Luz Chatbot Platform – A Solutions Journalism Tool
Agreement to Terms
Welcome to the Luz Chatbot Platform. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Luz chatbot, training resources, and all related services, content, and features offered through this platform (“we,” “us,” or “our”).
Important: By accessing or using our platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our platform.
1. About the Luz Chatbot Platform
The Luz Chatbot Platform is a solutions journalism training and pitch development tool created through a partnership between the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) at the University of Missouri and El Colectivo 506, a Costa Rican solutions journalism organization.
Our Mission: To provide journalists with a free, accessible tool that helps them develop strong solutions journalism pitches grounded in the four pillars of solutions journalism methodology.
What We Offer:
- Luz Chatbot: An AI-powered assistant that guides you through developing solutions journalism pitches by asking strategic questions about your story idea
- Training Resources: Videos, workshops, and materials to learn solutions journalism methodology
- Fund Registration: A pathway to register for the Latin American Solutions Journalism Fund
- Multilingual Support: All services available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese
Our Partners:
- Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI): Empowers journalists with knowledge, tools, and funding to strengthen journalism through practical innovation
- El Colectivo 506: A Costa Rican solutions journalism organization that launched the Latin American Solutions Journalism Fund in 2024 to support solutions journalists throughout the region
2. AI Technology Disclosure
About Luz
Luz is an AI-powered chatbot designed to help journalists develop solutions journalism pitches. Understanding how the technology works helps you use it effectively.
Technology Used
Luz is powered by ChatGPT, a large language model created by OpenAI. ChatGPT is an AI assistant designed to understand and generate human-like text responses.
How Luz Was Developed
Luz was specifically designed and configured to:
- Guide users through the four pillars of solutions journalism methodology
- Ask strategic questions that help structure and strengthen pitch ideas
- Provide constructive feedback on story concepts
- Help identify gaps in research or framing
- Support journalists in English, Spanish, and Portuguese
Important Limitations
While Luz provides helpful guidance, please understand that:
- AI-generated responses may contain errors: Luz can make mistakes or provide incomplete information. Always verify facts independently.
- Luz is a support tool, not an editor: The chatbot helps you think through your pitch but does not replace professional editorial review or judgment.
- Luz does not have real-time information: The chatbot cannot access current news, verify recent events, or browse the internet.
- Suggestions are not guarantees: A pitch developed with Luz is not guaranteed to be accepted by editors, funders, or the Latin American Solutions Journalism Fund.
Your Responsibility
You are responsible for:
- Verifying all facts, data, and claims in your pitch
- Ensuring your pitch meets the specific requirements of any editor or funder you submit to
- Exercising editorial judgment about the quality and accuracy of your work
- Understanding that Luz provides guidance, not professional advice
3. Use of Our Platform
Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use our platform. By using the platform, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement.
Permitted Use
You may use our platform for lawful purposes only and in accordance with these Terms. You agree to use the platform only for:
- Using the Luz chatbot to develop solutions journalism pitches
- Accessing and completing training resources
- Registering for the Latin American Solutions Journalism Fund
- Saving and exporting your pitch conversations
- Learning about solutions journalism methodology
Language Options
Our platform is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. You may choose your language when you start and can use different languages in different conversations.
4. User Accounts
Some features of our platform may require you to create an account. When creating an account, you agree to:
- Provide accurate, current, and complete information
- Maintain and promptly update your account information
- Keep your password secure and confidential
- Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
- Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or remain inactive for extended periods.
5. Your Content and Intellectual Property
Your Pitch Ideas Belong to You
The story ideas, pitch concepts, and journalistic content you develop through Luz remain entirely yours. We do not claim ownership of your creative work or journalistic ideas.
License to Use Your Content
By using the Luz chatbot, you grant us a limited license to:
- Store your conversations to allow you to access them later
- Process your inputs to generate chatbot responses
- Review anonymized conversation patterns to improve the service
This license does not give us the right to publish, sell, or otherwise use your specific story ideas or pitch content.
Our Content
All content on our platform—including training materials, graphics, logos, designs, and the Luz chatbot interface—is owned by the Reynolds Journalism Institute, El Colectivo 506, or our content providers and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.
Limited License
We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use our platform and training materials for personal and professional journalism development purposes.
Restrictions
You may not:
- Reproduce, distribute, or republish our training content without written permission
- Use our trademarks, logos, or branding without permission
- Attempt to extract, reverse engineer, or copy the Luz chatbot system
- Use the platform to develop competing products or services
- Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) to access the platform without permission
6. User Conduct
When using our platform, you agree to:
- Use the chatbot and resources in good faith for journalism purposes
- Be respectful in any community interactions
- Not submit content that is defamatory, obscene, or offensive
- Not impersonate others or misrepresent your affiliation
- Not attempt to manipulate or abuse the chatbot system
- Not use the platform for any illegal purposes
- Comply with all applicable laws and regulations
7. Latin American Solutions Journalism Fund
Registration
If you register for the Latin American Solutions Journalism Fund through this platform:
- Your registration information will be shared with Fund administrators at El Colectivo 506
- You agree to the Fund’s specific terms and requirements
- Registration does not guarantee funding; grants are awarded through competitive processes
- You will receive communications about Fund opportunities and calls for proposals
Using Luz for Fund Applications
You may use pitches developed with Luz as part of your Fund applications. A strong pitch developed through Luz can strengthen your application, but approval is not guaranteed.
8. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability
Disclaimer of Warranties
Our platform and the Luz chatbot are provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that:
- The platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
- The chatbot responses will be accurate, complete, or suitable for your needs
- Any defects will be corrected
- The platform will meet your specific requirements
AI-Specific Disclaimer
Luz is an AI tool with inherent limitations. AI-generated content may be inaccurate, incomplete, or inappropriate. You acknowledge that you use Luz at your own risk and are responsible for evaluating and verifying any output.
Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Reynolds Journalism Institute, El Colectivo 506, and their respective directors, employees, partners, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform, including but not limited to:
- Errors or inaccuracies in chatbot responses
- Loss of data or pitch content
- Decisions made based on chatbot suggestions
- Rejection of pitches by editors or funders
Third-Party Links
Our platform may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of service of these external sites.
9. Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Costa Rica and the United States, as applicable. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the platform shall be resolved through good-faith negotiation between the parties.
Dispute Resolution
Before initiating any legal proceedings, you agree to contact us first to attempt to resolve any dispute informally.
10. Changes to Terms
We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by:
- Posting the updated Terms on this page
- Updating the “Last Updated” date
- Sending notification to registered users when appropriate
Your continued use of the platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.
Contact Us
If you have questions, please contact us at:
El Colectivo 506
San José, Costa Rica
Website: elcolectivo506.com
Last Updated: January 2026