Trust
Editorial standards
How we report, how we treat the people we report on, and what we do when we get it wrong. Every story we publish is held to this.
Accuracy comes first
We publish what we can stand behind. Every factual claim is checked against a document, a record or a first-hand source before it runs. Where a fact is contested, we say so, and by whom.
Speed matters in business news; being right matters more. We would rather be second and correct than first and wrong.
Independence
Business Report is editorially independent of its owners, its advertisers and its sources. No one outside the newsroom sees a story before it is published. No advertiser, sponsor or partner can commission, shape, soften or spike coverage.
Reporters and editors do not hold shares in, consult for or take payment from companies they cover. Financial interests that could be seen to conflict are declared to the editor and, where relevant, to readers.
Sources and attribution
We name our sources wherever we can. Anonymity is granted only when a source has a genuine reason to fear harm and the information is in the public interest, and only with an editor’s approval. When we grant it, we keep it.
We describe unnamed sources as precisely as we can without identifying them, and we tell readers why they are unnamed. A single anonymous source is not enough for a serious allegation.
Right of reply
Anyone who is the subject of significant criticism in a story is given a fair opportunity to respond before publication, with enough detail and enough time to do so. Their response is reflected in the story. If they decline, we say so.
Investigations publish a note on how the subject was approached and what they said, alongside the evidence.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we correct it — promptly, prominently and in the story itself, with a note saying what changed and when. We do not quietly edit.
We would rather hear about a mistake than have it stand. Anyone can report an error, and every report is reviewed by an editor.
Advertising and partner content
Advertising is labelled as advertising. Content produced with a commercial partner is labelled “Partner content” at the head of the piece, in every card and in every feed, lives at a separate address, and is never written by editorial staff.
Editorial does not sell, and commercial does not edit.
Opinion is labelled
Analysis and opinion are marked as such and kept distinct from news reporting. A columnist’s view is the columnist’s; a news story carries none.
How we use AI
Reporting, writing and editing are done by people. We may use software to transcribe, translate, search documents or check figures; a journalist verifies the result and is accountable for it. We do not publish machine-generated stories or images presented as real.
Privacy and harm
We report on people’s public roles and public conduct. We do not publish private information without a clear public interest, and we weigh the harm publication could cause against what readers need to know — particularly for people who are not public figures.
Complaints
If you believe we have breached these standards, tell us. Complaints are reviewed by an editor who was not involved in the story, and we respond in writing. If a complaint is upheld, we correct and, where appropriate, apologise.