Acceptable Sources
Scope: Defines approved sources for McClatchy content. All facts must be verified and all links must point to sources that meet these standards.
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Health & Wellness
| Source |
URL |
Type |
Notes |
| Mayo Clinic |
mayoclinic.org |
Medical/Nonprofit |
Evidence-based health info; widely cited for symptoms, conditions, treatments. Great for service articles on conditions & prevention. |
| CDC |
cdc.gov |
Government |
Official U.S. public health data, guidelines, seasonal health alerts. Seasonal content hooks (flu, allergies, heat safety). |
| NIH / MedlinePlus |
medlineplus.gov |
Government |
Plain-language health encyclopedia backed by NIH research. Good for explainers and FAQ-style content. |
| Harvard Health Publishing |
health.harvard.edu |
Academic |
Expert-reviewed wellness articles; strong on nutrition, mental health, aging. Often ranks well for health queries. |
| NAMI |
nami.org |
Nonprofit |
Mental health conditions, treatment options, support resources. Essential for mental health service content. |
| WHO |
who.int |
International Govt |
Global health data, disease info, public health guidelines. Useful for broader context and global stats. |
| Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials |
health.clevelandclinic.org |
Medical/Nonprofit |
Consumer-friendly health articles from top-ranked hospital system. Good model for tone in service health journalism. |
| Psychology Today |
psychologytoday.com |
Media/Expert |
Therapist directory and accessible mental health articles. Helpful for sourcing expert quotes and trends. |
Home / DIY / Gardening
| Source |
URL |
Type |
Notes |
| This Old House |
thisoldhouse.com |
Media |
Expert-backed home improvement guides, how-tos, product reviews. Strong SEO presence; good for DIY content benchmarking. |
| USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |
planthardiness.ars.usda.gov |
Government |
Official planting zone data for regional gardening guidance. Essential for localized gardening calendars. |
| Cooperative Extension System (USDA) |
nifa.usda.gov |
Government/Academic |
University-backed local gardening, pest control, and home science resources. Hyper-local angle for regional publications. |
| National Association of Realtors (NAR) |
nar.realtor |
Industry Assoc. |
Housing market data, homebuyer trends, affordability stats. Key source for home-buying service content. |
| EPA Indoor Air Quality |
epa.gov |
Government |
Guidance on mold, radon, VOCs, and healthy home environments. Great for seasonal home safety articles. |
| The Spruce |
thespruce.com |
Media |
Broad home, garden, and decor coverage; Dotdash Meredith brand. Competitive benchmark for Everyday Living vertical. |
| Houzz |
houzz.com |
Platform/Media |
Design inspiration, contractor directory, renovation cost data. Good for decor trend pieces and renovation budgets. |
Personal Finance / Money
| Source |
URL |
Type |
Notes |
| Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) |
consumerfinance.gov |
Government |
Consumer finance guides, complaint data, regulatory info. Authoritative for credit, mortgages, student loans. |
| Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) |
fred.stlouisfed.org |
Government |
Economic indicators, interest rates, inflation data. Useful for data-driven money content. |
| IRS.gov |
irs.gov |
Government |
Tax deadlines, forms, credits/deductions explainers. Must-have for tax season content calendar. |
| NerdWallet |
nerdwallet.com |
Media/Fintech |
Credit cards, banking, investing guides; strong SEO competitor. Key benchmark; great for understanding what ranks. |
| Bankrate |
bankrate.com |
Media |
Rate data, calculators, personal finance guides. Competitor and data source for rate-related content. |
| Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) |
bls.gov |
Government |
Employment, wages, CPI/inflation, cost of living data. Strong for jobs and cost-of-living articles. |
| Social Security Administration |
ssa.gov |
Government |
Benefits info, retirement planning, disability resources. Key for retirement and benefits service content. |
Food & Recipes
| Source |
URL |
Type |
Notes |
| USDA FoodData Central |
fdc.nal.usda.gov |
Government |
Nutrition data for any food item; official U.S. source. Back up nutrition claims in food/recipe content. |
| FDA Food Safety |
fda.gov/food |
Government |
Recalls, food safety guidelines, labeling rules. Essential for food safety and recall coverage. |
| Serious Eats |
seriouseats.com |
Media |
Science-driven recipes and technique explainers. Competitive benchmark for food content quality. |
| Bon Appétit |
bonappetit.com |
Media |
Trend-forward recipes, restaurant culture, food trends. Good for food trend sourcing. |
| Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics |
eatright.org |
Professional Assoc. |
Evidence-based nutrition guidance, dietitian resources. Authoritative for nutrition claims and expert sourcing. |
SEO & Content Strategy
| Source |
URL |
Type |
Notes |
| Semrush Blog |
semrush.com/blog |
Industry/Tool |
SEO trends, keyword research guides, content marketing insights. Complements your Semrush tool usage. |
| Google Search Central Blog |
developers.google.com/search/blog |
Platform |
Official Google algorithm updates and search best practices. Primary source for algorithm change coverage. |
| Moz Blog |
moz.com/blog |
Industry/Tool |
SEO strategy, link building, domain authority insights. Good for staying current on SEO methodology. |
| Content Marketing Institute |
contentmarketinginstitute.com |
Industry |
Content strategy frameworks, editorial planning, distribution. Useful for strategic planning and team training. |
| Nieman Lab |
niemanlab.org |
Academic/Media |
Future of journalism, audience trends, digital media innovation. Great for staying ahead on industry shifts. |
General News & Reporting
| Source |
URL |
Type |
Notes |
| AP News |
apnews.com |
Wire Service |
Breaking news, fact-checked reporting, editorial style standards. Foundational for newsroom standards. |
| U.S. Census Bureau |
data.census.gov |
Government |
Demographic data, population trends, community profiles. Localizes any story with regional data. |
| Pew Research Center |
pewresearch.org |
Nonprofit/Research |
Public opinion polling, media trends, demographic research. Excellent for trend stats and audience insights. |
| Statista |
statista.com |
Data Platform |
Aggregated statistics across industries; charts and infographics. Quick stats for any vertical (some content paywalled). |
| Data.gov |
data.gov |
Government |
Open data catalog for U.S. government datasets. Great for data journalism and investigative pieces. |
Entertainment & Celebrity
| Source |
URL |
Type |
Notes |
| People |
people.com |
Media |
Celebrity news, human interest, entertainment. Primary benchmark for voice, tone, and format in celebrity content. |
| Entertainment Weekly |
ew.com |
Media |
Film, TV, music, and celebrity coverage. Strong for entertainment explainers, reviews, and awards coverage. |
| Variety |
variety.com |
Trade/Media |
Entertainment industry news, box office, awards, deals. Authoritative for credits, industry data, and business-side sourcing. |
| The Hollywood Reporter |
hollywoodreporter.com |
Trade/Media |
Film/TV industry, talent news, awards coverage. Good for authoritative industry sourcing and talent credits. |
| Billboard |
billboard.com |
Trade/Media |
Music charts, artist news, tour and album data. Primary source for chart positions and music industry facts. |
| IMDb |
imdb.com |
Database |
Film/TV credits, cast and crew, release dates, episode data. Authoritative for credits, filmography, and release info—cite the record, not editorial content. |
| Rotten Tomatoes |
rottentomatoes.com |
Aggregator |
Film/TV critic and audience scores. Use for consensus ratings; note score and review count when citing. |
| Deadline Hollywood |
deadline.com |
Trade/Media |
Breaking entertainment industry news, casting, deals, ratings. Fast-moving; verify before citing. |