At NorwichWire.co.uk, we build every story on a foundation of direct observation, verified documentation and accountable human sources. Our reporters attend council meetings, planning committees and public consultations across Norwich and Norfolk, pore over official documents from planning applications to board minutes, conduct site visits to developments, crash scenes or community events, and carry out face-to-face or telephone interviews with named individuals wherever possible. Each article carries a clear record of the experience behind it – whether that is “Peter Ashcroft attended the Norwich City Council planning committee meeting on 12 March” or “Megan Weller visited the site and spoke with three shopkeepers” – so you can judge the weight of the reporting for yourself. This approach is underpinned by our detailed fact-checking policy and editorial policy, which set out the checks every piece must pass before publication. We disclose in each article the number of council meetings attended, site visits made, interviews conducted and events covered to give readers concrete signals of the reporting effort involved.
Official and local sources
We rely on authoritative public bodies as the primary sources for the majority of our local news and public affairs coverage. Each of the following is linked directly from our articles when relevant, and our journalists consult them daily to verify claims, track policy changes and monitor official data.
- Norwich City Council – Official source for city‑wide planning applications, housing policy, local democracy decisions, council tax and community services.
- Norfolk County Council – Authoritative information on county‑level transport, education, social care, public health and strategic planning.
- GOV.UK – Central government publications, legislation, national statistics and departmental announcements affecting the East of England.
- Norfolk Constabulary – Official police statements, crime data, appeals and public safety guidance for the county.
- NHS – Health service information, hospital trusts data, waiting times, public health campaigns and service changes in Norfolk and Waveney.
- Office for National Statistics – Population, employment, housing and economic statistics used to contextualise local trends and claims.
Regulatory and standards bodies
We hold ourselves accountable to the highest industry standards and are subject to the oversight of the following organisations. We also consult their rulings and guidance to shape our editorial processes.
- IPSO – The Independent Press Standards Organisation, which upholds the Editors’ Code of Practice and handles complaints about our editorial content.
- ICO – The Information Commissioner’s Office, which regulates data protection and privacy compliance across the UK.
- Advertising Standards Authority – The UK’s independent regulator for advertising, ensuring our commercial content, affiliates and sponsored material are legal, decent, honest and truthful.
- Companies House – The register of company information for East Anglia Wire Media Ltd (company number 16482937), providing public transparency on our ownership and governance.
What we rely on day to day
Our newsroom draws on a defined set of source types to ensure every claim can be traced back to its origin. We never publish unverified material, and any speculation or rumour is clearly labelled as such, never presented as fact. Our day‑to‑day source toolkit includes:
- Official council documents – agendas, minutes, reports, decisions and public notices from Norwich City Council, Norfolk County Council and parish councils.
- Planning applications and associated documents filed with local planning authorities.
- Police statements, press releases and public appeals issued by Norfolk Constabulary.
- Public meetings – councillor surgeries, town hall forums, parish meetings, consultation events and regional assembly sessions.
- Press conferences hosted by public bodies, business groups or campaign organisations.
- Event organisers and official event programmes for festivals, markets, exhibitions and community gatherings.
- Verified public social media posts – only from official accounts of public bodies, recognised organisations or named individuals whose identity we confirm.
- Public records including Companies House filings, land registry entries, court judgements and electoral registers.
- Direct interviews – conducted face‑to‑face, by telephone or over authenticated email, with the interviewee’s name and role stated unless compelling reasons (e.g. safeguarding, whistle‑blowing) require anonymity, which is disclosed and explained.
- First‑hand on‑the‑ground reporting – our journalists attend events, walk neighbourhoods and visit locations to verify details and gather original observations.
We treat rumour, gossip and anonymous tips as leads to be investigated, not as publishable information. Where a source speaks on condition of anonymity, we explain the reason and the measures taken to corroborate their claims. No story is built on a single unverifiable source.
How to challenge our reporting
Accuracy is our first duty, and we take every reasonable step to correct errors promptly and transparently. If you believe NorwichWire.co.uk has published an inaccuracy, misrepresented a source or omitted relevant context, we want to hear from you. Our formal corrections policy outlines the process for flagging mistakes; you can also email our corrections team directly at corrections@norwichwire.co.uk. For wider concerns about editorial conduct, breaches of the Editors’ Code or complaints that cannot be resolved by the newsroom, please refer to our complaints procedure. We aim to acknowledge all complaints within five working days and to resolve them within 28 days. If you have a factual query about a story that requires independent verification, contact our fact‑checking lead Daniel Keane at factcheck@norwichwire.co.uk. We treat every challenge seriously, update articles with visible correction notices when warranted, and keep a record of all amendments for transparency.