At readingwire.co.uk, we recognise the particular importance of responsible reporting when covering minors. Our commitment is to balance the public interest with the welfare and rights of young people, ensuring that journalistic activity does not cause unnecessary harm, distress, or intrusion into private family life. This policy outlines the additional steps and considerations applied to any story involving children, young people (under 18), and vulnerable individuals.
Scope and application
This policy applies to all editorial content, including news articles, features, images, video, and social media posts, that references or depicts minors. It covers reporting on young people in the context of celebrity families, schools, youth organisations, public events, sports, entertainment, and any story where a child is identified or identifiable. All journalists, editors, and contributors are required to adhere to these standards.
What we avoid
- Sensationalising minors: We do not sensationalise or trivialise the circumstances of any child, nor do we use language that dramatises their involvement in a story.
- Unnecessary private details: We avoid publishing personal information about a child’s home life, schooling, health, or family circumstances unless it is directly relevant to a compelling public-interest story and has been considered through additional editorial review.
- Invasive imagery: We do not use images of children that are intrusive, that have been obtained without appropriate consent, or that could expose a child to harm or harassment. Where images are of a child in a public or professional context (such as a performance or official event), we ensure the context is clearly explained.
- Non-public information: We will not publish information about a child that is not already in the public domain without explicit justification and approval from our editorial policy lead.
Focus and editorial process
Our coverage of minors is restricted to their professional work, public performances, official statements, and matters of clear public-interest significance. Any story involving a child must undergo additional editorial scrutiny. The Standards & Fact-Checking Lead (Thomas Ellery) is responsible for reviewing all content that references or identifies a minor before publication. This review considers the necessity, proportionality, and potential impact of the coverage.
Privacy protections
We take particular care to protect the privacy of minors. We avoid publishing private addresses, private contact information, non-public medical information, and any details that could pose a safety risk to a young person. Identifying details of vulnerable individuals are only included where there is a clear and demonstrable public-interest reason. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.
Reporting concerns
If you believe that readingwire.co.uk has published information about a minor that breaches this policy, or if you have a concern about the welfare of a child in connection with our coverage, we encourage you to contact us immediately. Please email complaints@readingwire.co.uk with the subject line “Safeguarding concern.” All complaints are treated confidentially and reviewed promptly by our editorial leadership and the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead.