RAW Detroit is an independent local news and lifestyle publication covering Detroit and the surrounding region. This page explains how we report, how we handle mistakes, who owns us, and how we make money.
Accuracy and sourcing
We verify the central facts of every story before we publish it, and we hold what we cannot confirm. Our reporting is built on primary sources wherever possible: government records, court filings, official announcements, on-the-record interviews, and our own reporting and photography.
We do not report rumors as fact. When a story involves a viral post or an unconfirmed claim, we tell readers what we confirmed and what we could not.
When our reporting draws on work first published by another outlet, we name that outlet in the story and link to the original. We check the central facts against primary sources where they exist. When a fact rests solely on another outlet’s original reporting, we credit that outlet rather than presenting the fact as independently confirmed.
Bylines and dates
Every article carries a byline and a publication date. The byline names the journalist responsible for the story’s reporting and accuracy. When we substantively update a published story, we note the update and its date. Some articles carry the collective byline RAW Detroit Staff; our Masthead explains how that byline is used and lists the people responsible.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we fix it quickly and say so. Substantive errors are corrected in the article, with a dated note describing what changed. Minor typos and formatting fixes are made without a note. When an error appears in one of our social media posts, we correct it on the platform where it appeared and note the correction in the caption or comments.
To request a correction, email paige@rawdetroit.org with a link to the article or post and a description of the issue. We review every request.
News and opinion
RAW Detroit publishes news and service journalism. We do not currently publish opinion columns or editorials. If we ever do, they will be clearly labeled as opinion and kept separate from news reporting. Our guides and recommendations reflect our independent editorial judgment.
Headlines
Our headlines and social posts must be supported by the stories they sit on. We do not publish headlines the reporting cannot back up.
Advertising, sponsored content, and affiliate links
Readers should always be able to tell the difference between our reporting and paid content.
Display advertising appears in designated ad slots and is placed programmatically by ad networks; an ad on our site is not an endorsement. Sponsored content, meaning articles or posts created in partnership with a paying client, is labeled as sponsored or as a paid partnership, on this site and on our social channels. Some of our guides contain affiliate links; if you buy through one, RAW Detroit may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and articles that contain them carry a disclosure. Affiliate relationships do not determine what we recommend.
Advertisers and sponsors do not review, approve, or influence our news coverage. When we report on a business that is also an advertising, sponsorship, or production client of RAW Detroit, we disclose that relationship in the article.
Ownership and funding
RAW Detroit was founded by Shawn Mangenje in 2015 and is independently owned and operated. The publication is wholly owned by its founders: Shawn Mangenje, our founder and creative director, and Paige Pope, our co-founder and head of growth. We are entirely self-funded. We have taken no outside investment, and we are not owned by or affiliated with any newspaper chain, investment fund, political party, or religious organization. No owner or staff member holds or is seeking public office. If that changes, we will disclose it here.
We fund our work with the revenue we earn: display advertising (including Google AdSense), sponsored content, branded content production for local businesses, affiliate commissions, and Facebook content monetization. We accept no funding from political parties, candidates, or advocacy organizations.
How we use AI
We use artificial intelligence tools in our research and production process, including drafting assistance. Every article is verified, edited, and approved by a human before publication, and responsibility for every published word rests with the people named on our masthead.
Photography and licensing
We publish our own photography, licensed images, and images used with permission, and we credit image sources.
Contact
News tips, feedback, and correction requests: paige@rawdetroit.org. The people who run RAW Detroit are listed on our masthead.
This policy was last updated in August 2026.