Terms of Use

Effective: April 4, 2026 — Please read these terms carefully before using the westwoodtimes.com website and services.

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website, mobile applications, newsletters, and other digital services operated by The Westwood Times ("TWT," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our services.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By visiting, reading, or otherwise using any part of the westwoodtimes.com website or any TWT digital service, you confirm that you are at least 13 years of age and have read, understood, and agree to these Terms. If you are accessing our services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

2. Content and Intellectual Property

All editorial content published by The Westwood Times — including articles, investigative reports, opinion columns, photographs, graphics, video, audio, and data visualizations produced by our staff — is the intellectual property of The Westwood Times and is protected under United States and international copyright law.

You may share links to our content freely. You may quote brief excerpts for the purposes of commentary, criticism, or news reporting, provided that:

• The excerpt is clearly attributed to The Westwood Times with a direct link to the original article.
• The excerpt does not constitute a substantial reproduction of the original work.
• The use does not misrepresent the original reporting or take content out of context.

You may not:

• Reproduce, republish, or redistribute full articles or substantial portions thereof without express written permission from The Westwood Times.
• Use our content for commercial purposes without a valid licensing agreement.
• Remove or alter any copyright notices, author attributions, or bylines from our content.
• Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to extract content from our site in bulk without prior written authorization.
• Frame or embed our content in ways that obscure attribution or suggest an affiliation not authorized by us.

For licensing, syndication, or reprint permissions, contact thewestwoodtimes@gmail.com.

3. User Conduct

When using any interactive feature of our services — including comments sections, letters to the editor submissions, or reader forums — you agree not to:

• Post content that is defamatory, harassing, abusive, threatening, obscene, or discriminatory.
• Impersonate any person, organization, or entity, including TWT journalists or staff.
• Share misinformation, hoaxes, or fabricated content presented as factual.
• Post spam, unsolicited advertising, or promotional content.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of our systems or infrastructure.
• Interfere with the functioning of our site or services.
• Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law or regulation.

We reserve the right to remove any user-submitted content that violates these standards and to suspend or terminate access for users who repeatedly or egregiously violate them.

4. Accuracy of News Content

The Westwood Times endeavors to report accurately and in accordance with accepted journalistic standards. However, news information changes rapidly as events develop. Published articles reflect information available at the time of publication and may not reflect subsequent developments. We make no warranty that any specific article is complete, accurate, or current at the time you read it.

News reporting, analysis, and commentary published by The Westwood Times is provided for informational purposes only. Nothing on this site constitutes legal, financial, medical, or professional advice. Do not rely on content from this site as a substitute for professional consultation.

5. Third-Party Content and Links

Our site may contain links to third-party websites, sources, or resources cited in our reporting. These links are provided for informational context only. The Westwood Times does not endorse and takes no responsibility for the content, accuracy, privacy practices, or availability of any third-party sites. Your use of third-party sites is at your own risk and subject to those sites' own terms.

6. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Westwood Times website and services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that our services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, The Westwood Times and its officers, directors, employees, contributors, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of, or inability to use, our services — including but not limited to reliance on any content published on our site. In no event shall our total liability to you for any claim exceed one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Westwood Times and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to your use of our services, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

9. Modifications to Services and Terms

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of our services at any time without notice. We also reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

10. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising under or related to these Terms or your use of our services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.

11. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

12. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Use, contact us at thewestwoodtimes@gmail.com or write to: The Westwood Times, Legal Department, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

These Terms of Use are effective as of April 4, 2026.