Editorial Policy

Ownership and Funding Information

Dips and Trips is owned and operated by Chris Lewis & Cressie Lewis. The site is self-funded.

Advertising Policy

Our primary source of revenue is through advertising, which is managed independently of our editorial team. Dips and Trips is affiliated with CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a Raptive (“Raptive”) for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and Raptive will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about Raptive’s data usage, click here: https://raptive.com/creator-advertising-privacy-statement. Advertisements do not influence our content, as our commitment is to authenticity and the integrity of our stories. Any sponsored content or affiliate partnerships will be clearly disclosed to maintain transparency with our readers.

Mission Statement

Dips and Trips aims to provide readers with travel tips, guides, location research and more, providing a unique perspective on areas we are familiar with.

Fact-Checking Policy and Editorial Process

Every article on Dips and Trips undergoes a rigorous editorial process before going live, ensuring accuracy and reliability. Each piece is edited and fact-checked by an editor prior to being published. Our commitment to factual reporting is unwavering, and we promptly correct any errors discovered post-publication.

AI Policy

At Dips and Trips, we are committed to authenticity and the human touch in our storytelling. Authors are accountable for accuracy, fairness, originality, and quality in their writing. This is a policy for how writers, editors, and other employees will use AI in relation to working with our website.

The main points are:

  • Authors are accountable for accuracy, fairness, originality, and quality in their writing.
  • AI outputs are always reviewed by humans for accuracy.
  • We believe in transparency in the ways we use AI.
  • We use AI as an assistant without using it to supplant human insight or creativity.

We May Use AI For:

  • Inspiring content ideas, brainstorming topics
  • Suggesting headlines and meta descriptions
  • Help with grammar, spelling and rephrasing (Grammarly for Instance)
  • Help creating outlines and structuring posts
  • First drafts of social posts
  • Summarizing information
  • Sparking ideas for interview questions
  • Repurposing existing content to use in other settings (such as summarizing a video interview to help turn it into an article.)
  • Fine-tuning content for more specific audiences
  • Making templates for routinely sent emails or messages.

We Do Not Use AI For:

  • Research. We may use AI to assist with summarizing research but not as a source of research itself.
  • Fully writing articles- AI is used as a writing and brainstorming assistant, not as an author.
  • To make artwork. We use licensed and fully credited images along with original artwork submitted by the creators themselves.

AI and Privacy:

We do not put sensitive information such as client names, contact information or private identification numbers into ChatGPT or other AI chatbots.

  • ChatGPT records and stores transcripts of your conversations. This means any information you put into the chat, including personal information, is logged. It’s easy to accidentally give ChatGPT private details without realizing it, especially if you use it to proofread personal or professional documents.
  • A simple heuristic is the Reddit Rule: if you wouldn’t post it anonymously on Reddit, don’t put it in an AI tool without a clear understanding of their data policy.

Updates to This AI Policy

Policy Created February 2024. AI is moving quickly. This policy will be updated over time should our usage of AI change.

Ethics Policy

We adhere to a strict ethics policy, emphasizing fairness, context, and a commitment to diverse perspectives. Our stories are crafted with an understanding of the broader implications and potential interpretations, ensuring a respectful, unbiased, and inclusive approach.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity in voices and perspectives is central to our editorial policy. Our team of writers and editors comes from varied backgrounds, ensuring a rich array of viewpoints.

Corrections and Reader Engagement

We are committed to accuracy and transparency. Should errors occur, we promptly correct them and update our articles with the latest timestamp in the byline header of each article. We welcome reader feedback, corrections, or story ideas.

Contact Information

For any queries, corrections, tips, or story ideas, please contact us via our Contact Us page or by email at [email protected]. Your input helps us maintain the quality and integrity of our content, and we value the interaction with our reader community.