Every story we publish at Civic Affairs begins with a question you might ask yourself: “Where did they get that, and can I trust it?” This page explains how we find, check and stand by the information we report. It’s designed to give you a clear, practical picture of our sourcing and editorial standards, alongside links to our detailed fact‑checking policy and editorial policy. You’ll see how we combine official records, independent verification and experienced journalists to keep our reporting reliable – and what to do if you think we’ve got something wrong.
Where do our stories come from?
We draw on a core set of authoritative sources that underpin every piece of civic and public‑affairs journalism we produce. These are the places we start, verify against and return to when a claim needs a hard check.
- UK Parliament – Hansard, committee reports, bills, parliamentary questions and debates.
- GOV.UK – Government policy papers, press releases, consultations, legislation and departmental data.
- Local Government Association – Research, briefings and data on councils, combined authorities and local services.
- Office for National Statistics – Official statistics on population, economy, society and public spending.
- Companies House – Company registrations, filings, directorships and ownership records.
- BBC News – Independent journalism we use as a cross‑check and for context, never as a sole source.
These are complemented by direct access to council minutes, court judgments, tribunal decisions, regulator announcements and the UK’s public records system. Our reporters routinely attend Westminster select committees, council meetings and public hearings to gather first‑hand accounts.
What standards do we hold ourselves to?
We are committed to the principles of accuracy, fairness and accountability set out by recognised UK regulatory and standards bodies. While Civic Affairs is edited from the UK and follows UK journalistic conventions, we voluntarily align our practices with the codes of the following organisations.
- IPSO – The Independent Press Standards Organisation’s Editors’ Code of Practice is our primary reference for accuracy, privacy and corrections.
- ICO – The Information Commissioner’s Office guidance on data protection, freedom of information and handling personal data informs our editorial workflows.
- Advertising Standards Authority – We ensure our commercial content, including sponsored material and affiliate links, complies with the UK Advertising Codes.
- IMPRESS – Although we are not regulated by IMPRESS, we use their standards for source protection and complaint handling as a benchmark.
Compliance with these standards is overseen by our Editor‑in‑Chief, William Ashby, and our Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead, Diane Forbes. Regular internal reviews and a formal corrections process (detailed below) keep us honest.
What do we rely on day to day?
The everyday toolkit of our editorial team includes: official government data, council documents, parliamentary records, court documents, company filings, regulator statements, direct interviews, first‑hand reporting, verified public statements and reputable data sources from recognised research bodies and universities. Rumours are always labelled as such – we never present speculation as fact. When a source cannot be named for reasons of safety or legal risk, we explain why and use corroborating evidence. All published content is reviewed by a human editor, as set out in our AI and automation policy.
How this works in practice
Take a typical story about a council’s decision to cut a local service. Our Community & Society Correspondent, Lucy Hartley, begins by reading the council’s published minutes and any committee reports. She then checks the relevant legislation on GOV.UK and cross‑references population data from the Office for National Statistics. She interviews councillors, council officers and affected residents – recording or note‑taking in a way that is transparent and can be verified later. Before publication, Kieran Doherty, our Public Affairs & Governance Editor, reviews the piece against the original council documents. Diane Forbes then fact‑checks the specific claims – for example, the percentage of the budget affected – using the council’s published figures. If a correction is needed after publication, it is logged and linked in the article, following our corrections policy. The entire workflow is designed so that no single person makes the final call alone.
How to challenge our reporting
If you believe we have made a factual error, please contact our corrections team directly at corrections@civicaffairs.uk or use our corrections policy page to submit a request. We aim to acknowledge every correction request within two working days and, if justified, publish a correction and update the article. For complaints about editorial conduct, accuracy or privacy, our formal procedure is outlined in our complaints procedure. You can also raise concerns with our fact‑checking lead at factcheck@civicaffairs.uk. William Ashby, as Editor‑in‑Chief, personally reviews all unresolved complaints.
Who we are and how we’re funded
Civic Affairs is operated by Sliema Media Limited, a company registered in Malta (Malta Business Registry number C 84217), with its registered office at Level 3 Tower Business Centre, Tower Street, Swatar, Birkirkara BKR 4013, Malta. The editorial team is based in the UK and makes all editorial decisions independently. Our funding comes from display advertising, affiliate links, commercial partnerships, sponsored content, newsletter sponsorships, content licensing and event partnerships – all clearly labelled and never affecting editorial conclusions. A full breakdown of our ownership and funding is available on our ownership and funding page. You can reach us via our contact page or the main phone +356 2779 4100.
In short
We source from the most reliable official records and independent evidence we can find, check everything through multiple editors, and make it easy for you to challenge what we publish. If you ever have a question about where a fact came from, this page is your starting point – and our team is always reachable.