Accuracy
We aim to get facts right first time. Every factual claim should be traceable to a document, a public record, a named person, or something we saw ourselves. Figures and dates are checked against the original source, not a summary of it.
Headlines must be supported by the article underneath them. If the evidence says "may", the headline does not say "will".
Verification and source hierarchy
We weigh sources in this order, strongest first:
- Primary documents: council minutes, decision notices, budgets, contracts, court records, statutory registers, Freedom of Information responses.
- Official statistics and data published by public bodies (for example ONS, GOV.UK, the Food Standards Agency).
- Named people speaking on the record, with first-hand knowledge.
- Reputable news reporting, which we credit and, where possible, check against the original.
- Social media and unattributed claims, which we treat as leads to investigate, never as proof.
Serious or contested claims need corroboration: a second independent source, or a primary document.
Anonymous sources
We use anonymous sources only when the information is in the public interest, cannot be obtained on the record, and the source could face real harm (for example to their job or safety) if named. We know who they are, we explain in the article why they are not named, and we do not rely on a single anonymous source for a serious allegation.
Conflicts of interest and declared interests
Sabir Esa is a community campaigner and has said he intends to stand as an independent candidate in the 2027 local elections. We declare this openly on every article. Because of it:
- Reporting and investigations are kept separate from campaign material. Political and election content carries a clear "Political & election comment" label.
- Reporting is not written to persuade voters or to favour or damage any candidate or party.
- Where Sabir has a personal, family, business or campaign connection to a story, the article says so.
Right of reply
Before publishing serious criticism of a named person or organisation, we contact them, set out what we intend to say, and give a reasonable deadline to respond (normally at least two working days, longer for complex matters). Their response, or the fact that they did not respond, is reported fairly. If a response arrives after publication we add it and note the update.
If you are the subject of an article and want to respond, use our corrections and right of reply form.
Corrections
When we get something materially wrong we correct it openly. We never silently change a significant factual error. Each correction or clarification is shown on the article with the date and a plain description of what changed, and is counted on our Impact & Transparency page.
Minor fixes (typos, broken formatting) that do not change meaning may be made without a note.
To request a correction, use the corrections form. We aim to acknowledge within five working days.
Privacy
We only intrude into someone's private life where there is a clear public interest that outweighs it. We do not publish private addresses, health details, or personal correspondence without strong public-interest justification. Private legal, care-work and confidential material shared with Sabir in his community role is never published.
Safeguarding, children and vulnerable people
We do not identify children, victims of sexual offences, or people at risk of harm. We take extra care when reporting on people who are vulnerable because of age, illness, disability or circumstance. Where a report raises a safeguarding concern, we refer it to the appropriate authority rather than publishing details.
Discrimination
We do not refer to a person's race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or other characteristic unless it is genuinely relevant to the story. We avoid language that stereotypes communities.
Data and Freedom of Information reporting
When we report on data or FOI responses we link to or publish the underlying document where lawful, explain what the figures do and do not show, and state the date range. We do not present small numbers as trends. See our investigations methodology.
Images
Photographs presented as showing a real place, person or event are genuine and credited. Illustrative images, including AI-generated illustrations, are never presented as documentary evidence and are labelled where they could be mistaken for real photographs.
Use of AI
AI tools help with research, drafting and admin, but every factual claim is checked by a person before publication. Read the full AI policy.
Independence from campaigning and commercial interests
This site is self-funded. We do not accept payment for coverage, and advertisers, donors or campaign supporters have no say over what we report.
Complaints and regulation
This site is not a member of any press regulator or standards body, and we do not claim to be. We aim to follow widely recognised UK journalism principles. Complaints should first come to us through the corrections form. Concerns about personal data can be raised with the Information Commissioner's Office.