Content Guidelines

1. Article Requirements

• Word Count: Each article must be between 300 – 1,600 words, with a hero photo and at least one more photo in the story. Articles significantly outside this range will be returned for revision.
• Photography: Every written article needs all 5 magazine-layout section photos before it can be submitted. You may also add up to 10 extra gallery photos after the body. Images must be at least 1200px wide and properly licensed or original. Video posts may skip the five section photos.
• Originality & A.I. Use: Articles must be substantially written by the contributor. You may use A.I. tools to edit, refine, or elaborate on your writing, but articles deemed to be 100% A.I.-generated will be rejected.
• When AI assist turns on: Help me complete this section turns on after 5 bullet points or 2 full sentences in that box. Seed it with take-me-there detail — what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, or felt — so the continuation stays high-grade.
• Tri-Cities Relevance: Articles must be relevant to the Tri-Cities community — Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, and Coquitlam.

2. Accepted Topics

• Local news & community stories
• Lifestyle & wellness
• Restaurant & food reviews
• Outdoor recreation & trails
• Local business spotlights
• Arts, culture & entertainment
• Family-friendly activities
• Seasonal events & festivals
• Neighbourhood guides
• Historical features

3. Formatting & Style

• Use clear, descriptive headlines and subheadings to break up content.
• Write in a conversational, engaging tone — avoid jargon or overly formal language.
• Include photo captions describing what is shown in each image.
• Proofread for grammar, spelling, and factual accuracy before submitting.

4. How It Works

• Step 1 — Apply for Contributor Status: Submit an application through your profile page. Once our team approves you, you can begin submitting articles.
• Step 2 — Write & Submit Your Article: Write your article following these guidelines. Include all photos, captions, and ensure the content is relevant to the Tri-Cities.
• Step 3 — Editorial Review: Our team reviews your submission. Articles that are on-topic and meet our guidelines are approved and published with your byline.
• Step 4 — Publication: Approved articles go live on Boardwide Media under your byline, and we share them across the Board.

5. Rejection & Revocation Policy

Submitted articles may be rejected if they are off-topic, do not meet the guidelines above, or are deemed to be entirely A.I.-generated. Repeated rejections may result in the revocation of your contributor status.

6. Content We Do Not Accept

• Articles that are 100% A.I.-generated with no genuine contributor effort
• Promotional or advertorial content disguised as articles
• Content that is defamatory, discriminatory, or hateful
• Content not relevant to the Tri-Cities area
• Plagiarized or previously published material
• Stock photos without proper licensing

7. Rights & Ownership

Articles we pay for are the property of TriCities Board. You keep the byline and you are welcome to share our published link anywhere, but a paid piece is not republished in full on another site, publication, or personal blog as your own work. If a paid article is republished elsewhere, TriCities Board reserves the right to demand full repayment of the compensation paid for it.

For unpaid submissions, you keep ownership of your work and grant TriCities Board a non-exclusive, perpetual license to publish, distribute, and promote it on our platform and social media channels. There is no exclusivity window — you may publish it elsewhere whenever you like.

Video works the same way. Video a business or member submits stays theirs to share and post wherever they choose, provided it is not edited in a way that damages the reputation or credibility of TriCities Board, its partners, employees, contractors, or affiliated organizations. Video that TriCities Board pays for and crews itself is our property: links and embeds may be shared freely, but our masters are not re-uploaded to channels outside our own.

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about these guidelines or need guidance on a topic, contact us at admin@tricitiesboard.org.