Erie Reader — Flagship Multimedia, Inc. — Effective July 24, 2026
The Short Version
We collect only what we need to run the site, deliver our newsletter, and operate contests. We do not sell your personal information. We use standard analytics and social advertising tools that rely on cookies, and you can control these through our cookie banner.
What We Collect
Site analytics: standard usage data such as pages visited, browser type, device, and approximate location, collected via Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to understand readership. This data is aggregated and not used to identify individuals.
Newsletter signups: your email address and, if you provide it, your name, via ActiveCampaign; BlueLena helps us manage our audience and membership communications.
Contest entries and reader voting: name, email, and your ballot or entry, used to administer the contest and detect duplicate or fraudulent entries. Best of Erie voting is administered with City Spark.
Event tickets: when you buy tickets to our events, our ticketing partner Evvnt collects your name, email, and order details.
Correspondence: anything you send us—letters, tips, emails—including your contact details.
Donations and memberships: if you support us financially through Donorbox, our payment processor Stripe collects your payment details; we receive your name, contact information, and gift amount, but not your full card number.
How We Use It
To publish the Erie Reader, deliver newsletters you've requested, and administer contests and events.
To understand our readership in aggregate and improve the site.
To acknowledge and process donations, and to meet legal receipting and reporting requirements.
To respond when you contact us.
We do not use your information for automated profiling, and we do not send marketing on behalf of third parties.
What We Share
We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We share it only with service providers who help us operate—our newsletter and audience platforms (ActiveCampaign, BlueLena), our contest and ticketing partners (City Spark, Evvnt), our donation platform and payment processor (Donorbox, Stripe), our analytics providers, and our web host—each of which is limited to using it on our behalf; when required by law, such as in response to a valid subpoena; or in connection with a corporate transition.
Cookies and Tracking
The site uses cookies for basic functionality and for analytics and audience measurement, including Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager. It also includes the Meta (Facebook) pixel, which helps us understand how our content performs and reaches readers; Meta and our analytics providers may use these cookies to recognize visitors across other sites. We show a cookie consent banner so you can accept or decline non-essential cookies, and you can disable cookies in your browser as well. Core parts of the site will still work.
Journalism Exception
Information our journalists gather in the course of reporting—interviews, tips, documents, and source communications—is governed by our Editorial Standards and applicable law, not by this policy. We protect confidential sources and do not disclose newsgathering material except as our editorial judgment and the law require.
Your Choices
Unsubscribe from the newsletter anytime via the link in any email.
Request access to or deletion of personal information we hold about you by contacting contact@eriereader.com. We will honor requests except where we must retain records for legal, accounting, or archival purposes. This right does not extend to published journalism or newsgathering material.
Retention and Security
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes above, then delete or anonymize it. Contest entries are deleted or anonymized within a reasonable period after results are final. We use reasonable safeguards to protect the information we hold, though no system is perfectly secure.
Children
The site is intended for general audiences and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes and Contact
We may update this policy; the effective date above reflects the latest revision, and material changes will be noted on the site. Questions: contact@eriereader.com, or by mail to Flagship Multimedia, Inc., PO Box 10963, Erie, PA 16514.
