I know that you're busy, Dew, but I respect your knowledge base, and you seem like a person who might have answers to my questions.

I was asked to become an editor for a small Medium publication. I expect images to be credited properly, but sometimes the authors and I have different ideas of what that means. I'm wondering if you'd be so kind as to share your thoughts on this, or if you can point me to where I can get some answers? I could really use some guidance.

Must an image (other than the author's own) always have an actual link to where the writer found it? Or is it sufficient, for example, to simply caption an image: "Art - artists name"? Submitters tell me images found on social media or through a Google search are "public domain" so don't require more acceditation than that. Do you agree? Without a link, how do I check for rights to use the work?

Finally, if an image is improperly credited, is it the author, the editor, or the publication who is held responsible? I've seen a lot of information on how a writer can edit their own work, but do you know if Medium has any published guidelines for the responsibilities of an editor of a publication on Medium?

Thanks so much for considering my questions and for this informative and supportive publication!