← Back to Better 311 Policy · Updated 2026-09-03

Ethics & Independence

Better 311 is an independent public-records service. We are not a city agency, and no one can pay us to change what the records say.

Editorial decisions are ours alone

Every article, brief, and analysis in Better 311 is selected, written, and checked by Better 311. Supporters, including donors, sponsors, and grant funders, receive no editorial input, no advance access to drafts, and no influence over topics, data, or findings. This is written into every funding agreement and it does not bend.

Original reporting and attribution

Better 311 stories begin with a primary public record, dataset, public document, or independently verified event. Reporting from another publication may point us toward a question or provide context, but it is not a substitute for our own evidence. When we use secondary reporting, we name and link it. We do not copy another publication's distinctive wording, headline, structure, examples, or framing. Before publication, stories are checked for source confusion and expression-level overlap.

Sponsored content is labeled, scarce, and independent

• Every sponsored placement carries a visible "Sponsored by [X]" label above the fold and in the text.
• Sponsors may suggest topics, but the story must be one we would plausibly write anyway. The data, analysis, and conclusions are ours, including conclusions a sponsor might not like.
• Sponsors never see a piece before publication and never touch the data pipeline or methodology.
• No one can pay for a favorable report, a good score, a security claim, or the removal of an unflattering finding.
• Sponsored pieces are capped and clearly distinguished from regular editorial.

What we will not do

• Public records stay public. The data remains open.
• No selling or sharing reader data. That includes anonymized or aggregated data.
• No political advertising, attack ads, or influence-brokering of any kind.
• No undisclosed payments or gifts that could influence coverage.

Independence from the cities

We use official open data published by the City of San Francisco and the City of Oakland, but we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accountable to either city. Our reports can and do show city systems failing. That is the point of keeping the record.

Questions: contact@better311.org