:
- Which article/post
- What your comment said
- Why you believe it followed our standards
We’ll review and respond within 48 hours.
Have a story tip or question?
Email editor@fremontneighbor.com anytime.
These Standards May Evolve
As Fremont Neighbor grows, we may update these guidelines based on community needs and feedback. We’ll announce any significant changes.
Last Updated: Feb. 2, 2026
Fremont Neighbor is an independent, community-focused news source covering Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. Learn more About Us.