Highlands Current

The publication's mission is to be a trusted independent and nonpartisan source of information on topics of importance to the Hudson Highlands communities. Highlands Current seeks to provide a forum for wide-ranging views and to reflect the diverse interests, concerns and experiences of its readers.

Under the ethics policy, the publication's reporters are prohibited from owning interests in businesses they write about; cannot accept gifts from subjects or potential subjects of their coverage; may accept free admission to events they have been assigned to cover but cannot accept free or discounted tickets for family or friends; and will disclose any gifts they receive with the editor and discuss whether something needs to be returned, disclosed, paid for, donated to charity or handled in some other way that protects the paper’s integrity. Journalists are also asked to avoid political involvement. Any political involvement had will be disclosed to readers. 

Highlands Current Inc. is a New York State not-for-profit corporation. It has tax-exempt status as a federal 501(c)(3) enterprise, and donations to it are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.

Its policy states that the publication's reporting requires respect for different racial, ethnic, generational, gender and geographical viewpoints in hope of creating better, more nuanced stories and a better-informed community. The publication also aims to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves in its staff and contributors, its editorial choices and priorities. 

The publication's policy is to tell its readers when an error has been made, the magnitude of the error and the correct information, as quickly as possible. Highlands Current stands by the information it reports as accurate, and if it’s not, its policy is to change it quickly and be transparent with readers about the magnitude of the error.

Highlands Current's policy only permits citing or quoting confidential sources sparingly, only to provide vital information to a story that cannot be obtained through any other source. Reasons for confidentiality of a source will be disclosed to readers or viewers.