Edinburgh Wire is committed to producing trustworthy local journalism that helps readers understand how public decisions affect everyday life in Edinburgh, the Lothians and across Scotland. This Editorial Policy explains how we decide what to publish, how we distinguish different types of content, and how we maintain independence from commercial influence. Every article you read on this site has been written by a named journalist, checked by an editor, and fact-checked before going live.
What is our editorial process?
Every story we publish follows a three-stage process: drafting by a named writer, review by an editor, and fact-checking by our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Diane Forbes, or a member of her team. No piece reaches the site without being approved by a human editor, regardless of any AI tools used in research or drafting.
The Editor-in-Chief, William Ashby, has final authority over publication decisions, corrections and editorial standards. The Managing Editor, Sarah Mills, oversees the daily newsroom, headline review and commissioning. Each section editor — Kieran Doherty for local politics and councils, Lucy Hartley for community and crime, Oscar Friel for business and property — is responsible for the accuracy and fairness of content in their beat. Our fact-checking team verifies sources, quotes, statistics and claims, and any corrections are handled through our corrections policy.
How do we distinguish news, opinion, features, reviews, listings, sponsored and affiliate content?
We label each piece clearly so you can judge its nature and intent. News articles report facts without personal interpretation; opinion pieces are attributed to the author and clearly marked as analysis or comment; features provide deeper context and storytelling; reviews offer critical assessment of products, services or events; listings are factual round-ups of events or opportunities. Sponsored content is labelled “Sponsored” at the top and bottom, and affiliate links are disclosed in the article or a standard notice. Our sponsored content policy and advertising and affiliate disclosure explain these boundaries in full.
What transparency do we provide at the article level?
Every article includes the writer’s name and role, the date of publication and, where relevant, a note about corrections or updates. If AI-assisted tools have been used for research, formatting or drafting, that is disclosed in a short statement at the foot of the piece. We also link to the writer’s biography on our team page so you can see their background. For articles that involve complex subject matter, we may add a note about methodology or data sources.
What you can expect from us
You can expect fair, accurate and independent reporting that puts Edinburgh and Scottish readers first. We do not allow commercial relationships — including those with display advertisers, affiliate partners or sponsors — to determine editorial conclusions. Our funding sources are detailed on the ownership and funding page. We follow the Editors’ Code of Practice and the IPSO standards for accuracy, privacy and fairness. Regional reporting is guided by our regional reporting policy, which ensures coverage of the Lothians and wider Scotland meets the same standard as our Edinburgh-focussed work.
How do we handle AI and automation?
AI-assisted tools may support research, editing, formatting, translation, metadata, headline options, summaries and transcription — but they never replace human editorial judgement. Every piece of published editorial content is reviewed by a human editor. We prohibit the use of AI to fabricate quotes, sources, interviews, bylines, author experience or expert profiles. For a detailed explanation, see our AI and automation policy.
Who is responsible for what we publish?
William Ashby, Editor-in-Chief, is ultimately responsible for all editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections. He can be reached at william.ashby@edinburghwire.co.uk or on +44 20 4587 9485. Daily newsroom operations are led by Sarah Mills, Managing Editor. Section editors oversee their beats, and Diane Forbes leads fact-checking and source verification. All staff are named and contactable on our team page. The site is owned and operated by Sliema Media Limited, a Maltese company registered under number C 84217, but editorial decisions are made entirely within the Edinburgh Wire newsroom.
How do we handle mistakes?
We correct errors promptly and transparently. If you believe we have published inaccurate information, please contact our corrections team at corrections@edinburghwire.co.uk or use our complaints procedure. Minor corrections are noted at the bottom of the article; significant corrections are explained in a separate editor’s note. We also maintain a public corrections log for transparency.
Questions or concerns?
If you have a question about our editorial standards, wish to report an error, or want to raise a concern about any content, please contact the relevant desk directly using the function emails listed on our contact page. For general inquiries, email info@edinburghwire.co.uk. For corrections and complaints, use corrections@edinburghwire.co.uk or complaints@edinburghwire.co.uk. Our Editor-in-Chief William Ashby is also available at william.ashby@edinburghwire.co.uk for any matter requiring his oversight.