Editorial Policy

Last updated: 12 June 2026

1. Our purpose

Bower News is a journalism platform operated by the MA Journalism programme at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol).

The site serves as:

  • a teaching newsroom for journalism students
  • a public-facing publication of student work
  • a platform for developing professional skills and portfolios

All content is produced as part of journalism training and aims to reflect industry standards of accuracy, fairness and ethical reporting.

Published stories will normally remain publicly available on the site for up to three years. After this period, content may be removed from the live website as part of routine maintenance.

All content is retained internally by the university for teaching, assessment and archival purposes.

Students are responsible for maintaining their own professional portfolios and are encouraged to republish their work on personal platforms.

A selection of high-quality work may be retained on the site as part of a curated archive.

2. Editorial standards

We expect all contributors to adhere to core principles of responsible journalism, including:

Accuracy

  • All information must be verified before publication
  • Claims should be supported by reliable sources
  • Quotes must be accurate and not misleading
  • Context must be provided where necessary

Fairness and balance

  • Stories should reflect relevant perspectives where appropriate
  • Contributors should avoid misrepresentation
  • Individuals and organisations should be given the opportunity to respond where necessary

Attribution and sourcing

  • Sources must be clearly attributed (on-the-record wherever possible)
  • Anonymous sources should only be used where justified
  • Students must be transparent about how information was obtained

Integrity

  • Fabrication, plagiarism, or misleading editing is strictly prohibited
  • Conflicts of interest must be declared
  • Contributors must not misrepresent themselves as journalists from commercial news organisations

3. Legal and ethical responsibilities

All contributors must comply with relevant UK legal and ethical frameworks, including:

  • Defamation law
  • Copyright and intellectual property law
  • Privacy and data protection law
  • Reporting restrictions (e.g. court reporting)
  • Consent when working with contributors and interviewees

Students are expected to apply guidance provided through the MA Journalism programme and editorial instruction.

4. Use of images, audio and third-party material

Contributors must ensure that:

  • All images, video, audio and graphics are either original, licensed, or used legally
  • Permission is obtained where required
  • Social media content and embedded material are used responsibly and in context
  • Copyright restrictions are respected

Improper use of third-party material may result in removal of content.

5. Social media and embedded content

Bower News reflects contemporary journalism practice and frequently includes:

  • Social media embeds
  • External multimedia content

Contributors should:

  • Ensure embedded content is relevant and adds editorial value
  • Verify the authenticity of social media content before use
  • Avoid amplifying misleading or harmful material

6. Editorial oversight

All content published on Bower News is subject to editorial oversight by authorised staff.

Editors may:

  • Review, edit or request changes to content
  • Delay publication pending verification
  • Remove or amend content where necessary

This ensures content meets professional, legal and educational standards.

7. Corrections policy

We are committed to correcting errors promptly and transparently.

If an error is identified:

  • Minor inaccuracies may be corrected and updated without a formal notice
  • Significant errors will be corrected with a clear note explaining the change

In serious cases:

  • Content may be amended, unpublished or replaced
  • An explanatory note may be added where appropriate

8. Complaints process

If you believe content published on Bower News is:

  • inaccurate
  • unfair
  • misleading
  • or in breach of legal or ethical standards

you can contact:

Christopher Brown, programme leader MA Journalism
christopher12.brown@uwe.ac.uk

We will:

  • review the complaint promptly
  • assess the issue against editorial standards
  • respond and take appropriate action

9. Student contributors and public publication

Student contributors should be aware that:

  • Their work is published in a public environment
  • Articles will include their name as a byline
  • Content may be shared, referenced, or indexed by search engines

Publication on Bower News is part of the professional learning experience and contributes to portfolio development.

10. Independence and educational context

Bower News is a teaching publication.

While students are expected to exercise editorial judgement, content is created within an educational framework, and:

  • may be supervised or guided by academic staff
  • may not reflect the views of UWE Bristol

11. Updates to this policy

This policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in law, journalism standards, or teaching practice.