The Local Alert

About The Local Alert

Who we are, what we cover, and how we work.

What we cover

The Local Alert reports on accidents, crime, fires, missing-person alerts, outages and school emergencies across Georgia. We do not cover weather, sports or politics.

How we work

Most incidents are first reported by local television stations and newspapers, each of which typically publishes 200 to 300 words. We read every outlet covering an incident, combine what each one uniquely reported, add the exact location, and link every source we used.

We also publish what is not yet known. Where two outlets disagree, we show you both accounts and name which outlet reported which. We do not merge conflicting reports into a single tidy version, and we do not imply that one newsroom confirmed something only another one published.

Every article carries the date and time its reporting was verified. A page is a record of what was known and confirmed at that moment. We do not automatically update stories as an investigation develops, so for the current status of an active case, contact the agency named in the article. If we learn something we published is wrong, we correct it and note the correction on the page.

What we are not

The Local Alert is not a law enforcement agency and not a law firm. We do not accept payment to publish, remove or alter a news story. Advertising is clearly labeled and never influences coverage.

Ownership

The Local Alert is independently owned and operated. Advertising on this site includes properties under common ownership; those units are labeled as advertising like any other.