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VOX ATL is an independent publication created by and for teenagers in the Atlanta area. The views and opinions expressed in our content are those of the teen contributors and their sources. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of VOX Teen Communications, its board of directors, adult staff, partners, or supporters. VOX ATL maintains a commitment to youth voice and editorial independence.
Since its founding in 1993, VOX ATL has been dedicated to amplifying the voices of teenagers in the Atlanta area. What began as a small print publication created by and for teens has grown into a vital platform for youth-driven storytelling, civic engagement, and leadership development. At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful commitment: teens should speak for themselves.
That belief is not just a slogan. It shapes how VOX ATL operates every day, especially in our approach to editorial independence.
Young people have consistently played a pivotal role in driving social change. From the student-led sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement to the youth-led climate strikes of today, teenagers have repeatedly demonstrated insight, courage, and clarity about the issues affecting their lives and communities.
At VOX ATL, we see this every day. Whether writing about mental health, racial justice, LGBTQ+ identity, school policies, or pop culture, our teen contributors speak from lived experience. Their perspectives are not filtered through adult assumptions or institutional priorities. This authenticity is what makes VOX ATL unique and powerful.
In a media landscape where young voices are often ignored or tokenized, providing a platform where teens can report, reflect, and create on their terms is a radical act. It challenges the notion that credibility is inherently tied to age or that “real” journalism can only be produced by professionals. We believe teen voice is essential to a vibrant media ecosystem.
VOX ATL’s editorial model is youth-led. Teens pitch their story ideas, conduct their interviews, write their drafts, and revise with the support of peer and adult editors. While adult staff provide training, guidance, and fact-checking to uphold journalistic ethics, we do not censor the views of our contributors.
This means that VOX ATL occasionally publishes stories that reflect viewpoints the nonprofit as an organization may not endorse, or that individual staff members or supporters may not share. That’s intentional. We believe that editorial independence is essential for the development of young journalists and the integrity of the stories they tell.
Because VOX ATL operates as a nonprofit, it would be easy for editorial content to align closely with organizational priorities, donor expectations, or adult sensibilities. But that would fundamentally undermine our mission. While we deeply value the support of our board, partners, and funders, our content is driven by the ideas and experiences of youth, not external agendas.
This model may be considered unconventional. Many nonprofit newsrooms operate with a clear editorial line aligned with their mission or advocacy goals. But at VOX ATL, we’ve chosen a different path. We protect editorial independence because it creates space for surprise, complexity, and honesty, especially when addressing challenging topics. It means teens can write about the stigma of mental illness, question school discipline policies, reflect on their own gender identity, or challenge political narratives — all from their unique perspectives.
VOX ATL is not just an outlet — it’s a proving ground for the next generation of journalists, organizers, creatives, and leaders. Our editorial independence is not a footnote; it’s a foundational value. By protecting the right of teens to speak freely, even when their voices challenge us, we strengthen our mission, our community, and the democratic ideals we all share.
Our Commitment to Accuracy and Transparency
VOX ATL is a youth-led, independent publication created by and for teens in the Atlanta area. We are committed to producing journalism that is factual, ethical, and representative of authentic teen voices. Accuracy matters because it’s good journalism, and because our readers deserve to trust what we publish.
That said, we also recognize a simple truth: journalists are human, and mistakes happen. Whether it’s a misquote, a factual inaccuracy, or a typo that slipped through the cracks, our responsibility is to be transparent when things go wrong — and to correct the public record quickly, clearly, and respectfully.
A Culture of Learning, Not Shame
At VOX ATL, every story goes through a professional editorial and fact-checking process involving both peer and adult editors. Teen contributors are trained to report ethically, verify sources, cite facts accurately, and revise thoughtfully. However, even with this structure in place, we recognize that some errors will still occur, especially when publishing on tight deadlines, across multiple platforms, and within the complex yet beautiful reality of learning in real-time.
Teen contributors should be held to a high standard, but not shamed for being human. Journalism is a practice. Part of the learning process is owning mistakes, correcting them, and understanding how to avoid them in the future. Contributors will always be supported — not blamed — when errors are addressed in good faith.
We will issue a formal correction or editor’s note when:
We do not issue formal corrections for:
In other words, we may still silently update minor errors, such as typos or formatting mistakes, as long as the change does not alter the meaning or tone of the piece.
If you believe there’s an error in a VOX ATL story, please contact us at editor@voxatl.org. Contributors, sources, readers, or editors are all encouraged to speak up when something appears to be incorrect. There’s no penalty for raising a concern.
Once an issue is raised, our editorial team will:
This is a collaborative process that prioritizes clarity, integrity, and respect.
If an error is confirmed, we will:
Example:
Correction (July 10, 2025): A previous version of this article misstated the number of students who participated in the protest. The correct number is 120, not 210.
For transparency, we typically include incorrect information when necessary to clarify the correction, following the model used by newsrooms such as The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Print vs. Online Corrections
When a story appears in both print and online, we will update the digital version with the corrected information and a visible correction notice. However, due to resource limitations, we are not able to reprint or redistribute corrected print editions. If a significant correction affects the print version, we will note it in a future issue and on our website, ensuring readers have access to the most up-to-date and accurate information.
Social Media and Platform-Wide Corrections
Errors posted on social media, or any other platform where VOX ATL shares stories, will also be corrected there. If we share a story with a mistake in a post, we’ll update that platform with a clarification or follow-up to ensure our audience receives the correct information, regardless of where they view it.
Contributor Support & Responsibility
Teen contributors are encouraged to take ownership of their words and ideas. If a mistake is identified in their work, we will work with them to understand what happened, how to prevent it in the future, and how to grow as a journalist.
To report a correction or raise a concern, please email: editor@voxatl.org
