The source is
part of the story.
You should be able to see what we know, where it came from and what remains uncertain. These are the standards behind our reporting.
Say what kind of report it is.
Source reports summarise and add context to identified public sources. Our opening source reports are AI-assisted and carry the News desk byline. A source report does not imply that we interviewed someone or attended an event.
Community reports begin with a genuine reader contribution that has been checked before publication. Explainers provide context using identified sources. The article’s source panel explains the basis of that particular report.
Follow evidence, not momentum.
Check the original material where possible. Distinguish an announcement from an outcome, a proposal from an approved decision, and a claim from an established fact. A social post, tip or press release is a starting point for checking, not proof of everything it says.
We do not manufacture quotes, identities, resident reactions or eyewitness accounts. If the available material cannot support a claim, the claim should not appear as a fact in the report. Stories that cannot meet the evidence requirements are held back.
Keep dates and context visible.
The time a report is published on this site is different from the date of its source or the date an event happened. Articles separate those dates where they are available. Updates and material corrections should be visible to readers.
Travel, weather and emergency information can change quickly. Our service links take you to the responsible provider; they do not mean a route is clear or a warning is in force.
Use photographs honestly.
Images need a traceable source and permission or a suitable licence. File photographs are identified as such, and contextual photographs must not be presented as showing a different event. Illustrations are labelled. We do not use generated images as evidence that a real news event occurred.
Respect contributors.
Story submissions are private and associated with a signed-in account. Contact details are not published. Contributors can request a name credit or ask for their name to be kept out of a published story; either way, the newsroom can identify their submission.
Contributions may be edited, verified or declined. Sending a tip is not a guarantee of publication, and a reviewed submission is not necessarily a published report. A contributor can withdraw the submission through their private submission list.
Community correspondents.
Correspondents are real people who choose to apply. Editors must check an applicant’s identity and local connection before approving them, and record the basis of that check. Signing in alone is not proof of either. A public profile is optional and appears only with the contributor’s specific consent.
Joining the network does not give someone authority to publish, promise coverage or act as an emergency responder. Every story still needs its own evidence and review. Contributors should explain whether they saw something themselves, heard it from someone else or found it in a public source, and disclose any involvement with a club, business, campaign or subject of their story.
Participation is currently voluntary and unpaid, for adults aged 18 and over, with no minimum commitment. Applicants can withdraw. We do not invent a name, portrait, quote or local identity to make the network appear larger.
Be clear about AI assistance.
AI helps read source material, organise information and prepare reports. That is disclosed in the reporting labels and article source panel. It does not substitute for evidence, create an eyewitness or turn a generated quote into a real one.
Put mistakes right.
If a material error is identified, the report should be corrected with a dated note explaining the change. A report may be held or withdrawn when its basis is no longer reliable. Request a correction with the article link, the disputed statement and evidence for the change.