Terms of Service

The Pocono Review — poconoreview.com

Effective Date: July 4, 1776

Last updated May 2026.

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) are a binding legal agreement between you and The Pocono Review (“we,” “us,” “our”), an independent news publication operating at poconoreview.com (the “Site”). They govern your access to and use of the Site, including all content, features, and services we make available through it.

By accessing or using the Site in any way — browsing, reading, commenting, sharing, subscribing, or otherwise — you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you don’t agree, stop using the Site.

We may update these Terms at any time by posting the revised version with a new effective date. Continued use of the Site after any update constitutes your acceptance. We won’t send individual notice of every change — it’s your responsibility to review these Terms periodically.

1. Who We Are

The Pocono Review is an independent investigative news outlet covering Wayne, Monroe, Pike, Carbon, Lackawanna, and Luzerne counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. We publish original reporting, court records analysis, public records-based investigations, breaking news, and commentary. We are not affiliated with any government body, political party, corporate parent company, or media conglomerate.

2. Intellectual Property and Copyright

2.1 Our Content

All original content published on the Site — including but not limited to articles, investigations, photographs, graphics, illustrations, audio, video, metadata, headlines, page design, and site architecture (collectively, “Content”) — is the property of The Pocono Review or its licensors and is protected under United States copyright law and applicable international treaties.

You are granted a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and view Content on the Site for personal, non-commercial human consumption only. You may print or download a single copy of any article for your own reference. You may quote brief excerpts for purposes of commentary, criticism, or news reporting, consistent with fair use under 17 U.S.C. § 107.

You may not, without our prior written consent:

• Republish, redistribute, or syndicate our Content in whole or in substantial part, whether on websites, in print, in newsletters, or through any other medium.
• Frame, embed, scrape, crawl, cache, or systematically copy our Content, whether by manual or automated means.
• Remove, obscure, or alter any copyright notice, byline, or attribution.
• Use our Content for commercial purposes, including resale, licensing to third parties, or incorporation into paid products or services.

2.2 Prohibition on AI Training and Data Mining

The license granted in Section 2.1 is strictly limited to personal, non-commercial human consumption. Any use of the Content, in whole or in part, for the purpose of training, developing, fine-tuning, validating, or otherwise improving any artificial intelligence system, machine learning model, algorithm, or large language model is a material breach of these Terms and an unauthorized use exceeding the scope of the license granted herein.

This prohibition extends to retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), grounding, prompt engineering with our Content as source material, and any other method that feeds our Content into an AI system to generate substitute or derivative text. It applies regardless of whether the use is commercial or non-commercial, and regardless of the volume of Content accessed.

We reserve the right to enforce this provision through technical measures (including but not limited to robots.txt directives, rate limiting, and IP blocking) and through legal action. Unauthorized AI use of our Content constitutes both copyright infringement and a breach of contract, and we will pursue all available remedies under both theories.

2.3 Republication and Syndication

Other news outlets and publications may request permission to republish our Content. Syndication requests should be directed to editor@poconoreview.com.

Any authorized republication is subject to the following conditions unless we agree otherwise in writing:

• Full and prominent attribution to The Pocono Review, including the original author’s byline.
• A canonical hyperlink to the original article on poconoreview.com.
• No edits to the substance of the article. Formatting adjustments and length cuts are permitted only with prior approval.
• The republished version must clearly identify The Pocono Review as the original publisher.
• Republication does not transfer any copyright interest. The Pocono Review retains all rights in the original work.

We reserve the right to revoke republication permission at any time and for any reason.

2.4 Linking

You may link to articles on the Site using standard hyperlinks, provided you do not imply any endorsement, affiliation, or sponsorship by The Pocono Review. We reserve the right to request removal of any link at any time.

Deep linking, inline linking to our images or media files (hotlinking), and framing our Content within another site are prohibited without written permission.

2.5 DMCA Takedown Notices

We respect the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe Content on the Site infringes your copyright, send a written notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512) to:

DMCA Agent The Pocono Review Email: legal@poconoreview.com

Your notice must include: (a) identification of the copyrighted work you claim is infringed; (b) identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location on the Site; (c) your contact information; (d) a statement of good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized; (e) a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner’s behalf; and (f) your physical or electronic signature.

Knowingly submitting a materially false DMCA notice may expose you to liability under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f).

3. User Conduct

You agree not to use the Site in any way that:

• Violates any applicable federal, state, or local law or regulation.
• Infringes or misappropriates the intellectual property rights of any person or entity.
• Transmits or uploads any virus, malware, or other harmful code.
• Attempts to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Site, its servers, or any connected systems.
• Interferes with or disrupts the operation of the Site or the experience of other users.
• Impersonates any person or entity, or misrepresents your identity or affiliation.
• Harvests, collects, or compiles information about other users without their consent.
• Uses automated tools to access the Site at a rate or volume that places unreasonable load on our infrastructure, except as permitted by our robots.txt file.
• Harasses, threatens, intimidates, or retaliates against any person — including but not limited to the outlet’s editors, contributors, or sources — in connection with Content published on the Site. Any such conduct constitutes a material violation of these Terms and may result in immediate IP blocking, referral to law enforcement, and any other remedies available at law.

