← Back to Better 311 Policy · Updated 2026-08-30

Ethics & Independence

Better 311 is an independent public-records service. We are not a city agency, and no one can pay us to change what the records say.

Editorial decisions are ours alone

Every article, brief, and analysis in Filed is selected, written, and checked by Better 311. Supporters — donors, sponsors, or grant funders — receive no editorial input, no advance access to drafts, and no influence over topics, data, or findings. This is written into every funding agreement and it does not bend.

Sponsored content is labeled, scarce, and independent

• Every sponsored placement carries a visible "Sponsored by [X]" label above the fold and in the text.
• Sponsors may suggest topics, but the story must be one we would plausibly write anyway; the data, analysis, and conclusions are ours — including conclusions a sponsor might not like.
• Sponsors never see a piece before publication and never touch the data pipeline or methodology.
• No one can pay for a favorable report, a good score, a security claim, or the removal of an unflattering finding.
• Sponsored pieces are capped and clearly distinguished from regular editorial.

What we will not do

• No paywalls on public records — the data stays free, forever.
• No selling or sharing reader data — not anonymized, not aggregated.
• No political advertising, attack ads, or influence-brokering of any kind.
• No undisclosed payments or gifts that could influence coverage.

Independence from the cities

We use official open data published by the City of San Francisco and the City of Oakland, but we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accountable to either city. Our reports can and do show city systems failing — that is the point of keeping the record.

Questions: support@fromthescope.com