A U.S. government website can be a valuable primary source. But a page ending in .gov is not automatically a license to reproduce every picture, chart, paragraph or embedded item for commercial purposes. A safer workflow starts with identifying who created the specific material and what usage is proposed.
Start with the author, not the domain
Federal law generally excludes works created by U.S. federal employees as part of their official duties from domestic copyright protection. A government website can also display work created by contractors, photographers, partners or commercial publishers. Those materials may have different rights. The original page, credits and agency policy matter.
Distinguish linking from copying
A direct link sends readers to the issuing agency's page. Reprinting the agency's photographs, embedding copyrighted videos or duplicating a commercial article is a different use. For a news index, short factual identification and a clear outbound link are usually easier to justify and audit than copying descriptions and full stories.
Check each feed's terms
An RSS feed is a machine-readable way to distribute updates to readers. Its public availability does not, by itself, transfer ownership of every item or authorize commercial republication. Review the agency's source documentation, any credits attached to individual entries and technical access limits. Record the date and the exact approved activity.
Treat photos and logos separately
The Government Publishing Office explains that photographs on official sites may carry third-party rights. Government insignia and agency logos may also have restrictions on misleading use even when ordinary text is publicly available. A conservative headlines-and-links index has no need to reuse these images or suggest agency sponsorship.
Do not bypass a denied feed
If a feed returns an access error, pause automated retrieval rather than trying to evade restrictions or silently switching to a mirror. Technical availability and rights authorization are separate questions. A source should only return to the publication allowlist after its link behavior and policy have been checked again.
Keep an auditable source register
For each source, retain the feed address, permitted host, documentary evidence, review date, allowed usage, excluded content types and known access failures. Do not treat unreviewed publishers as implicitly licensed. A deny-by-default register keeps accidental publication from becoming a matter of guesswork.
Verify each individual destination
The feed host and each story link should be checked separately. An entry may point offsite or contain partner-authored material. Before publication, confirm the final destination belongs to the reviewed agency, the link has not redirected to a restricted publisher and the item does not carry third-party rights notices.
Separate editorial quality from rights
Rights compliance answers whether a particular use is authorized; editorial quality asks whether the update is accurate, current and useful. Both conditions are needed. A legally eligible feed can still contain routine notices that do not deserve placement in a major national news ranking.
Primary reference: U.S. Government Publishing Office, GovInfo Policies, consulted October 22, 2026. This guide describes a cautious review process and should not be taken as legal advice about a particular publisher or disputed material.
Primary reference: U.S. Government Publishing Office ↗
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