The Rustler is an independent local news publication covering Russell Township and the surrounding area. It is edited by David Gonczol, whose journalism experience includes the Ottawa Citizen, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Canadian Press and rural and small-town publications.
The Rustler combines traditional reporting with artificial intelligence and automation. AI helps a one-person newsroom examine more documents, follow more public bodies, organize information and perform repetitive checks. It does not replace evidence or human editorial judgment.
AI does not replace the journalist. AI makes the journalist economically viable.
The reporter still goes to the council meeting. The reporter asks the question nobody else asks. The reporter photographs the event, cultivates sources, decides what’s news, verifies the quotation and takes responsibility when something is published.
Accuracy is always on
Verification is part of the entire reporting process — from the first lead through research, writing, publication and later updates.
The Rustler relies heavily on original sources: public documents, meeting agendas and recordings, official releases, interviews, direct observation and public records.
Names, dates, numbers, titles, locations, quotations and the status of decisions are checked against appropriate evidence. Social media, community posts, other news reports and AI output can provide useful leads, but they are not proof by themselves.
If reliable sources conflict, The Rustler investigates the difference. If it cannot be resolved, The Rustler makes the uncertainty clear, omits the disputed point or continues reporting. The Rustler does not fill gaps with guesses.
Quotations and public meetings
Direct quotations receive two separate checks: are the words accurate, and has The Rustler verified who said them?
Council reporting receives additional scrutiny because a staff recommendation, council discussion and final decision are different things. The Rustler establishes what was proposed, what councillors discussed, what motion was made, what council actually decided and what remains unresolved.
Where useful, The Rustler links directly to agendas, staff reports, minutes, official documents and the relevant part of a meeting recording so readers can examine the record themselves.
AI and human responsibility
AI may assist with research, transcription, document comparison, fact extraction, contradiction checks, drafting, editing, link checking and website production.
The process may involve AI collating all facts for a story from documents or transcripts of meetings or person to person interviews. But later drafts are written entirely and shaped by human hands.
A human decides what The Rustler publishes and handles editorial judgments, unresolved factual questions and corrections.
Accuracy also applies to headlines, photographs, captions, summaries and graphics. They must be supported by the reporting and must not create a misleading impression. The Rustler does not use AI-generated images as documentary photographs of news events.
Elections and corrections
Election coverage is factual and neutral. Candidate statements are attributed, official records are preferred where available, and comparable candidates are treated under the same editorial rules. The Rustler does not tell readers whom to vote for, rank candidates or publish its own predictions of who will win.
No responsible newsroom can promise never to make a mistake. When a material factual error is confirmed, The Rustler corrects it and explains what changed rather than quietly making the error disappear.
Readers who believe something is wrong are encouraged to contact The Rustler and, where possible, provide the document, recording or other evidence supporting the concern.
The Rustler’s standard is simple: verify what can be verified, distinguish what is known from what is not, show readers the evidence when useful, and correct mistakes when they occur.