Who we are
The O Unbounded is an independent, student-founded, student-operated, and collectively student-owned journalism organization based in Columbus, Ohio, with a primary focus on The Ohio State University and the communities surrounding it. Established to provide an independent platform for student journalism, we are committed to reporting on matters of public interest, examining institutional decisions, and encouraging meaningful discussion about issues affecting students, faculty, staff, and the broader university community.
Our publication was founded on the belief that a university should be a place where ideas are questioned, perspectives are challenged, and individuals can express themselves without unnecessary fear of institutional or social retaliation. We recognize the importance of a free and independent press in maintaining accountability, particularly within institutions whose decisions directly influence the lives of thousands of individuals.
The O Unbounded covers university governance, student affairs, campus policies, freedom of expression, student activism, political developments, community concerns, and other issues of public significance. Our work includes original reporting, investigative journalism, opinion writing, commentary, interviews, and contributions from individuals with differing experiences and viewpoints. We believe that journalism should not simply repeat institutional statements but should examine them critically, provide relevant context, and give appropriate attention to perspectives that might otherwise go unheard.
As a collectively student-owned and operated publication, we are committed to maintaining editorial independence. Our editorial decisions are intended to be made by our student editorial team rather than university administrators, political organizations, outside institutions, or financial contributors. Although The O Unbounded may seek recognition as a student organization or participate in university activities, such involvement does not constitute university ownership or editorial oversight.
We also recognize that meaningful participation in public discussion sometimes requires privacy. Individuals may be hesitant to express their opinions, criticize institutional practices, or share personal experiences when they believe doing so could expose them to retaliation or unwanted attention. For this reason, The O Unbounded seeks to minimize unnecessary collection of personal information and support opportunities for anonymous public commentary while maintaining reasonable standards for responsible discussion.
Our commitment to privacy extends to readers, contributors, and individuals who communicate with our editorial team. We believe that personal information should be handled carefully, that data collection should be limited to legitimate purposes, and that visitors should understand how their information may be processed when interacting with our website.
The O Unbounded is not an official publication of The Ohio State University, and its reporting, commentary, and editorial positions do not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its administration, or its affiliated organizations.
Our website address is: theounbounded.com.
For privacy-related inquiries, readers may contact us at: theounbounded@outlook.com.
Comments
The O Unbounded recognizes anonymous expression as an important part of independent journalism and public discussion. We encourage readers to engage with our reporting, question institutional decisions, and express their perspectives without being required to publicly disclose their identities. Our commenting system is intended to allow participation without requiring visitors to provide their names, email addresses, or registered user accounts.
When visitors submit comments, our website collects the information voluntarily entered into the comment form, along with technical information that WordPress ordinarily records, including the visitor’s Internet Protocol (IP) address and browser user-agent string. This information may be used to support comment moderation, identify spam, and maintain website security. Although commenters are not required to identify themselves, we recognize that anonymous participation does not necessarily guarantee complete technical anonymity.
The O Unbounded welcomes disagreement, criticism, and controversial viewpoints, including opinions directed toward university administrators, public officials, student organizations, and our own reporting. Comments may be reviewed before publication to prevent threats, targeted harassment, disclosure of sensitive personal information, spam, and other violations of our community standards. Moderation decisions are intended to preserve responsible discussion rather than suppress legitimate criticism or unpopular opinions.
Approved comments are publicly visible and may be accessed or shared by other visitors. Information voluntarily disclosed within a comment may therefore become publicly available. We encourage readers to exercise discretion when discussing sensitive matters or referencing other individuals.
Comments and associated technical information may be retained within our website’s database and processed by services necessary for website operation and security. The O Unbounded seeks to limit unnecessary access to this information and does not intend to disclose identifying information to university administrators or outside organizations merely because a reader has expressed criticism or disagreement. Information may nevertheless be disclosed when required by applicable law or valid legal process.
The O Unbounded is committed to protecting reader privacy while maintaining an accessible environment for public discussion. As our publication develops, we will continue evaluating our commenting practices to minimize unnecessary data collection and support the freedom of individuals to participate without publicly identifying themselves.
