The Rules.

Terms & Conditions.

By using anything operated, published, or maintained by R.C.T. Media Group, Inc., you agree to every rule below without exception. We wrote this in plain language on purpose. You will not need a lawyer to understand it. You will need to follow it.

#1.1Purpose.

These Terms govern your use of the R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. website at rctmediagroup.com, all of its subdomains and tools, any content we publish, our intake forms, our submission channels, and any service we provide through this site. Your use of any part of it is your agreement to all of it.

#1.2Eligibility.

You must be at least eighteen years of age, or possess explicit consent from a parent or legal guardian, to use this site or submit any content. If you are not, leave now. If you provide false information about your age or identity to gain access, your access is void and any submission you make is void with it.

#1.3Acceptable Use.

You may use this site for lawful purposes only. You may not break any law on this site or use this site to encourage another person to break any law. You may not harass, threaten, defame, abuse, or attempt to intimidate any person on this site. You may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of our infrastructure. You may not scrape, copy, mirror, or republish any R.C.T. content without our written permission. You may not impersonate any R.C.T. employee, officer, contractor, or family member. You may not misrepresent your identity, affiliations, or intent when interacting with our staff or our forms.

#1.4Editorial Discretion.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. retains full editorial discretion over every piece of content published, removed, modified, or kept in draft. We are an independent media organization. Our editorial decisions are not subject to public review, public pressure, advertiser pressure, or any party other than the authority of our internal editorial leadership. We do not owe any explanation for what we publish, what we do not publish, or what we choose to remove. If you disagree with our editorial choices, your remedy is to stop reading our work.

#1.5Information You Provide.

Any information you provide to us must be true, accurate, and complete to the best of your knowledge at the time you provide it. If you fill out our contact form, our story submission form, or our full client intake form, you accept that the information you enter will be retained by R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. for as long as we determine necessary for our operations, our records, and any applicable legal requirement. You also accept that false information renders any agreement you formed with us through that form void at our discretion.

#1.6Account Security & Internal Systems.

R.C.T. Operations Desk (the private system at rctmediagroup.com/ops/) is restricted to authorized R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. personnel only. Any attempted access by an unauthorized party is unauthorized computer access under both Florida Statute Chapter 815 and federal law (18 U.S.C. Section 1030). We monitor, log, and pursue.

#1.7Intellectual Property.

All R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. content (including but not limited to articles, investigations, editorials, photographs, logos, video, audio, slogans, taglines, the R.C.T. mark, the company name, and the entire visual identity of the site) is the property of R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. or used under license. You may not reproduce, redistribute, mirror, republish, or commercially exploit any of it without our written consent. Quoting brief excerpts for journalistic, academic, or commentary purposes is permitted under United States fair use doctrine, provided attribution is given to R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. and rctmediagroup.com.

#1.8Modifications to These Terms.

We may revise these Terms at any time. The current version, effective date, and version number are published at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after a revision is your acceptance of the revised Terms. We do not send personal notifications when these Terms change. Checking this page is your responsibility.

#1.9Termination of Access.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. reserves the right to revoke your access to this site, to any of our submission channels, to our operations interface, and to our services at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, at our sole discretion. We owe no explanation. There is no appeal process.

#1.10Severability.

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.

#1.11Governing Law.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any legal action arising from these Terms or from your use of any R.C.T. property shall be filed exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Indian River County, Florida. You consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts and waive any objection to venue.

Privacy Policy.

We collect what we need to operate. We do not sell your information. We do not trade it. We do not share it beyond the providers and circumstances named here. Truth over comfort applies to data too.

#2.1What We Collect.

When you contact us, submit a story, or complete a client intake, we collect the information you provide directly: your name, your email address, your phone number where given, your mailing address where given, and the substance of your message or submission. When you complete the Full Client Intake, we additionally collect every field on that form, including identity verification information you consent to (driver license number, issuing state, date of birth), which is used solely for the mandatory background check disclosed in Section #2.5 below.

When you browse the site without submitting a form, our server logs your Internet Protocol address, your browser user agent string, the pages you visit, the referring page that brought you here, and the timestamp of each visit. This is standard web server logging used for security, fraud detection, and aggregate analytics. We do not link these logs to a personal identity unless we have specific cause connected to a security incident or a legal demand.

