Our Editorial Standards
Health News Daily is committed to producing accurate, fair and responsible health journalism for UK readers. This Editorial Policy sets out the principles, standards and processes that guide our reporting and editorial decision-making.
All members of our editorial team are expected to follow these standards. Our Editor-in-Chief, James Whitfield, is responsible for overseeing editorial policy and ensuring compliance across all published content.
Accuracy and Fact-Checking
Accuracy is the foundation of our journalism. We take the following steps to ensure the reliability of our reporting:
— All factual claims are verified against authoritative sources before publication. Our primary sources include the NHS, NICE, MHRA, UKHSA, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and peer-reviewed medical journals.
— Headlines accurately reflect the content of the article. We do not use misleading, clickbait or sensationalised headlines.
— Where we report on medical studies or research, we provide context including study size, methodology, limitations and whether findings have been peer-reviewed.
— We clearly distinguish between established medical evidence, emerging research and expert opinion.
— Statistics and data are presented with appropriate context and sourced transparently.
Sourcing
We aim to source every significant claim in our reporting. Our sourcing standards include:
— Named sources are preferred. Where anonymous sources are used, we explain why anonymity has been granted and ensure the source is credible.
— We link to original source material wherever possible, including press releases, research papers and official documents.
— We do not rely on a single source for significant claims. We seek to corroborate important information with at least one additional source.
— Press releases and statements from organisations are attributed clearly and not presented as our own reporting.
Fairness and Impartiality
We strive for balanced, fair reporting:
— On matters of public debate, we seek to represent relevant perspectives fairly.
— We do not take institutional political positions. Our health policy reporting presents the facts and range of informed opinion.
— We give individuals and organisations who are the subject of criticism or serious allegations a reasonable opportunity to respond before publication.
— We correct factual errors promptly and transparently, as set out in our Corrections Policy.
Independence and Conflicts of Interest
Health News Daily is editorially independent. Our editorial decisions are not influenced by commercial interests, advertisers, sponsors or any external organisation.
— Our editorial team does not accept gifts, payments or hospitality from organisations they cover, where these could create a real or perceived conflict of interest.
— Any potential conflicts of interest are disclosed to the Editor-in-Chief and, where relevant, to our readers.
— Advertising and sponsored content are clearly separated from editorial content. We never allow advertisers to influence or approve editorial content. Our full policy is set out in our Sponsored Content Disclosure.
Sensitive Topics
We take particular care when reporting on sensitive health topics:
Mental health and suicide: We follow the Samaritans’ media guidelines for reporting on suicide and self-harm. We avoid graphic descriptions of methods, do not sensationalise, and include details of support services such as the Samaritans (116 123) and the Crisis Text Line (text SHOUT to 85258).
Children’s health: We take additional care when reporting on children. We do not identify children by name in clinical or sensitive contexts without explicit parental consent.
Patient stories: Where we include personal health stories, we ensure individuals have given informed consent and understand how their story will be used.
Outbreaks and health scares: We report on disease outbreaks and public health warnings responsibly, relying on official guidance from UKHSA and the NHS, and avoiding language that could cause unnecessary panic.
Use of AI in Our Journalism
We use artificial intelligence tools to support our editorial work, including research, drafting and data analysis. AI is used as a tool to assist our journalists — it does not replace human editorial judgement. All AI-assisted content is reviewed, edited, fact-checked and approved by a human editor before publication. Our full approach is described in our AI Disclosure Policy.
Corrections, Complaints and Accountability
We believe accountability is essential to trustworthy journalism:
— Errors are corrected promptly and transparently. Our full process is described in our Corrections Policy.
— We have a clear Complaints Policy for readers who wish to raise concerns about our reporting.
— All published articles carry a clear byline identifying the responsible author.
Review
This Editorial Policy is reviewed regularly by the Editor-in-Chief to ensure it remains current and reflects best practice in health journalism. It was last updated on 8 March 2026.
Contact
If you have questions about our editorial standards, please contact our Editor-in-Chief at [email protected].