Media
The O Unbounded recognizes that photographs, videos, and other forms of visual media are essential to independent journalism and documenting matters of public interest. Our publication may feature original photography, student-submitted images, recordings of public events, demonstrations, campus activities, interviews, and other multimedia materials relevant to The Ohio State University and the broader community. We are committed to handling these materials responsibly while respecting individual privacy, journalistic integrity, and freedom of expression.
When visitors or contributors upload images to our website, those files may contain embedded metadata, including information about the device used to capture the image, the date and time it was taken, and potentially geographic location data (EXIF GPS). Depending on the file and how it is processed, this information may remain accessible to individuals who view or download the image. The O Unbounded encourages contributors to remove unnecessary location information and other sensitive metadata before submitting photographs, particularly when the material involves private individuals, sensitive locations, or circumstances where identification could create personal or professional risks.
The O Unbounded recognizes that visual reporting involving student demonstrations, political activities, institutional controversies, and other sensitive matters may raise legitimate privacy concerns. While photographs and recordings of events occurring in public spaces may serve an important journalistic purpose, our editorial team seeks to consider the circumstances of publication, the public interest, and potential consequences for individuals depicted. We do not believe that participation in public discussion or peaceful political activity should automatically eliminate an individual’s reasonable concerns about privacy.
Photographs, videos, and other multimedia submitted for editorial consideration may be reviewed, stored, edited, and published by authorized members of The O Unbounded’s editorial team. Contributors are encouraged to disclose relevant copyright restrictions, attribution requirements, confidentiality concerns, or other limitations associated with their submissions. The submission of media does not guarantee publication, and The O Unbounded reserves the right to determine whether material meets its editorial standards.
Media published on our website may be publicly accessible and could be downloaded, copied, or redistributed by third parties. Although The O Unbounded seeks to exercise appropriate care when publishing sensitive material, we cannot guarantee that publicly available images or recordings will remain exclusively within our website. Individuals who believe that published media raises significant privacy, safety, or accuracy concerns may contact our editorial team to request a review. Such requests will be considered individually in accordance with our editorial responsibilities and the public interest.
The O Unbounded is committed to balancing the public’s right to information with the privacy and dignity of individuals represented in our reporting. As our publication develops, we will continue evaluating our media-handling practices to support responsible journalism, protect sensitive information, and maintain public trust.
Cookies
We recognize the importance of protecting reader privacy and maintaining transparency about the technologies used to operate our website. Cookies are small files stored on a visitor’s device that allow websites to remember certain information, maintain essential functions, and improve the browsing experience. We seek to limit the use of cookies to those reasonably necessary for website operation, security, and functionality, while avoiding unnecessary collection of personal information.
Visitors may access and read articles published by The O Unbounded without creating an account or providing identifying information. Our website may use cookies for administrative functions, comment preferences, and other technical purposes. The use of cookies does not necessarily identify an individual by name, although certain cookies and associated technical information may be used to recognize a browser or device.
When visitors leave comments on our website, they may be offered the option to save their name, email address, and website information in cookies for future convenience. These cookies are optional and are intended to prevent visitors from having to reenter information when submitting additional comments. They generally remain stored for one year. The O Unbounded does not require commenters to provide their names or email addresses, and visitors are not required to enable these convenience cookies to participate in public discussions.
When an individual visits the WordPress login page, a temporary cookie may be established to determine whether their browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal information and is discarded when the browser is closed. Login access is intended primarily for authorized editors, journalists, contributors, and website administrators rather than ordinary readers.
When authorized users log into the website, WordPress establishes cookies to maintain their login sessions and remember screen display preferences. Login cookies ordinarily remain active for two days, while screen preference cookies may remain for one year. If a user selects the “Remember Me” option, their login session may persist for approximately two weeks. Logging out removes the relevant login cookies.
When an authorized contributor or editor modifies or publishes an article, WordPress may save an additional cookie in their browser. This cookie does not contain personal information and instead records the identification number of the article being edited. It ordinarily expires after one day.
