West Brom News’ Mission
West Brom News is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards to give fans of all clubs the most accurate and trustworthy updates on West Brom, whether it be from the Black Country, the UK or the entire world. It is more important than ever to uphold the principles of journalism and ensure our work does not cause harm to others. All our articles are to be sourced correctly and accurately while also offering a new and original take, whether that be the opinion of the writer or that of an expert.
Feedback
West Brom News welcomes all feedback and encourages active dialogue with our writers, editors and management team. We are also open to engaging with our audience and taking action based on their feedback, complaints or other suggestions.
Providing feedback can help:
- Answer questions.
- Help further develop a story or article.
- Help identify related questions or issues that our audience is discussing or are concerned about.
- Uncover new and diverse sources and references.
- Fix any errors that may have occurred.
Our readers are free to communicate with us in several ways:
- Via the Contact Us page on our website.
- Via our various social channels, which can also be found on the Contact Us page.
- Via the author contact details and social channels provided on our author pages.
Diversity
West Brom News commits to representing everyone, whatever their background, and however they identify.
We work hard to be an inclusive employer and responsible publisher.
Ethics
West Brom News follows the five core principles of ethical journalism, as outlined by the Ethical Journalism Network.
1. Truth & Accuracy
While we cannot guarantee ‘truth’, we will always endeavour to get our facts right and to strive for accuracy. When we cannot corroborate information we should say so.
2. Independence
Our writers do not act formally or informally on behalf of special interests whether political, corporate or cultural. Editors should be made aware of any conflicts of interests and act accordingly.
3. Fairness & Impartiality
Articles should be balanced and add context.
4. Humanity
Journalists should do no harm. We should be aware of the impact our words can have on the lives of others. We should take special care and attention when reporting on sensitive issues or those that may cause upset. If we do not feel an article can be written without causing pain for others, we do not write that article.
5. Accountability
When we make mistakes, West Brom News will correct them and make a sincere expression of regret where that is appropriate. We listen to the concerns of our audience and provide remedies when we have been unfair. Please refer to our corrections policy below for further details.
West Brom News will not intrude on individuals’ right to privacy.
West Brom News also endeavours to follow the guidance given by The Society of Professional Journalists in their Code of Ethics alongside IPSOs Editors’ Code of Practice.
Corrections
West Brom News is serious about correcting mistakes as soon as possible. We are responsive to feedback from readers and take concerns seriously. Feel free to contact us if you have anything you’d like to raise.
Our editorial team’s task is to ensure that any errors are swiftly dealt with. As well as taking stringent editorial care before articles are published, our editorial team routinely audits articles, checking for any possible factual inaccuracies.
If you believe we have fallen below our standards with regards to the factual accuracy of our content we will strive to make corrections where necessary. Please contact [email protected] in the first instance with any concerns regarding the accuracy of our reporting. You can also find our physical address for written correspondence at the bottom of this policy.
Coverage Priorities
Our writers do not act formally or informally on behalf of special interests whether political, corporate or cultural. Editors should be made aware of any conflicts of interests and act accordingly.
We strive to take an impartial stance when reporting on issues and aim to deliver content in an unbiased and transparent manner at all times.
All of our articles will contain a clear author byline stating the name of the author and a link to their author biography. We will also publicly display the social profiles, contact details and accreditation of our authors.
If any article is published without a byline for whatever reason we will give clear reasoning as to why that is and how any corrections can be submitted in that case.
Unnamed Sources
West Brom News strictly follows two statements contained in The SPJ Code of Ethics on anonymous sources:
Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources’ reliability. A journalist’s most important professional possession is credibility. If news consumers don’t have faith that the stories they are reading or watching are accurate and fair, or if they suspect information attributed to an anonymous source has been fabricated, then the journalists effectively lose all of their credibility. To protect their credibility and the credibility of their stories, authors must use every possible avenue to confirm and attribute information before relying on unnamed sources. If the only way to publish a story is to use anonymous sources, the writer owes it to the readers to identify the source as clearly as possible without exposing the identity of the individual who has been granted anonymity. Always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises. Writers can not take information from anonymous sources without the approval of a West Brom News editor. We use information from anonymous sources to tell important stories that would otherwise go unreported.
The decision to use an anonymous source is not a decision made solely by the author. To use an anonymous source, the author must have the written consent of a West Brom News editorial team member.
Fact Checking
West Brom News takes pride in its editorial standards and to that end employs a sizable team of editorial staff whose primary role within the company is to ensure the accuracy of the content that our writers produce. To that end, West Brom News employs the following actions to prevent inaccurate or misleading content:
1. Writers must credit and link to the source of any information they are reporting. For offline sources, the best possible way to credit the source will be used (for example, a page number in a newspaper or a time-of-broadcast for something from TV or radio).
2. Writers are told to question the validity of sources and to take care of information they are reporting, especially where it may touch upon a sensitive or controversial topic.
3. Writers are provided with guidance on which sources are and are not seen by our editorial staff as credible. If West Brom News deems a source to be credible, it will explain to the audience why they should be trusted.
4. Writers are expected not to write about topics when they feel they do not have sufficient knowledge to do so accurately.
5. Writers must clearly distinguish between opinion, conjecture and fact.
6. Editors review articles across our network and seek confirmation for any claims they feel may be inaccurate.
Where West Brom News finds it has published inaccurate or misleading information, we will respond swiftly to remedy the situation.
Plagiarism
West Brom News takes a zero-tolerance approach to plagiarism. Any writer who is found to have used the work of others without permission and accreditation will immediately face disciplinary action.
Sponsored Content
West Brom News prides itself on an editorial team of qualified and reputable journalists who maintain our high content and ethical standards. As such, West Brom News does not accept sponsored content or guest posts of any kind.
GenerativeAI Content
AI tools remain unreliable and there is no room for unreliability within West Brom News’ journalism and creative work. None of the articles on West Brom News are produced using AI tools.
Founding Date
West Brom News has been part of the Breaking Media since its launch in 2019. You find out more about West Brom News and Breaking Media on our About Us page.
UK Office
Please address written correspondence to Breaking Media, 1 The Green, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1PL.