Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about Up For Review. If you’d like us to review your story, fill out the application form, and we’ll be in touch.
What is Up for Review?
The Inquirer regularly receives requests from subjects of articles asking for stories to be removed because the continued visibility is causing them harm. The Up for Review policy was created to address these requests in a consistent, equitable manner.
Stories can live forever on the internet, with some affecting people’s ability to find housing, jobs, and more, and this policy is meant to offer a fresh look at those that have caused unintended and lasting harm. Years-old stories are easier to find than ever, and their unintended impacts are more damaging as a result. The Inquirer is not intending to rewrite Philadelphia’s history but to provide a remedy for content that today we would not deem newsworthy, or would cover differently. This policy is not meant for factual corrections or ongoing reporting.
In establishing this policy, The Inquirer has formalized work that was already being done and has created an Up for Review committee that includes members with varying newsroom roles, backgrounds, and perspectives to review requests. This system ensures that decisions about reducing the visibility of older stories are made using the same criteria and process to evaluate each request, rather than an ad-hoc basis.
What actions will The Inquirer take?
The main remedy we will offer is deindexing. That means the story will no longer appear in results on search engines like Google. The existing article pages on Inquirer.com will still work, and the article will still be findable via Inquirer.com’s search function. In essence, this means the article will only be findable if someone already knows it exists. This makes the content less accessible while preserving the historic record.
In rare cases, we may take steps like removing an individual’s name, updating a story with new information, removing visual elements, or unpublishing a story. These are rare remedies that are subject to more review before decisions are made.
The Inquirer maintains the right to republish, reindex, or otherwise restore articles if they become newly relevant.
What kinds of stories will you consider?
We’ll consider stories on any topic that is not the subject of ongoing news coverage. These can include closed criminal and civil cases and other news events with no ongoing developments or relevance to today. A good general guidance is a lapse of at least one year in a criminal or civil case or since the story was published.
Who can submit a request? Do I need a lawyer?
Anyone who appears in Inquirer coverage can submit an Up for Review request. You don’t need a lawyer. We’re considering requests from affected individuals — not government agencies, corporations, or PR firms. You can’t submit a request for someone else, or have someone else submit a request for you; all submissions require the consent of the individual named in the article in question. You can have someone assist you, but please note that assistance in your submission — this will help us communicate with you about your request.
Because the policy is meant to address ongoing harm and not correct the record, we will not accept submissions on behalf of deceased individuals.
What won’t you consider?
We won’t consider requests from public officials, about active court cases, or related to ongoing news stories. Submissions from those in positions of public trust will face a higher bar. The policy is also not meant for requests from authors who wish to have their own stories removed.
We will not consider requests regarding currently pending criminal or civil cases. Considering a case that is still being adjudicated may hamper our ability to cover it fairly if any development is newsworthy. We will not consider stories when the subject matter is still evolving, or there is continued public interest in the matter.
Are there any restrictions on what criminal cases you’ll consider?
A criminal case must no longer be active for stories about it to be considered. This may mean a case was dismissed, judgment imposed, sentence served, or charges not filed. An application for pardon or expungement is not considered an ongoing case.
There are no strict criteria for types of crime stories we will consider. We expect to prioritize low-level crime that has already been adjudicated and stories on the first steps of a criminal proceeding (such as arrest) that didn’t lead to charges/conviction. We’ll also prioritize cases for which a significant time has passed since the crime occurred.
What if I’m featured in a photograph, rather than a story?
We will also consider requests about images.
What about columns, reviews, or other opinion content?
We may consider requests regarding news events or situations described in columns, reviews, and other opinion content, if relief would be granted for a similar situation in a news article. We will not make changes regarding opinions expressed about those events, or remove articles from an author whose opinion has since changed.
Do I need to include documents with my submission?
Documents are not required, but they’re helpful to include if you have them, particularly for criminal cases in which charges were dropped or downgraded. We may also seek documents ourselves about your case.
What factors do you consider in decision making?
We consider the impact of a story’s continued online presence, and evaluate who would benefit and who would be harmed by an article’s continued visibility.
We weigh a consistent set of factors in determining whether to take action, including: the time since the article was published or the situation at issue occurred, whether the person is a public official or in a position of public trust, if the person was a minor at the time of the article, if the person explicitly agreed to be included in the article, how widely covered the situation was, if it is an ongoing story or has ongoing news value, if the story is primarily about the requestor, and how similarly we would cover the situation today.
How do I submit a request?
Submit a request by filling out this form. Do not send requests to individual Philadelphia Inquirer staffers.
What happens after I submit a request?
Your submission will be assigned to a member of a committee that reviews requests. That staffer may reach out to you to obtain additional information. In considering cases, we review the story or stories in question, any documentation available, consult with the original reporter or editor if possible, and review our archives for any additional coverage of the situation. The committee meets regularly to determine what remedy, if any, to grant, and then notifies requestors of decisions.
How long will it take for me to hear back?
It depends. In general, you can expect a response within six to eight weeks, but that can vary depending on the case.
What is deindexing?
Our main remedy is to deindex an article so it remains online but is not findable via search engines. Deindexing means communicating to search engines that the story is unavailable by tagging it appropriately. We do not have the ability to directly remove content from search engines, but can request the story be temporarily removed from Google’s index, and tag the story to be hidden from search engines so it cannot be found after the temporary removal period expires.
Links on Inquirer.com will still work, and the article is still findable via Inquirer.com’s search function, but users will not be able to find the story by doing a general Google search.
Deindexing does not impact an article’s accessibility in databases like Nexis Lexis or other archives over which The Inquirer has no control.
Who developed this policy and considers cases?
This policy was developed by a group of newsroom reporters and editors, who consulted with legal counsel, experts, and other news organizations that have launched similar initiatives. Cases are considered by a committee of newsroom staffers with various roles, backgrounds, and experiences.