Certain third-party services, including embedded videos, external media platforms, security tools, and other website integrations, may use their own cookies or similar technologies. These services may process information according to their respective privacy policies. The O Unbounded seeks to evaluate third-party technologies before introducing them and to avoid unnecessary tracking practices that could undermine reader privacy.
Visitors may control, restrict, or delete cookies through their browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality, particularly features involving administrative access or saved preferences. The O Unbounded does not require readers to accept optional comment convenience cookies simply to access published journalism.
Our approach to cookies reflects our broader commitment to independent journalism, freedom of expression, and responsible information practices. We believe that individuals should be able to access reporting, examine institutional decisions, and participate in public discussion without unnecessary barriers or excessive data collection. As our website develops, we will continue reviewing our use of cookies and related technologies to ensure that our published privacy practices accurately reflect how the website operates.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles published by The O Unbounded may include embedded content from external websites, including videos, photographs, social media posts, and other multimedia materials. Embedded content behaves in much the same way as if visitors had accessed the originating website directly.
These external websites may collect information about visitors, use cookies, incorporate third-party tracking technologies, and monitor interactions with embedded content. If visitors are logged into an account with the external service, their interactions may also be associated with that account.
The O Unbounded recognizes the importance of reader privacy and seeks to use embedded content responsibly, particularly when reporting on sensitive political, institutional, or student-related matters. However, we do not control the data collection practices of third-party websites and encourage readers to review their respective privacy policies. Whenever practical, we aim to limit unnecessary third-party tracking while maintaining access to relevant journalistic material.
Who we share your data with
The O Unbounded is committed to protecting the privacy of its readers, contributors, and sources. We do not sell personal information to advertisers, data brokers, or other commercial entities. Information collected through our website may be processed by authorized members of our editorial team and trusted third-party service providers when necessary for website hosting, security, maintenance, spam prevention, and other essential operations.
As an independent student journalism organization, The O Unbounded does not routinely share private reader information, unpublished editorial submissions, or identifying information associated with anonymous comments with The Ohio State University, its administration, student organizations, or outside political institutions. We recognize that protecting individual privacy is particularly important when readers engage in discussions involving institutional criticism, political expression, or other sensitive matters.
Certain information may be disclosed when required by applicable law, valid legal process, or necessary security procedures. Such requests will be evaluated carefully, with consideration for individual privacy, editorial independence, and applicable legal protections. We cannot guarantee that information will never be disclosed under legally binding circumstances.
If an authorized user requests a password reset, their IP address may be included in the password reset email generated by WordPress. Other technical information may be processed by services necessary to maintain the website’s functionality and security.
We seek to limit access to personal information to those with a legitimate operational or editorial need. As our publication develops, we will continue reviewing our information-sharing practices to ensure they remain consistent with our commitment to independent journalism, responsible data management, and freedom of expression.
How long we retain your data
We retain comments and associated metadata, including IP addresses and browser information, indefinitely unless deleted or subject to a separate retention policy. Comments automatically close 527 days after publication, although existing comments and their data may remain stored.
Information associated with authorized contributor, editor, and administrator accounts is retained as needed for website operations. Users may generally edit or delete their profile information, except usernames. The O Unbounded seeks to minimize unnecessary data retention while preserving journalistic records and protecting reader privacy.
What rights you have over your data
Individuals who have an account with The O Unbounded or have submitted comments may request a copy of the personal information we hold about them or ask for its deletion. These requests will be reviewed in accordance with applicable privacy laws and our commitment to protecting reader information.
Certain information may be retained when necessary for administrative, legal, security, or legitimate journalistic purposes. Anonymous commenters may need to provide sufficient information for us to identify the relevant records before a request can be fulfilled.
Where your data is sent
Visitor comments may be processed through automated spam detection and website security services, which may collect technical information such as IP addresses and browser details. Certain information may also be processed by third-party providers necessary for website hosting and maintenance.
We seek to minimize unnecessary data sharing and protect reader privacy, particularly for individuals participating in anonymous discussions. We do not sell personal information or knowingly share identifying information for unrelated commercial purposes.