Last updated October 23, 2026

These are the working rules our desks follow every day. They sit under our Editorial Policy.

Numbers and claims

• Every figure in a story comes from a source we can name internally and has been checked against a second source or the official record.
• Estimates are called estimates. Official figures are attributed to the body that issued them.
• Allegations are attributed to the person or party making them and are never stated as fact. The other side’s response is included where it exists.

Quotes

We quote only what we can confirm was said. A paraphrase is never presented as a direct quote.

Headlines and summaries

A headline must be supported by the story under it. We do not use a headline to promise something the story does not deliver.

Sensitive reporting

• We do not name victims of sexual offences, and we take care with children and with people in distress.
• We do not use pictures of victims or private individuals without a clear reason and permission.
• In reporting accidents and attacks we publish confirmed casualty figures and say clearly when they may change.

Updates

When a story develops we update it and show the time of the update. We do not change the original publication date to make an old story look new.

Reviews and ratings

Film reviews carry our rating out of five and a short verdict. A review reflects the reviewer’s own judgement of the film and is not influenced by the producers or distributors.

Sources and other publications

We read widely, but our reporting is written in our own words and checked against more than one source. We do not reproduce another publication’s text.