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Adopted by the JWN Executive Board, July 22, 2022
Purpose of Neighborhood Association Publications
The purpose of outreach efforts by Neighborhood Association (NHA) is to inform and engage neighbors on matters of concern or interest and to encourage them to get involved in the NHA and neighborhood development and projects.
Who is a Member of a Neighborhood Association?
While neighborhood associations represent defined geographic areas, unlike a City Council Ward, they do not automatically represent everyone within those areas. An NHA is a framework for public engagement and interaction and conduit for disseminating information by the city, supported by city resources, for those who choose to acknowledge the legitimacy and participate in the NHA.
Public Forum
Public forums offer valuable insights into the community; provide a database for guiding and explaining actions; and offer valuable information for developing and ensuring services that meet community needs. Historically, public forums are typically physical publicly owned/controlled spaces (e.g., streets, parks, sidewalks). All public forums have restrictions on time, manner, place, and narrow categories of content. While NHAs traditionally follow open public meetings rules, since an NHA is not part of government, it is not required to do so.
The primary public forum (in-person or Zoom) for an NHA is its general and board meetings in that there is time set aside for any member to express their opinions and concerns. NHA publications are restricted by space and costs so are not public forums per se, other than providing a space where matters of public concern are presented and discussed.
Because NHA publications are created by unpaid volunteers and government funding for printing and mailing is greatly limited, it is not feasible to allow any and all expression and opinions by members of the NHA or other entities to express themselves as they wish. Further, adjudicating submissions is simply beyond the capacity of most NHAs.
Because of the limited nature of NHA publications, and due to the wide availability of other sorts of communication and dissemination, there is no “right” for any individual or entity to demand their viewpoints or information be included outside the confines of an NHA’s editorial policy.
Editorial Discretion
The elected Boards of NHAs and/or their designated volunteers hold editorial discretion over
content that appears in NHA media (social media, websites, mailed materials, electronic
materials). As they are elected by members of the NHA, NHA Boards have the sole authority to
determine the content of the NHA’s publications if they are not objectively arbitrary or
capricious and follow the rules and procedures laid out in their editorial policy.
Free Speech and Viewpoint Neutrality
NHAs are not state organizations and hold no public authority, so there is no right to free
speech in the technical sense within NHA gatherings or media, but an NHA should provide
deference toward free speech in concept. Toward that end, decisions on the inclusion or
exclusion of information in NHA publications or media should be viewpoint neutral as much as
is feasible. This means an NHA cannot discriminate against a particular position on a topic
within the bounds of the editorial policy. Examples include:
Alternative Positions and Recourse
Members of an NHA or other entities are not entitled to inclusion of their position, opposition,
or opinion in NHA publications if it conflicts with policies and position expressed by the
membership via a vote.
Members of an NHA or other entities are not entitled to inclusion of their position, opposition,
or opinion in NHA publications, but may be included based on the editorial discretion of the
NHA Board or its designees. Such inclusion may be subject to editorial policies based on accuracy, pejorative or inflammatory language, or other concerns outside of intended viewpoint.
Due to space limitations, NHAs have the option of providing space for alternative viewpoints on an NHA webpage and directing readers to that page via a URL with a publication.
Members may compel inclusion in an NHA publication (within space restrictions and subject to editorial policies based on accuracy, prerogative or inflammatory language, or other concerns outside of intended viewpoint) by submitting that position with the names of 20 verified (via name, address, and contact information) member neighbors. The submission will be included in the next like publication.
Members who disagree with the editorial position of the NHA’s Board or its designees, member voted policy, or anything expressed in an NHA publication may:
Accuracy, Prerogative or Inflammatory Language, or other Concerns Outside of Intended Viewpoint
Accuracy
NHA publications will contain accurate and factual information based on the best available expert sources. If facts are contested, then they should be presented as such. Information should be presented in context and express the intent of the source.
NHA publication will not:
2023/24 JWN Executive Board.
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