Our Standards
Editorial Policy
At Samoa Pocket Guide, we uphold rigorous editorial standards to ensure that our content is informative, reliable and unbiased. Our dedicated in-house editorial team oversees every article, aiming to provide travellers with inspiration, trip-planning advice and valuable guidance for their on-the-ground experiences.
We are deeply committed to maintaining the quality and trustworthiness of our content and editorial processes. Our small yet independent team of writers, editors, fact-checkers, photographers and developers conducts thorough research and reviews regularly to ensure that our content is up-to-date and accurate and prioritises the needs of our readers.
Each article features an “author” that includes the name, a brief description, and a link to more information about the contributors and encourages readers to contact us with any feedback.
Our Values
At Samoa Pocket Guide, our content is crafted with unwavering dedication to our core values and high editorial standards. These values guide every piece of information we share, ensuring that our readers receive trustworthy and insightful content.
Our core values include:
- Writing from Experience: We always write from our personal experiences, providing authentic insights into travel destinations and activities.
- Impartiality and Unbiased Opinion: Our opinions are impartial and unbiased, rooted in our firsthand experiences rather than external influences.
- Inspiring Exploration: We aim to inspire others to explore and discover new destinations, cultures and experiences.
- Informative Knowledge: We inform our readers with practical and useful knowledge that enhances their travel experiences and makes planning easier.
Our editorial standards include:
- Honesty and Impartiality: Honesty and impartiality are paramount in our content, ensuring that we provide accurate and unbiased information.
- Credit where Credit is Due: We give credit to sources and contributors, acknowledging their contributions to our content.
- Facts Before Opinions: Facts always take precedence over opinions in our articles, maintaining the integrity of our information.
- Writing for Readers: We write what we would like to read ourselves, ensuring that our content is engaging, informative and relevant.
- Informative and Conversational Style: We adopt an informative yet conversational style, making our content accessible and enjoyable for our readers.
Editorial Independence
Our editorial content remains independent and uninfluenced by our advertisers. While we use affiliate links, we do not solely focus on advertisers’ interests. As an impartial travel guide, we showcase a wide range of tourism industry offerings in each destination, whether they advertise with us or not.
Accuracy
Accuracy is paramount in our travel guides. Our content undergoes regular updates and fact-checking processes to ensure the ongoing publication of accurate, comprehensive, relevant and up-to-date information. We typically conduct bi-annual full-site updates and promptly address corrections based on industry changes, thanks to our close collaboration with tourism boards, operators and readers.
We encourage reader participation in our commitment to accuracy and fact-checking. If you spot a factual error in any of our content, please notify us through our Contact Page, and we will promptly investigate and take corrective measures.
Sources and Collaborations
Our writers and editors adhere to strict journalistic standards when sourcing articles. We rely on current and reputable primary sources, collaborating directly with tourism operators, boards, and government organisations while maintaining impartiality to present a destination’s offerings objectively.
Our editors and select contributors often engage in collaborations with tourism boards, tour operators, brands, airlines and accommodations to support our coverage. These experiences allow us to produce in-depth, well-researched guides that offer deeper insights into destinations. We only cover destinations, restaurants, accommodations or tours that meet our standards and that we would personally recommend to our readers.
Images
We usually use our own photography to showcase travel experiences. However, as we cannot be everywhere all the time, we sometimes make use of updated images provided by regional tourism organisations, tourism operators, affiliated partners and occasionally stock images. Whenever we use a third party’s image, we always give credit to the source.