Editorial standards

Steve Rowland News exists to make news easier to understand without making it less accurate. These principles apply to our videos, articles, headlines, images and social posts.

• Accuracy. We aim to publish information that is accurate and appropriately sourced. Stories are checked against their underlying sources before publication. Where facts remain uncertain, disputed or developing, we make that clear.
• Attribution. We distinguish between established facts, allegations, opinion and speculation. Claims are attributed to the people or organisations making them.
• Headlines. Headlines and thumbnails must be supported by the underlying story — clear and engaging, never materially misleading.
• Crime and court reporting. The presumption of innocence matters. A person accused or charged with an offence is not guilty unless and until convicted. We take particular care with active proceedings, reporting restrictions, victims, witnesses, children and information that could prejudice legal proceedings or identify someone protected by law.
• Politics. Steve Rowland News does not campaign for political parties or candidates. We scrutinise political claims regardless of who makes them and distinguish clearly between fact, disputed claims and opinion.
• Health and science. We give particular weight to authoritative and primary sources, established evidence and recognised public bodies. Preliminary findings are not presented as settled fact.
• Children, privacy and vulnerable people. We consider whether identifying details are necessary and proportionate, particularly where children, victims, bereaved families or vulnerable people are involved. Public availability of information does not automatically mean republishing it is justified.
• Grief, death and suicide. Stories involving death, grief or shock are handled sensitively. Reporting of suicide avoids unnecessary detail about methods and follows applicable safeguards.
• Breaking news. Facts can change quickly during a developing event. We distinguish confirmed information from emerging reports and update stories when reliable new information becomes available.
• Sources. Articles identify or link to significant sources wherever practicable. We prefer primary sources where available, drawing on reputable reporting to corroborate and contextualise events.
• Images and video. Media must be appropriately licensed, officially released, supplied with permission, or created by us. AI-generated or illustrative imagery must not be presented as genuine footage of an event.
• Corrections. When we make a significant factual error, we correct it promptly and transparently — see our Corrections policy.
• Commercial independence. Advertising and sponsorship do not determine our editorial conclusions. Paid or sponsored material is clearly identified.
• AI and editorial responsibility. Artificial intelligence assists our production process, but it is not our editorial authority. Steve Rowland News remains responsible for what it publishes.