Editorial standards
Fast, source-transparent, factual and easy to understand. AI assists the newsroom. It does not create evidence.
How sources are selected
We prefer primary sources: police statements, court listings, government and parliamentary publications, official statistics and public datasets. Other news organisations can be cited, but we write our own summaries and link to the original. Every story lists each source with its type, link, publication time and the time we checked it. We never invent a source or a link.
How AI is used
Local AI models help with research triage, duplicate spotting, first-draft summaries and editing checks. They run in a pipeline where each step is logged. AI output is never treated as verification: a claim is not confirmed because a model said it. AI-drafted stories wait in an approval queue and need a person to publish them.
How stories are verified
Before publishing we ask: is the source legitimate, is this old or duplicated, is it an allegation, is there an official source, do multiple independent sources agree, and does the headline match the evidence. The label on each story reflects the answer:
- Confirmed: supported by evidence we have checked.
- Official statement: the information comes from an official body and is reported as their statement.
- Developing: still being established. We update the same story.
- Unconfirmed: reported by someone but not verified by us.
How allegations are handled
An allegation is never reported as established fact. We use wording such as "police say", "according to", "police are investigating", "a person has been arrested" and "a person has been charged". We do not write that someone committed a crime unless a court has reached a final finding. We avoid identifying private individuals unless it is necessary and lawful.
Stories that always need a human
Serious crime allegations, named suspects, sexual offences, child-related stories, deaths, missing persons, health emergencies, terrorism, major public safety incidents, political claims and anything potentially defamatory are never published automatically.
Politics and government
We attribute claims and report government announcements from the primary source, with what was announced, what it means, who it affects and what is confirmed. We do not rank parties or candidates, and we do not write persuasive political messaging. Poll reports always show pollster, fieldwork dates, sample, method where available and publication date, and polls are not presented as predictions.
How corrections work
If we get something wrong, we publish a correction, a clarification or an update on the story itself, with its own timestamp, and list it on our corrections page. Previous versions of every story are kept internally.
How privacy is handled
We do not publish private personal information. Map locations are shown at area level, never at a private address. See our privacy page.
Images and copyright
We do not copy articles or use images without permission. Where an image is used, it is credited.
How advertising works
If advertising is switched on, it appears in labelled slots away from the main reading flow. Advertisers do not influence what we publish, and ads are never styled as news.
Contact the newsroom
Send tips, questions and complaints to the contact address shown here once the site owner sets one. See the contact page.