PublicReport.uk is committed to transparent, accurate and accountable journalism. Every story we publish is built on a foundation of careful sourcing and verification. Our journalists and editors follow procedures set out in our Editorial Policy and Fact-Checking Policy, which detail how we gather information, attribute sources, check claims and correct errors. This page explains the types of sources we rely on, the standards bodies we follow, and how you can raise concerns about our reporting.
Official and primary sources
Wherever possible we base our reporting on authoritative primary and official sources. Our team routinely consults the following organisations and agencies. Links to their main websites are provided for readers who wish to verify our work directly.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) — the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics, covering population, economy, society and labour market.
- UK Parliament — official source for bills, debates, committee reports, Hansard and parliamentary proceedings.
- GOV.UK — central portal for all UK government departments, policy announcements, consultations and public data.
- Companies House — the official register of company information in the UK, including filings, accounts and director details.
- BBC News — a public service broadcaster whose journalism we cite when corroborating cross‑verified reports.
- Reuters — a global news agency whose wire reports we use for fast‑breaking facts, with attribution.
- PA Media — the UK’s national news agency, a key source for court reports, parliamentary copy and public affairs.
We also draw on a wide range of academic journals, think‑tank publications, publicly funded research, and documents released under the Freedom of Information Act. Where a source is behind a paywall or otherwise not freely accessible, we note that in our reporting.
Regulatory and standards bodies
We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards in UK journalism. While PublicReport.uk is not currently a member of any press regulator, we monitor the guidance and rulings of the following bodies and apply their principles voluntarily:
- IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) — sets the Editors’ Code of Practice and adjudicates complaints against member publications.
- ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) — the UK’s independent regulator for data protection, freedom of information and privacy.
- Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) — ensures advertising and commercial content on our site complies with CAP and BCAP codes.
- IMPRESS — an independent press regulator with a standards code that we reference for best practice, especially around fact‑checking and corrections.
Our own Editorial Policy and AI & Automation Policy are publicly available and detail how we ensure human oversight of all published content.
What we rely on day to day
Our newsroom uses a hierarchy of source types. The following list describes the primary categories of evidence we build stories upon. Each item is treated according to its reliability and the strength of corroboration.
- Official government data — statistics, reports and databases published by ONS, government departments and agencies.
- Court documents — judgments, case summaries, sentencing remarks and court listings, accessed via the National Archives, judiciary.uk and direct filings.
- Company filings — annual accounts, director reports and public registers from Companies House.
- Expert testimony — interviews with academics, professionals, analysts and other qualified individuals, conducted on or off the record with transparent attribution.
- Direct interviews — conversations with newsmakers, witnesses, officials and members of the public, recorded or contemporaneously noted.
- Press conferences — live or recorded briefings by government, businesses, campaign groups and public bodies.
- First‑hand reporting — our reporters attending events, visiting locations, observing proceedings and gathering original material.
- Verified public statements — official press releases, social media posts from verified accounts, and transcripts from parliamentary or public records.
We always label speculation, unattributed claims and unconfirmed reports. Rumours are never presented as fact; if we mention a rumour in the course of reporting, we clearly state it as such and provide context about its origin and status. Anonymous sources are used only when necessary to protect a source from harm or reprisal, and their identity is known to at least one senior editor. We do not publish material sourced solely from generative AI output; all editorial content is reviewed by a human editor as set out in our AI & Automation Policy.
How to challenge our reporting
We take accuracy seriously and welcome scrutiny from readers, sources and subjects of our reporting. If you believe we have made a factual error, please contact our corrections team directly. Our Corrections Policy explains how we handle and log corrections. You can email corrections@publicreport.uk with details of the error and any supporting evidence.
If your concern is broader — for example, about fairness, privacy, harassment or editorial conduct — please use our Complaints Procedure. We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days and aim to resolve it within 20 working days.
For fact‑specific queries, including requests for source verification, contact our Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead at factcheck@publicreport.uk. Our team will provide background sourcing information where it is ethical and practical to do so, subject to our confidentiality obligations.
We also invite readers to contact us via the general editorial address at info@publicreport.uk, or through the Contact page on our site.