Last updated: July 13, 2026
South Alabama News (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website southalnews.com. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and what choices you have. We have written it in plain language rather than legal boilerplate.
Who We Are
South Alabama News is an independent local news publication covering Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, Clarke, Escambia and Monroe counties and the wider Alabama Gulf Coast. Our website address is https://southalnews.com.
Information We Collect
Information you give us
If you contact us, submit a news tip, or sign up for updates, we collect the information you choose to send — typically your name, email address, and the content of your message. We use it to respond to you and, where relevant, to follow up on a story.
Comments
When you leave a comment, we collect the data shown in the comment form, along with your IP address and browser user agent string, which help with spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to determine whether you have a public profile picture.
Information collected automatically
Like most websites, our server and analytics tools automatically record standard technical information when you visit: your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring page, the pages you view, and the time and date of your visit. This is aggregate traffic data. We use it to understand which stories readers find useful and to keep the site working properly.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use them to remember your preferences and to measure site traffic.
- Functional cookies remember choices such as whether you have dismissed a notice, and if you leave a comment, may save your name and email so you do not have to retype them.
- Analytics cookies help us count visitors and understand how the site is used.
You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when a cookie is being sent. Most of the site will still work if you do, though some conveniences may not.
Analytics and Third-Party Services
We use third-party analytics services to measure readership. These services may set their own cookies and collect usage data subject to their own privacy policies. Embedded content from other websites — such as videos, maps, social media posts, or documents — behaves exactly as if you had visited that other website directly, and those sites may collect data about you, use cookies, and monitor your interaction with the embedded content.
How We Use Information
We use the information we collect to publish and improve our journalism, respond to reader messages and news tips, understand which coverage is reaching readers, keep the site secure and functioning, and comply with applicable law.
What We Do Not Do
We do not sell your personal information. We do not rent or trade our reader or subscriber lists. We do not share your information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
How Long We Keep Information
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely so that follow-up comments can be recognized and approved automatically rather than held in a moderation queue. Correspondence sent to us may be retained as part of our editorial records. Analytics data is retained in aggregate form.
Your Rights
You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, or ask us to delete it. To make a request, contact us using the details below. This does not include data we are required to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes, and it does not extend to published journalism, which we do not remove or alter on request except where there is a factual error — in which case we will correct the record.
Corrections
Accuracy matters to us. If you believe we have published something incorrect, please tell us and we will review it promptly and correct it where warranted.
Children
Our site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
Security
We take reasonable measures to protect the information we hold, including secure connections and access controls. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes will be noted on the site.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy or about how your information is handled, please contact South Alabama News through the contact information listed on our website.