At PublicReport.uk, we recognise that covering children, young people and the institutions that serve them demands heightened responsibility. Our editorial team applies additional safeguards whenever a story involves individuals under the age of 18, whether as subjects, sources, witnesses or participants in events. This policy outlines the principles that guide our approach and the procedures we follow to protect minors while maintaining the public-interest value of our journalism.
Scope of this policy
This policy applies to all content published on PublicReport.uk, including news articles, analysis, opinion pieces, features, photography, video and social-media promotion. It covers stories about schools, youth organisations, sporting events involving minors, family court proceedings, child welfare, and any other editorial material that names, depicts or otherwise identifies a child or young person.
Editorial principles
We are committed to reporting stories that involve minors only where there is a legitimate professional or public-interest context. Our coverage focuses on issues such as education policy, youth services, children’s rights, public safety and community achievement. We do not treat the involvement of a child as a novelty or a sensational hook.
What we avoid
- Sensationalising minors – We do not use provocative language, gratuitous detail or misleading framing that exploits a child’s age or circumstance.
- Unnecessary private details – We avoid publishing information that is irrelevant to the story, such as a child’s home address, school name (unless central to the public interest), medical history or family relationships, unless it is essential to the reporting.
- Invasive imagery – Photographs and video of minors are used only with appropriate consent or in clearly justified public-interest situations, and never in a way that could cause distress or stigmatisation.
- Non-public information – We will not publish information about a child that has been obtained without proper authorisation, including personal data from social media, school records or third-party databases, unless legally and ethically warranted.
Editorial review process
Any story that involves a minor or that touches on youth-related issues undergoes additional editorial scrutiny before publication. The Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Naomi Rivers, reviews the content to ensure all safeguarding considerations have been addressed. This includes verifying source consent, checking that any identifying details are justified, and confirming that the story complies with our Editorial Policy. Where necessary, external guidance from child-protection specialists is sought.
The managing editor, Victoria Hale, also reviews the publishing schedule for any features or breaking news involving minors to ensure that time-sensitive decisions do not override our duty of care.
Related privacy protections
Our commitment to safeguarding minors is reinforced by our broader privacy framework. We advise readers to consult our Privacy Policy for details on how we collect, process and protect personal data, including children’s data. Any data we hold relating to minors is subject to the strictest access controls and retention limits.
Reporting concerns
If you believe a story on PublicReport.uk has breached this policy or has caused harm to a child or young person, please contact us immediately. We take all complaints seriously and will investigate promptly. Concerns can be sent to complaints@publicreport.uk or submitted via our formal Complaints Procedure. Our editorial team will acknowledge receipt within one working day and provide a substantive response within ten working days.
For general enquiries about this policy, you may also write to our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead at the same address or call +44 20 4587 8246.
Policy review
This Safeguarding & Minors Policy is reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect changes in law, best practice and our own editorial experience. The most recent review was conducted in March 2025.
Further information about our editorial standards, including our approach to fact-checking, corrections and sources, can be found on our Sources & Standards page.