At readingwire.co.uk, accuracy is the foundation of our journalism. Every piece of information published — whether in a breaking news story, a long-form feature, an analysis piece or a cultural review — undergoes rigorous verification before it reaches our readers. Our fact-checking process is designed to catch errors, prevent the spread of misinformation and uphold the trust that British readers place in us. This policy sets out what we verify, how we verify it, and how we handle corrections, complaints and sourcing.
What we verify before publication
Before any article is published, our editorial team — led by the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Thomas Ellery — checks the following categories of information:
- Names, dates and titles: All personal names, job titles, organisational names, dates of events, historical references and official designations are cross-referenced against primary sources. We do not rely on secondary or unverified references.
- Statistics and data: Numerical claims (including percentages, survey results, economic figures, polling data and demographic statistics) are traced to the original dataset, official publication or accredited research body. Where possible we link directly to the source.
- Claims and allegations: Any assertion of fact — whether made by a politician, a company, an expert or a member of the public — is independently verified. We do not publish claims that cannot be substantiated by reliable evidence within the deadline for news reporting.
- Quotes: Direct quotations are confirmed against recordings, transcripts or email correspondence. When we quote from a press conference, interview or public statement, we verify the exact wording and context. Paraphrasing is clearly marked.
- Locations and geographical references: Place names, addresses, regions and distances are checked against official maps, government gazetteers or authoritative databases.
- Financial figures: Monetary amounts (company valuations, government spending, share prices, investment figures) are verified against regulatory filings, audited accounts or official announcements. Exchange rates are stated where applicable.
- Legal references: Statutes, court rulings, legal citations and descriptions of court proceedings are checked against official court documents, legislation.gov.uk, the UK Supreme Court website or other authoritative legal sources.
- Scientific and medical claims: Health guidance, clinical trial results, drug approvals and environmental data are verified against peer-reviewed journals, regulatory agencies (such as the MHRA, NICE or the EMA) or official NHS sources. We do not rely on pre-prints or unreviewed studies without clear context.
- Stories involving minors: We apply the strongest safeguards. Any information identifying a child under 18 — including names, schools, images or family details — is subject to additional review by the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead and, where required, legal advice. We follow the Safeguarding Minors Policy.
- Public safety and privacy concerns: Content that could endanger individuals, disclose private addresses, phone numbers or confidential medical information is removed or redacted before publication. We balance the public interest against the right to privacy.
Source hierarchy
We prioritise sources based on their reliability, authority and proximity to the information. Our hierarchy, detailed on our Sources & Standards page, includes:
- Primary sources: Official government statements, court documents, regulatory filings (e.g. Companies House, FCA, Ofcom), corporate announcements, direct interviews conducted by our journalists, verified public social media posts from accountable accounts, press conference transcripts and first-hand reporting by our staff.
- Secondary sources: Reputable news agencies (PA Media, Reuters, Associated Press), academic publications, reports from recognised think tanks and data from official statistics bodies (ONS, Eurostat, World Bank).
- Tertiary sources: Cited in context only when primary or secondary sources are unavailable, and always with a clear explanation of the chain of evidence.
We never present rumour or speculation as fact. Any unconfirmed information is explicitly labelled as such, and we do not repeat unverified claims without attribution. Where we use anonymous sources — which is rare and only for clear editorial reasons such as protecting a whistleblower or someone at risk — the source’s identity is known to at least one senior editor and the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, and the information is independently corroborated before publication.
Role of the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead
Thomas Ellery (thomas.ellery@readingwire.co.uk) reviews all articles that raise sensitive or complex fact-checking issues — including those with legal implications, allegations of wrongdoing, health claims or content about vulnerable individuals. He works with the editorial team to ensure that every claim is robustly sourced and that corrections are issued without delay if an error is identified post-publication.
Reader reporting and corrections
We encourage readers to report potential inaccuracies. Send details to factcheck@readingwire.co.uk — each report is logged, investigated and responded to within two working days. If an error is confirmed, we issue a correction promptly in line with our Corrections Policy. Significant corrections are appended to the article itself and to our corrections log.
Our broader approach to editorial standards is set out in the Editorial Policy, and information about our editorial team can be found on the Our Team page.