#2.2How We Use What We Collect.

We use your information to respond to your inquiry, evaluate your submission, deliver any service you requested, conduct lawful business correspondence, maintain our internal records, and meet any legal or regulatory obligation that applies to R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. We use aggregate web logs to understand which content earns attention, where our visitors come from, and whether the site is functioning correctly. We do not use any of this information for behavioral advertising.

#2.3Cookies & Local Storage.

We use minimal cookies and minimal browser local storage. The only categories of stored data we use are: a session cookie required by our login system (used only on the private Operations Desk and only for authenticated R.C.T. personnel), and a local storage flag that records your acceptance of these legal terms so we do not show you the entry modal on every visit. We do not run third-party advertising trackers. We do not run third-party social media trackers. You may delete our cookies and local storage at any time through your browser settings; doing so will simply prompt you to re-accept these terms on your next visit.

#2.4Third-Party Service Providers.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. operates primarily inside the Google Workspace ecosystem for email, video conferencing, and document collaboration. Any communication you exchange with R.C.T. via email transits Google's infrastructure under the standard Google Workspace business terms. Our hosting provider, HostArmada, holds our website files and processes incoming form data on our behalf under its own privacy commitments. Our outbound email delivery uses authenticated SMTP through Google. Our secure document intake uses Dropbox file requests under Dropbox's privacy terms. Beyond these named providers, no third party receives your information unless you authorize it or unless we are compelled by valid legal process. We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise commercially distribute your personal information to any party.

#2.5Background Check Disclosure.

If you complete the Full Client Intake at rctmediagroup.com/contact.html and consent to the Mandatory Background Check Acknowledgment within that form, R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. will conduct a background check using the identity information you provide. The purpose of this check is to ensure that R.C.T. can ethically and legally provide the requested services to the requesting party. The check does not automatically deny services. Background check records associated with engagements that proceed are retained as part of the client file. Background check records associated with engagements that do not proceed are retained for the period required by applicable law and then securely destroyed. You may withdraw consent at any time by notifying operations@rctmediagroup.com; withdrawal of consent will end the intake review process.

#2.6Data Security.

We protect your information with reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity. Our web traffic is encrypted via HTTPS. Our internal operations interface requires authentication and logs every access. Sensitive intake files are stored outside the public web root with restricted file permissions. Our email infrastructure uses authenticated SMTP. No transmission of information over the internet, and no method of electronic storage, is completely secure. We do everything reasonable to protect what you give us, but we cannot guarantee absolute security and we make no warranty of absolute security.

#2.7Data Retention.

Approved client intakes are retained indefinitely as a business record of the engagement. Declined intakes are retained for a minimum of three years after decline to support audit, regulatory, and legal requirements applicable to media operations and federal contractors. Web server logs are retained for ninety days for security analysis and then rotated out. Email correspondence is retained according to standard business records practice and applicable legal hold. You may request earlier deletion of records associated with you by writing to operations@rctmediagroup.com; we will honor lawful deletion requests subject to the retention periods required by law and the operational integrity of any engagement you initiated with us.

#2.8Your Rights.

You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. You may request correction of inaccurate information. You may request deletion subject to the retention rules in Section #2.7. You may withdraw consent to communications by emailing operations@rctmediagroup.com or by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send. We may require reasonable verification of identity before fulfilling any request. We will respond to verified requests within thirty days.

#2.9Children's Privacy (COPPA).

This site and our services are not directed to children under thirteen years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from any person under the age of thirteen. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will delete it. Parents or guardians who believe their child under thirteen has provided information to us may contact operations@rctmediagroup.com for immediate removal.

#2.10California Residents.

If you are a resident of California, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide you with the rights to know what categories of personal information we collect, the right to delete personal information, the right to correct inaccurate personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. does not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. To exercise any California privacy right, email operations@rctmediagroup.com with the subject line "California Privacy Request."

#2.11International Visitors.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. is a United States company located in Florida. By using this site from any location outside the United States, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States, where our servers and operations are located, and to its processing under United States law and these terms.

