Terms of Use

Windham Free Press — windhamfreepress.org — Effective March 2025
 
Welcome to the Windham Free Press (“WFP,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using this website, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. Please read them carefully. If you do not agree, please do not use this site.

Windham Free Press is a community publication and youth journalism program operated under Project Imo Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Willimantic, Connecticut.

1. About This Site

Windham Free Press is a community digital newsroom serving the Windham, Connecticut area. The site publishes local news, community stories, creative writing, and other contributions from staff, youth reporters, and community members.

WFP is a program of Project Imo’s ACME (Arts Communication Media Entrepreneur) initiative, a workforce development program for young people. Some contributors to this site are youth participants in that program.

2. Use of This Website

You may use this website for personal, non-commercial purposes. You agree not to:

  • Use the site to harass, threaten, or harm any person
  • Attempt to access areas of the site not intended for public use
  • Interfere with the operation of the site or its systems
  • Misrepresent your identity or affiliation when submitting content
  • Use automated tools to scrape or harvest content without written permission
  • Post or transmit any content that is unlawful, defamatory, or infringes on another’s rights

3. Content Ownership and Copyright

All editorial content published on Windham Free Press — including articles, photography, artwork, poetry, and other creative works — remains the intellectual property of the individual contributors and/or Windham Free Press, as applicable.

You may share links to WFP content freely. You may not reproduce, republish, or redistribute WFP content in any form without written permission from the Managing Editor. Brief excerpts for journalistic or educational purposes, with clear attribution to Windham Free Press and a link to the original, are permitted under fair use principles.

To request permission for reproduction or republication, contact us at info@windhamfreepress.org.

4. User-Submitted Content

By submitting content to Windham Free Press — whether through our online submission form, a registered contributor account, or any other channel — you represent and warrant that:

  • The content is your original work or you have the right to submit it
  • The content does not infringe on any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property right
  • The content does not defame, harass, or invade the privacy of any person
  • You have obtained any necessary permissions for photographs, artwork, or other materials created by others

By submitting content, you grant Windham Free Press a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publish, edit, display, and archive your submission on this website and in related WFP publications. You retain ownership of your work. We will not sell your content to third parties without your consent.

WFP reserves the right to decline, edit, or remove any submitted content at our editorial discretion.

5. Youth Contributor Protections

Windham Free Press takes the safety and privacy of young contributors seriously. Youth contributors (persons under 18) are required to use a nom de plume — a chosen pen name — rather than their real name on all published content and public-facing profiles.

Youth contributors select their own pen name, which is subject to approval by a WFP editor. Youth contributors are also assigned a frog avatar — an illustrated character drawn specifically for WFP — rather than a real photograph.

No personal identifying information about youth contributors — including real name, school, neighborhood, or photograph — will be published on this site. This policy exists to protect the safety of young people participating in the ACME program.

For questions about youth contributor protections, contact info@windhamfreepress.org.

6. Editorial Independence

Windham Free Press operates with editorial independence. Editorial decisions — including what to publish, what to decline, and how to edit submitted work — are made by WFP editorial staff. Project Imo does not direct or approve individual editorial decisions.

WFP’s journalism and community content reflect the views of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of Project Imo Inc.

7. Accuracy and Corrections

WFP strives for accuracy in all published content. If you believe a published article contains a factual error, please contact us at info@windhamfreepress.org. We will review the concern promptly and issue a correction if warranted.

8. Third-Party Links

This site may contain links to external websites, including Project Imo (projectimo.org). WFP does not control those sites and is not responsible for their content, privacy practices, or terms. Links do not constitute endorsement.

9. Disclaimers and Limitations

Content on this site is provided for informational and community purposes. WFP makes no representations about the completeness or accuracy of all content, including community-submitted pieces. WFP is not liable for any loss or damage arising from reliance on content published on this site.

10. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Use from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date below. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

11. Contact

Windham Free Press info@windhamfreepress.org windhamfreepress.org A program of Project Imo Inc. — projectimo.org
 
Last updated: March 2025. These terms apply to windhamfreepress.org only. For Project Imo’s terms, visit projectimo.org/terms-of-use/