We follow the Editors' Code of Practice, enforced by IPSO, our independent regulator. Below, we've set out what that means in practice — plus a few commitments of our own, because the Code is a floor, not a ceiling.

Accuracy

We take care to get things right. Every fact we publish is checked before it goes out, not after.

You'll always be able to tell the difference between our reporting and our opinion. If something's a comment piece or an editorial, it says so. If it's news, it's fact — sourced, checked, and attributed where we can't stand behind it ourselves.

If we get something wrong, we fix it. Quickly, clearly, and as prominently as the original mistake. We don't quietly edit errors away and hope no one notices. If a correction changes the story meaningfully, we'll tell you that too.

Fair and balanced coverage

Where a story has genuine disagreement — a contested council decision, say — we cover the real arguments on all sides, in proportion to the evidence behind them. We won't manufacture a false balance between a well-evidenced position and one with nothing behind it, just to seem even-handed.

Anyone facing serious criticism in our pages gets the chance to respond before we publish, not after. If they decline to comment, we say so.

Your privacy

We respect the privacy of everyone we write about. If a story requires us to intrude on someone's private life, we only do it where there's a genuine public interest in doing so — and we hold ourselves to that same test whether the story is about a public figure or a private individual.

We don't photograph or record people, or use information about them, in places or ways where they'd reasonably expect privacy, without their consent.

How we treat people

We identify ourselves as journalists when we're reporting. We don't harass anyone, and if someone asks us to stop calling or stop turning up, we stop.

Where a story touches on grief, shock, or personal tragedy, we approach it with sympathy and discretion. If a story involves suicide, we report responsibly and avoid detail that could encourage others to harm themselves.

We take particular care with children. We won't identify a child who's a victim or witness in a case involving a sexual offence, under any circumstances, and we won't use a parent's public profile as an excuse to publish details of a child's private life.

We don't refer to anyone's race, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or health in a way that's prejudicial or irrelevant to the story.

Confidential sources

If someone talks to us in confidence, that confidence is protected. We don't reveal sources, and we don't let anyone — including advertisers, businesses, or the council — pressure us into it.

Editorial independence

This is the commitment we care about most.

No business, sponsor, or advertiser can buy coverage from us. A business partnership, an advertising deal, or a membership gets a business visibility and reach — it never buys them a story, a favourable slant, or the silence of one about a competitor.

If anyone on our team has a personal or financial interest in a business or issue we're covering, they declare it, and someone without that conflict writes the story instead. Commercial and editorial processes operate separately. If there's ever a dispute between the two, editorial wins.

Where AI fits in

If AI tools ever play a part in producing something you read, a named editor is accountable for it, in exactly the same way as if a person had written every word. It's still checked against every standard on this page. "The AI got it wrong" will never be an excuse we offer you.

If you think we've got something wrong

Tell us, and we'll look into it properly and promptly — that's usually the fastest way to sort things out.

If you're not satisfied with how we've handled a complaint, you can take it to IPSO, our independent regulator.