RegionalReport.co.uk is operated by Regional Report Media Ltd., a private limited company registered in England and Wales (company number 17143892), with a registered office at 3 New Bailey Street, 5th Floor, Manchester M3 5FS. Our editorial standards are overseen by Editor‑in‑Chief Margaret Ellison, who holds final responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and transparency of everything we publish. This page sets out the sources we rely on, the standards bodies we align with, how our newsroom works day to day, and how readers can challenge or correct our reporting. Our aim is to give you a clear, open account of how we gather, verify and present the regional news you read on this site.
Official and primary sources
Wherever possible, we base our reporting on authoritative primary sources that are publicly available and independently verifiable. Our journalists routinely consult the following official repositories and data providers:
- Companies House – for company registration details, financial accounts, director information and corporate filings.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) – for population estimates, employment figures, regional economic indicators, census data and inflation series.
- UK Parliament – for bills, Hansard debates, committee reports, parliamentary questions and legislation affecting regions.
- GOV.UK – for policy announcements, departmental publications, consultations, statutory instruments and guidance across all UK government functions.
- NHS – for health service data, waiting times, trust performance, public health alerts and regional healthcare statistics.
- Met Office – for weather warnings, climate data, long‑range forecasts and environmental monitoring relevant to local communities.
We also draw on official documents from local councils, combined authorities, devolved governments (the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Parliament Senedd Cymru, Northern Ireland Assembly), transport agencies, police forces, fire services, and other statutory bodies. Where we cite non‑public documents, we explain how we obtained them (for example, through freedom of information requests or whistleblower submissions) and why we consider them credible.
Regulatory and standards bodies
Although RegionalReport.co.uk is not currently a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), we hold ourselves to the principles of the IPSO Editors’ Code of Practice as a benchmark for ethical journalism. This includes commitments to accuracy, privacy, harassment, discrimination, and the right to reply.
We comply with the data protection requirements enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), particularly in how we handle personal data submitted via our contact and tip‑off channels. Our privacy policy at /about-us/privacy-policy/ details how we collect, store and use information.
We follow the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) codes for non‑broadcast advertising and direct marketing, ensuring that sponsored content, affiliate links and commercial partnerships are clearly labelled. For full details, see our Advertising and affiliate disclosure and Sponsored content policy.
As an online publication, we take note of the Ofcom broadcasting standards where they relate to material we produce in video or audio formats, and we apply the same principles of impartiality and harm prevention to our written content.
What we rely on day to day
Our editorial team uses a range of sources and methods to produce trustworthy regional journalism:
- Primary interviews – with council leaders, business owners, campaigners, healthcare professionals, community organisers and members of the public. We record conversations where possible and attribute quotes accurately.
- Official publications – press releases, committee agendas, minutes, planning applications, annual reports, inspection outcomes, auditor reports and data sets published by public bodies.
- Freedom of Information requests – submitted to local authorities, police forces, NHS trusts, transport bodies and other public agencies when the information is not already in the public domain.
- Reputable secondary sources – such as recognised trade publications, academic research, think tank reports (when clearly attributed) and specialist databases.
- Fact‑checking and verification – Oliver Reeves, our Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead, oversees a multi‑stage verification process for any story that touches on sensitive claims, data errors or contested figures. Our full fact‑checking policy explains the steps we take.
- Digital tools and automation – we sometimes use AI‑assisted tools for research, formatting, metadata and headline options, but no editorial content is published without review by a qualified human editor. No tool is ever permitted to fabricate quotes, sources or bylines. Our AI and automation policy provides further detail.
We do not accept payment for editorial coverage. Commercial partnerships, advertising and sponsored content are always clearly distinguished from independent journalism, and never influence our editorial conclusions. See our ownership and funding statement for a full breakdown of revenue streams.
How to challenge our reporting
We take all concerns about accuracy, fairness or omission seriously. If you believe an article contains an error or misrepresentation, please contact us as soon as possible. Our process is set out in full in our complaints procedure and our editorial policy.
To report an error, request a correction or raise a complaint, email corrections@regionalreport.co.uk or factcheck@regionalreport.co.uk. For sensitive issues or legal concerns, you may also contact Oliver Reeves directly at oliver.reeves@regionalreport.co.uk or by phone on +44 161 458 6926.
We aim to acknowledge all complaints within two working days and to resolve them within ten working days. Where a correction is warranted, we will update the article, add a prominent note, and, in serious cases, publish a separate correction notice. Our corrections policy explains the different tiers of amendment we make.
We also encourage readers to submit tips, documents or evidence that may help us improve our reporting. You can reach our newsdesk at tips@regionalreport.co.uk or use our secure tip‑off page.
Our commitments
- We will always verify claims against primary sources or multiple credible witnesses before publication.
- We will correct errors promptly, transparently and with a clear explanation of what changed and why.
- We will clearly distinguish advertising, sponsored content and affiliate links from independent editorial material.
- We will ensure that no commercial relationship or funding source determines our editorial conclusions.
- We will subject all AI‑assisted content to human editorial review and never allow automated tools to generate unverified quotes, sources or bylines.