Publish Our Work

At Suncoast Searchlight, we are committed to sharing our journalism to ensure our stories reach as many people as possible. Unless otherwise noted, all work produced by Suncoast Searchlight — including articles, videos, and other content — is available for republication at no cost under a Creative Commons license. By republishing our work, you agree to abide by the terms outlined below.

Each story on our site includes a “Republish This Story” button. Click it to access a folder containing the story, photos (if applicable), and distribution license. If you encounter any technical issues, contact us at emily@suncoastsearchlight.org.

To republish our work, we ask that you:

1. Credit Suncoast Searchlight

• Online: Include the byline (e.g., “Author Name, Suncoast Searchlight”) and a tagline at the end of the story:
  This story was originally published by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom delivering investigative journalism to Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Learn more at suncoastsearchlight.org.
• Print: Use the above tagline without hyperlinks.
• Broadcast: Attribute the story to “Suncoast Searchlight” and mention the website, suncoastsearchlight.org.

2. Retain Original Language

Stories must remain unchanged, except for minor updates to time, location, or editorial style. You cannot edit our stories in any other way, including trimming for length. If you need a shorter version of the story, you may request one at emily@suncoastsearchlight.org. We make no guarantee we will be able to honor every such request. You must also maintain all original hyperlinks, including calls-to-action and references to Suncoast Searchlight newsletters or events.

3. Respect Media Rights

• Photography rights are retained by the original photographers unless stated otherwise. Photos may only accompany the original story and require permission for reuse in other contexts.
• Except for in the original article, you may not republish graphics, illustrations, or videos without prior approval.

4. Maintain Tracking Tools

If provided, retain pixel tags embedded in republished stories. These tags help us track audience reach and impact.

To protect our work and ensure ethical usage, the following actions are not permitted:

• Trimming, altering or editing our work beyond minor updates to time, location or editorial style.
• Selling or syndicating our stories to third parties.
• Republishing our stories on platforms such as Apple News without our consent.
• Placing our stories on pages with ads that are specifically sold against our stories.
• Translating stories into other languages without written permission.
• Asking for donations or selling ads specifically tied to our stories.
• Using our content on scraper sites or websites designed solely to generate ad revenue.

While not required, we appreciate the following:

• Tag us on social media (@SuncoastSearchlight on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) when sharing our stories.
• Let us know if you republish our work. We love seeing how our journalism is shared and used.

By adhering to these guidelines, you help amplify our mission of delivering in-depth, accountability journalism to the communities of Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. For any questions about republication, reach out to emily@suncoastsearchlight.org.