#2.12Changes to This Policy.

We may revise this Privacy Policy at any time. The current version, effective date, and version number are published at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after revision is your acceptance of the revised Policy.

Submission Policy & Source Protection.

When you submit content to R.C.T. Media Group, Inc., the rules below apply absolutely. Read them before you press send. Submission is agreement. There is no second draft of this agreement.

#3.1Scope.

This Submission Policy applies to anything you send R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. through any channel: our public submission forms, our secure Dropbox intake, our operations email, postal mail, in-person handoff, or any other method. The policy applies whether the content is a tip, a complete article, a photograph, an audio recording, a video, a document, a dataset, or any other material.

#3.2Your Representations.

By submitting any content, you represent and warrant the following: you own the content or have all rights necessary to submit it; you have not violated any contract, court order, employment agreement, or law in obtaining or transmitting the content; the content does not defame any person or entity; the content does not infringe any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, right of publicity, right of privacy, or any other right of any third party; any individuals identifiable in the content who would have a reasonable expectation of privacy have consented or are matters of legitimate public concern; you provide your real identity to us internally even if you request public anonymity.

#3.3Grant of License.

By submitting content, you grant R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, fully-paid, sub-licensable, non-exclusive license to reproduce, distribute, publish, broadcast, edit, modify, adapt, translate, archive, and create derivative works from your submitted content in any medium now known or later developed. You waive any moral rights in the content. We may use, ignore, edit, modify, combine, or discard your submission at our sole editorial discretion.

#3.4No Compensation. No Guarantee.

Submission of content to R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. does not create any employment, contractor, partnership, joint venture, agency, or contractual relationship. We are not obligated to publish your submission. We are not obligated to respond to your submission. We are not obligated to pay you for your submission. If we wish to compensate you for a particular submission, we will offer that compensation separately and in writing, and any such offer will be governed by a separate written agreement.

#3.5No Confidentiality By Default.

Submissions are not confidential by default. Anything you send may be retained, referenced, archived, shared internally with R.C.T. staff and counsel, or made public at our editorial discretion. If you require confidentiality, you must request it explicitly at the moment of submission and we must agree to it explicitly in return. Without a written commitment from us, no confidentiality exists.

#3.6Source Protection Statement.

#3.7No Return of Materials.

Do not send physical materials you wish to have returned. R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. is not obligated to return any submitted material, whether digital or physical. Keep your own copies. Once you submit, the submission is logged, retained, and disposed of according to our internal records policy and applicable law.

#3.8Your Indemnification.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless R.C.T. Media Group, Inc., its officers, employees, contractors, family-led leadership, and any of its agents, from any claim, loss, liability, damage, or expense (including reasonable attorney fees) arising out of any breach of your representations and warranties in Section #3.2 above, or arising from any third-party claim relating to content you submitted.

#3.9Withdrawal & Editorial Discretion.

Once submitted, a submission cannot be unilaterally withdrawn. You may request withdrawal by contacting operations@rctmediagroup.com, but the decision to honor a withdrawal request is at R.C.T.'s sole editorial discretion and may depend on whether the content has been incorporated into work product, whether disclosure has begun, and whether withdrawal would compromise an active investigation or the rights of any third party.

DMCA Copyright Notice.

If you believe content on rctmediagroup.com infringes your copyright, the procedure below is the only valid path. We follow Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. We respect valid notices. We dispute invalid ones.

#4.1Designated Agent.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. has designated the following agent to receive notifications of claimed copyright infringement:

#4.2Notice Requirements.

To be valid, a notice of claimed infringement must include all of the following, signed under penalty of perjury: (a) a physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or person authorized to act on their behalf; (b) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed; (c) identification of the allegedly infringing material on rctmediagroup.com and the specific URL where it appears; (d) the complainant's name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address; (e) a statement that the complainant has a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; (f) a statement that the information in the notice is accurate and that the complainant is authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner. Notices missing any of these items are deficient and will be returned without action.

#4.3Counter-Notice.

