Evidence
Show the basis of a claim
Distinguish direct observation from allegation, estimate and opinion. Attribute material clearly and explain important limits in the available evidence.
Check a report’s evidencePress freedom & public interest
Space to question.
Care to get it right.
The freedom to investigate and publish matters because readers need more than a single account of public life. Its value becomes visible in the daily decisions that make reporting independent, fair and open to scrutiny.
Editorial decisions
Independence is a working practice
Editorial independence means making reporting decisions on the merits of the evidence and the public interest. Owners, advertisers, political interests and sources may all have preferences about coverage. A newsroom needs a way to consider relevant information without handing those interests control of its conclusions.
Clear boundaries help. Commercial arrangements should not be disguised as ordinary reporting. A source’s approval should not be a condition for publishing a verified account. Potential conflicts should be recognised and handled before they distort a story.
Independence also requires room for disagreement within a newsroom. Asking whether a headline overstates the evidence or whether a missing voice changes the picture is part of the work.
Principles in practice
What responsible reporting looks like
Fairness
Test the account
Seek relevant responses, represent them accurately and avoid treating an unanswered request as proof. Consider whether the framing leaves out context that changes the meaning.
Use the source worksheetAccountability
Make corrections visible
A correction should explain what was wrong and what has changed. Quietly replacing an error can leave readers uncertain about the reliability of the record.
Review a correctionPublic value
Why local coverage matters
Follow the decisions close to home
Reporting on schools, transport, public services and neighbourhood conditions can connect a public decision with its practical effect. Repeated attention helps distinguish an isolated complaint from a pattern.
Coverage in different languages can also make a subject accessible to readers who are not well served by a single national conversation.
Read with both openness and care
Criticism of a report can be legitimate and useful. Assess the evidence offered by the criticism, rather than assuming that every challenge is pressure or that every published claim is settled fact.
Compare the original report, the response and any correction. Look for a documented reason to revise your understanding.
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