We may, at our sole discretion, restrict or terminate your access to the Site for any violation of these Terms, with or without notice.

4. Comments and User-Submitted Content

4.1 Your Content

If the Site offers comment functionality, forums, or any other feature allowing you to post text, images, or other material (“User Content”), you retain ownership of that User Content. By posting User Content to the Site, you grant The Pocono Review a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, display, distribute, and create derivative works from your User Content in connection with the operation of the Site and our journalism.

You represent and warrant that you own or have all necessary rights to post your User Content, and that your User Content does not violate any law or infringe any third party’s rights.

4.2 Moderation

We are not obligated to monitor, review, or edit User Content, but we reserve the right to do so. We may remove or refuse to publish any User Content for any reason, including (but not limited to) content that is defamatory, threatening, harassing, obscene, off-topic, spam, or that we determine in good faith violates these Terms.

We don’t endorse any User Content, and we’re not liable for anything posted by users.

4.3 No Confidentiality

Anything you submit through the Site — comments, tips, feedback, story suggestions — is non-confidential unless we explicitly agree otherwise in writing. Don’t send us material you consider confidential through public-facing features of the Site. If you need to communicate sensitive information to our newsroom, contact us directly at the address in Section 24.

5. Subscriptions and Paid Services

If we offer paid subscriptions, memberships, or other paid services through the Site, your purchase is also governed by any additional terms presented at the point of sale. In the event of a conflict between those additional terms and these Terms, the additional terms control with respect to the paid service.

All fees are stated at the time of purchase. We reserve the right to change pricing at any time, but price changes will not apply retroactively to active subscription periods you’ve already paid for.

Refund policies, if any, will be stated at the point of sale.

6. Third-Party Links, Embedded Content, and Services

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources. We don’t control those sites and aren’t responsible for their content, privacy practices, or availability. A link from our Site is not an endorsement.

Our Content may include embedded material from third-party platforms — including social media posts, videos, maps, documents, and other media. This embedded content is served directly by the originating platform and is subject to that platform’s own terms of service and privacy policy. If an embedded item becomes unavailable (due to deletion, account suspension, or platform policy changes), we are not responsible for the resulting gap in Content. We may, but are not obligated to, update or replace unavailable embedded material.

If you use any third-party service in connection with the Site (for example, a payment processor or commenting platform), your use is governed by that third party’s terms and privacy policy.

7. Public Records, Legal Reporting, and the Fair Report Privilege

A significant portion of our journalism relies on public records obtained through Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq.), federal FOIA requests, court filings, and other lawful means. Content derived from public records is reported and published in the public interest.

Where our reporting is a fair and accurate account of the contents of official records, judicial proceedings, legislative proceedings, or other official government actions, such reporting is protected under the Fair Report Privilege as recognized in Pennsylvania law. We are not the originating source of information contained in public records, and we are not liable for inaccuracies contained within records obtained through lawful public records requests, court filing systems, or other official channels, provided our reporting of those records is fair and accurate.

Nothing in these Terms limits your rights under applicable public records laws, nor does anything in these Terms constitute legal advice regarding those laws.

8. Source Protection

The Pocono Review is committed to protecting the identity of confidential sources. Pennsylvania’s Shield Law (42 Pa. C.S. § 5942) provides qualified protection to journalists and their sources, and we assert that protection to its fullest extent.

We will invoke the Pennsylvania Shield Law and the First Amendment privilege to the maximum extent permitted by law. We will not disclose the identity of any confidential source, or any unpublished information, notes, outtakes, or other materials obtained in the course of newsgathering, unless a court of competent jurisdiction issues a final, non-appealable order compelling disclosure after all legal challenges and appeals have been exhausted.

If you contact us with information and wish to remain anonymous, say so at the outset. Do not assume confidentiality — it must be explicitly established. For sensitive communications, contact us directly at tips@poconoreview.com.

9. Editorial Independence and Content Removal Demands

9.1 Editorial Decisions

All editorial decisions — including what to publish, when to publish, how to frame a story, which public records to request, and which sources to cite — are made solely by The Pocono Review’s editorial staff. We do not submit articles for pre-publication review by the subjects of our reporting, nor do we grant editorial control to advertisers, sponsors, donors, or any outside party.

9.2 Demands for Content Removal

We take legal obligations seriously. We also take press freedom seriously.

If you believe Content on the Site is unlawful or actionable, you may submit a written statement to legal@poconoreview.com that includes:

• Your full legal name and contact information.
• Identification of the specific Content at issue, by URL and by quoting the specific statements you challenge.
• A factual explanation of why the Content is allegedly false or unlawful, with supporting documentation where applicable.
• The specific legal basis for your demand (e.g., the statute or cause of action you believe applies).

This protocol is provided solely as a convenience. The submission of a removal request does not create any duty for The Pocono Review to investigate, respond, or take action. The Review maintains absolute editorial discretion over all published Content and its archives. No communication sent via this protocol shall be deemed “actual malice,” “notice,” or “knowledge of falsity” for the purposes of modifying the legal status of any original publication, and receipt of such communication does not restart or modify the running of any statute of limitations under the Single Publication Rule.