If you believe content of yours was removed from rctmediagroup.com in error or as a result of misidentification, you may submit a counter-notice to the same Designated Agent. A valid counter-notice must include: (a) your physical or electronic signature; (b) identification of the material that was removed and the location at which it previously appeared; (c) a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification; (d) your name, address, telephone number, and a statement consenting to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district in which your address is located, and that you will accept service of process from the party who provided the original notification.

#4.4Repeat Infringers.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. will, in appropriate circumstances, terminate the access privileges of users who are determined to be repeat infringers.

Federal Contractor Disclosure.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. is a credentialed federal contractor and a working press organization. The disclosures below apply to any engagement involving federal government services and to all journalism conducted under the R.C.T. masthead.

#5.1Corporate Status.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. is a Florida Profit Corporation, Document Number P25000060418, in good standing with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations.

#5.2Federal Registration & Credentials.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. holds the following active federal registrations and credentials: Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) verified status; System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Unique Entity Identifier KX6DC7KMXKN6, active for all awards; Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code 17XG4; United States Press Agency press credentials, identification number US8-DEP46895.

#5.3Federal Engagement Terms.

Any engagement with R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. involving federal government services, federal procurement, or federally funded activities is additionally governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) where applicable, and any agency-specific supplemental terms identified in the engagement scope. To the extent of any conflict between these public Terms and the terms of a specific federal engagement, the terms of the federal engagement control with respect to that engagement only.

#5.4Press Function.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. operates as an independent news media organization within the meaning of 17 U.S.C., the Florida Press Shield Statute (Florida Statute Section 90.5015), and applicable federal recognition of working press. Editorial content published under the R.C.T. masthead is protected speech under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Disclaimer & Liability.

We do our work to the highest standard we can sustain. We do not warrant outcomes, we do not provide professional advice through public content, and we limit our liability to the maximum extent permitted by law. Read this carefully.

#6.1No Professional Advice.

Nothing published on rctmediagroup.com or distributed by R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. through any channel constitutes legal advice, medical advice, financial advice, tax advice, accounting advice, mental health treatment, or any other regulated professional service. Our editorial content is journalism, analysis, and commentary. Our coaching and advisory services are educational and developmental, not licensed clinical or licensed financial services. If you require professional advice in any regulated field, consult a licensed professional in that field within your jurisdiction.

#6.2Editorial Accuracy.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. publishes content built to a rigorous internal editorial standard. We use primary sources where available, we verify claims to the extent possible, and we publish corrections when warranted. We do not warrant that every fact in every piece is correct, that any source is honest, or that any analysis will prove predictive. Reliance on our content is at your own discretion.

#6.3No Warranty.

The site, all R.C.T. content, and all R.C.T. services are provided "as is" and "as available." R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. makes no warranty, express or implied, regarding accuracy, completeness, fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, uninterrupted availability, freedom from error, or freedom from harmful components. To the maximum extent permitted by Florida law, all such warranties are disclaimed.

#6.4Limitation of Liability.

To the maximum extent permitted by Florida law, R.C.T. Media Group, Inc., its officers, employees, contractors, and family-led leadership shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages arising out of or relating to your use of the site, your reliance on any R.C.T. content, your submission of any material, or any failure of the site or services. In any case where R.C.T. is held liable despite this provision, the aggregate liability of R.C.T. to any one user shall not exceed the greater of one hundred dollars or the amount you paid R.C.T. in the twelve months preceding the claim.

#6.5Force Majeure.

R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. is not liable for any delay or failure to perform resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, pandemic, governmental action, internet outages, hosting provider failures, or critical infrastructure disruption.

#6.6Severability.

If any provision of these legal terms is held invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect, and the invalid provision shall be construed to give effect to its intent to the maximum extent permitted by law.

#6.7Entire Agreement.

These legal terms (Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Submission Policy, DMCA Notice, Federal Contractor Disclosure, and Disclaimer) constitute the entire agreement between you and R.C.T. Media Group, Inc. with respect to your use of the site and supersede any prior or contemporaneous communication, understanding, or proposal, written or oral, between you and R.C.T. regarding the subject matter of this agreement. Any separate written engagement agreement between you and R.C.T. controls only with respect to the specific engagement it documents.

#6.8Contact.

All legal correspondence regarding these terms should be directed to:

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