Edinburgh Wire covers Edinburgh, the Lothians and Scotland with a focus on local politics, councils, business, crime and community affairs. Every article is produced by a named writer, reviewed by an editor and fact-checked before publication. This page explains how we approach regional reporting and what standards you can rely on.
How does Edinburgh Wire cover its region?
Our editorial team covers Edinburgh city, the Lothian council areas (East, Mid and West Lothian) and relevant Scottish-wide stories that affect local readers. Each beat is assigned to a dedicated editor or correspondent who lives in or regularly reports from the region.
We prioritise stories that help residents understand how decisions made by councils, the Scottish Parliament and public bodies affect everyday life. Coverage includes council meetings, planning applications, transport changes, policing, housing and local business developments, as well as community events and issues raised by readers.
Our Business & Property Correspondent Oscar Friel tracks local economic trends and property developments. Our Community & Crime Correspondent Lucy Hartley monitors courts, police reports and grassroots concerns. Managing Editor Sarah Mills oversees daily newsroom priorities and headline reviews.
What accuracy standards apply to local claims?
All named individuals, organisations, dates, figures and quotations in regional reports must be verified against primary sources or official records before publication. Diane Forbes, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, is responsible for source verification and corrections.
We maintain a dedicated Sources & Standards page that sets out how we classify sources and when we require on-the-record attribution. Claims made by councillors, officials, campaigners or businesses are checked against publicly available documents, meeting minutes, court records or independent data. If we cannot verify a claim to our standard, we either omit it or clearly attribute it as an allegation with a note that verification was not possible.
Our full fact-checking policy and editorial policy explain these procedures in detail.
How do we report on councils and devolved institutions?
Local Politics & Council Editor Kieran Doherty leads coverage of Edinburgh City Council, the Lothian joint boards, and devolved bodies such as the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Government and Transport Scotland. Reports on council meetings include live updates or summaries, and we publish full agendas and decisions where they affect the public.
We attend public committee meetings, scrutinise official reports and follow up on decisions using Freedom of Information requests. When reporting on Scottish Government announcements, we explain how policies directly affect Edinburgh and the Lothians, not just the national picture. Our editorial policy outlines how we handle coverage of political parties and elected officials.
How do we use community tips?
Readers can send tips, documents and story ideas via our secure tips page at /about-us/tip-us/. Every tip is reviewed by a member of the news team. We verify information before using it in any story, and we protect the identity of sources when requested.
Community tips have led to reports on planning disputes, council spending, road safety issues and local campaigns. We treat all tips as confidential during the verification process. Staff correspondents also monitor local forums, social media and community newsletters, but we always seek primary confirmation before publishing.
Who is responsible for our regional coverage?
Editor-in-Chief William Ashby has overall responsibility for editorial standards and publication decisions. Managing Editor Sarah Mills manages daily newsroom operations and commissioning. Each regional beat is supervised by a named editor: Kieran Doherty for councils and politics, Lucy Hartley for crime and community, and Oscar Friel for business and property. Diane Forbes oversees fact-checking and corrections.
Full profiles and contact details for every editorial staff member are on /our-team/. Any corrections or complaints about regional reporting should first be directed to the relevant editor or to the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead.
What you can expect from us
Our regional reporting is built on direct access to local institutions and a commitment to clarity. We do not use anonymous sources for factual claims unless exceptional circumstances apply and the information can be corroborated independently. Every article that names an individual or organisation includes a mechanism for that subject to respond before publication, where reasonably practical.
We aim to reflect the diversity of voices across Edinburgh and the Lothians, including those from under‑represented communities. Sponsored content or commercial partnerships are clearly labelled and never dictate editorial coverage. AI‑assisted tools may support research or drafting, but every piece is approved by a human editor and all quotes, sources and bylines are human‑verified.
Questions or concerns?
If you believe our regional reporting has been inaccurate or unfair, please contact our complaints desk via /complaints-procedure/ or email info@edinburghwire.co.uk. For tip‑offs or story suggestions, use /about-us/tip-us/. To discuss editorial standards with the Editor‑in‑Chief, write to william.ashby@edinburghwire.co.uk or call +44 20 4587 9485.