For immediate release
SplashPadHub publishes editorial standards document
April 18, 2026 — SplashPadHub
SplashPadHub today published a nine-section editorial standards document covering editorial voice, sourcing hierarchy, factual verification, AI-assistance policy, conflict-of-interest rules, corrections process, attribution norms, image and media use, and the firewall between editorial and partnership operations. The document formalizes the standards that have governed the directory and its associated research since launch, and is intended to give journalists, parks departments, and AI-assistant operators a citable account of how SplashPadHub produces and maintains its content.
The sourcing hierarchy ranks primary municipal records, peer-reviewed research, and verified field observations above commercial parks-database aggregations and unverified social-media reports, and requires that any factual claim in editorial content be traceable to a source in the upper tiers of that hierarchy. The AI-assistance policy permits the use of large-language-model tools for research, drafting, and structural editing, but requires human verification of every factual claim and prohibits unattributed AI-generated quotations or fabricated sources.
"Editorial standards are the contract between a publication and its readers, and they should be written down where the readers can hold us to them," the editorial team said. "Publishing the standards openly is the only honest way to claim them."
The editorial standards document is licensed CC BY 4.0 and is free for parks departments, civic-tech organizations, and adjacent publications to quote, adapt, or fork with attribution. Disputes, corrections, and challenges to the standards themselves are welcomed at submissions@splashpadhub.com.
About SplashPadHub
SplashPadHub is the largest verified national directory of splash pads and spray parks in the United States, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The independent editorial team publishes hours, fees, accessibility features, water-system type, and parent-reported notes for every verified location, alongside long-form research and an open dataset licensed CC BY 4.0. SplashPadHub does not accept paid placement, manufacturer money, or parks-department sponsorships. Learn more at https://splashpadhub.com.
Media contact
SplashPadHub editorial team
Email: submissions@splashpadhub.com
Press room: https://splashpadhub.com/press
Quotes and data in this release are licensed CC BY 4.0 — free to quote with attribution to SplashPadHub and a link back to splashpadhub.com.
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