Vague demands, demands that fail to identify specific factual errors, and demands premised solely on disagreement with our editorial conclusions or characterizations will be noted and filed but will not result in removal or retraction.

Threatening litigation does not accelerate our review process. Frivolous legal threats may themselves become the subject of reporting.

9.3 Preservation of Reporting

We do not delete published articles in response to outside pressure. If we determine that a correction or update is warranted, we will append a correction notice to the original article. The original URL will remain live. Our reporting is part of the public record, and we treat it accordingly.

10. Accuracy, Corrections, and Retractions

We make every reasonable effort to publish accurate information. If we determine that published Content contains a material error of fact, we will correct it and note the correction. Our corrections policy is available on the Site.

If you believe any Content on the Site contains an error of fact, contact us at corrections@poconoreview.com with specific details about the alleged error and any supporting documentation.

Publication of Content that you disagree with — including opinions, editorial judgments, characterizations, and conclusions drawn from public records — does not constitute an error requiring correction.

11. Anti-SLAPP and Frivolous Litigation

The Pocono Review publishes matters of public concern, including reporting on the conduct of public officials, the expenditure of public funds, government transparency, and the administration of justice. This reporting is protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 7 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

We will vigorously defend against any lawsuit or legal threat designed to chill, suppress, or punish our journalism. To the fullest extent permitted by law, if any person or entity initiates legal action against The Pocono Review arising out of reporting on matters of public concern, and such action is dismissed or judgment is entered in favor of the Review, the initiating party shall be contractually liable for all attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses incurred by the Review in its defense — independent of and in addition to any statutory anti-SLAPP protections, sanctions under Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1023.1, or counsel fees recoverable under 42 Pa. C.S. § 2503.

We will also report on any such lawsuit as a matter of public interest.

12. No Professional Advice

The Pocono Review publishes journalism. Our reporting on municipal finance, government contracts, court proceedings, zoning, land use, environmental compliance, and similar subjects is published for informational purposes and public accountability.

Nothing published on this Site constitutes legal advice, financial advice, tax advice, or professional guidance of any kind. Do not make legal, financial, or personal decisions based solely on our reporting without consulting a qualified professional in the relevant field.

13. Disclaimers

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” WE MAKE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR UNINTERRUPTED AVAILABILITY.

We do not warrant that the Site will be free of errors, viruses, or other harmful components, or that defects will be corrected.

Our reporting reflects the information available to us at the time of publication. We do not guarantee that every detail in a developing story will remain accurate as new facts emerge. Stories are updated as warranted.

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE POCONO REVIEW, ITS OWNER(S), CONTRIBUTORS, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SITE OR ANY CONTENT, REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY.

ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE SITE SHALL BE BROUGHT SOLELY AGAINST THE POCONO REVIEW AS A PUBLISHING ENTITY AND NOT AGAINST ITS INDIVIDUAL EDITORS, CONTRIBUTORS, OR OWNERS IN THEIR PERSONAL CAPACITY.

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE SITE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US, IF ANYTHING, DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR $100, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IF THOSE LAWS APPLY TO YOU, SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY, AND YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Pocono Review, its owner(s), editors, contributors, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Site; (b) your User Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; or (d) your violation of any law or any third party’s rights.

16. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by and construed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any legal action arising from or related to these Terms or your use of the Site shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, or the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. By using this Site, you consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of those courts and waive any objection based on inconvenient forum.

Before filing any claim, you agree to attempt good-faith resolution by contacting us in writing at legal@poconoreview.com. You agree to allow at least thirty (30) days for us to respond before initiating formal proceedings.

Any claim related to your use of the Site must be filed within one (1) year after the cause of action arises, or it is permanently waived. This limitations period applies to all claims arising under these Terms to the maximum extent permitted by law.

17. Data Retention for Legal Defense

We may retain server logs, access records, IP addresses, and other technical data as reasonably necessary to enforce these Terms, investigate potential violations, respond to legal process, or defend against legal claims. Retention of such data is governed by our Privacy Policy, except that where legal proceedings are pending, threatened, or reasonably anticipated, we may retain relevant data for the duration of those proceedings regardless of our standard retention schedule.

18. Privacy

Your use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your information. The Privacy Policy is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

19. Children

The Site is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, contact us at legal@poconoreview.com and we will delete it.

20. Accessibility

We are committed to making the Site accessible to all users. If you experience any accessibility barriers, contact us at accessibility@poconoreview.com so we can work to address them.

21. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

22. No Waiver

The failure of The Pocono Review to enforce any provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by The Pocono Review.

23. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any additional terms for paid services, constitute the entire agreement between you and The Pocono Review regarding your use of the Site. They supersede all prior agreements, understandings, and representations, whether written or oral.

24. Contact

The Pocono Review Email: legal@poconoreview.com Website: poconoreview.com

For editorial matters: editor@poconoreview.com For corrections: corrections@poconoreview.com For tips and confidential communications: tips@poconoreview.com For privacy requests: privacy@poconoreview.com