Editorial policy

The rules every published piece is held to. Hard rules cannot be waived. Soft rules can, with editor sign-off and disclosure.

Hard rules (cannot be waived)

  1. Every numerical or factual claim has a named source. No claim sits unsourced because “everyone knows it”.
  2. Quotes are attributed to a named person on a named date. No anonymous quotes attributed to a job title alone. No fabricated quotes. No composite quotes.
  3. No vendor endorsements. No sponsored content. No paid placements. Editorial cannot be bought.
  4. Conflicts of interest are disclosed in the piece text where the conflict is material to the conclusion.
  5. Pieces are dated at publication. Material updates re-date the piece. Corrections are noted in the piece itself.
  6. UK relevance is required. Pieces that cite non-UK data must explain why the cited data is relevant to a UK reader.

Soft rules (waivable with sign-off)

  • Off-record material may be summarised in a piece if the editor agrees the public-interest case is strong and no individual is identifiable from the summary.
  • A piece may run with a smaller sample size than the standard 30 if the editor agrees the directional reading is informative and the limitation is disclosed in the text.
  • A piece may take a strong position on a contested topic if the position is grounded in the evidence presented and a competing view is fairly summarised before it is rebutted.

How disagreements are resolved

The editor of the piece has the final call on framing and conclusion. The methodology lead has the final call on whether a claim is adequately sourced. Where the two disagree, the piece does not publish until they reach alignment or a third editor is brought in.

Source-of-record

Where a piece relies on a primary source (an ICO enforcement action, a Companies House filing, an earnings transcript), the piece links directly to the source and quotes it accurately. We do not cite secondary summaries when the primary source is available.

What we do not cover

  • Vendor product launches and feature releases (covered only when they materially change a sales motion the audience runs).
  • Personal or employment disputes (libel risk; not in audience scope).
  • US, EU, and APAC market data as primary subjects (covered only when relevant to a UK reader).

AI-assisted drafting

Editors may use AI tools to draft, rewrite, or check pieces. Every piece is read end-to-end by a human editor before publication. Sources are verified by the human editor, not by the AI. The editor is named in the byline and accountable for accuracy.