Editorial Policy

Our mission

NewsCentral exists to help people understand the world. We believe journalism should not just report what happened — it should explain why it matters, what the evidence shows, what remains uncertain, and where the information comes from.

We are not a platform for speculation, unverified claims or opinion dressed up as news. We distinguish clearly between verified reporting, attributed claims and editorial analysis.

Editorial standards

Accuracy

We verify claims before publishing. If we cannot verify something, we say so explicitly rather than presenting it as established fact. We distinguish between confirmed information, attributed claims and open questions.

Fairness

We give subjects of critical reporting a reasonable opportunity to respond before publication. We represent different perspectives where they are relevant and supported by evidence.

Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently of advertisers, sponsors, owners and other commercial relationships. See our Independence section below.

Transparency

Every NewsCentral article shows the number of sources checked, the split between primary and secondary sources, the author and the publication date. We do not hide our methods.

Accountability

We correct mistakes promptly and clearly. Corrections are published on the original article and in our public corrections log.

Sourcing policy

Primary sources

Where possible, NewsCentral reporting is based on primary sources: official statements, government announcements, court documents, company filings, research papers, official statistics, interviews with direct participants and original data.

Primary sources are linked directly in every article so readers can verify claims themselves.

Secondary sources

Where we rely on reporting by other news organisations, we attribute clearly and link to the original work. We do not republish or paraphrase wire copy or third-party articles without clear attribution and our own editorial analysis.

Anonymous sources

We use anonymous sources only where the information is significant, cannot be obtained any other way, and the source has direct knowledge of what they are describing. We tell readers why a source has asked not to be named without revealing their identity.

What we do not do

• We do not republish press releases as news without independent verification.
• We do not use unverified social media posts as sole sources.
• We do not publish claims we cannot attribute to a named or credible source.
• We do not present AI-generated content as independently verified reporting.

Article structure

NewsCentral uses a structured article format designed to make the nature of information clear:

• What happened — A short factual summary of the event or development.
• Why it matters — Context explaining the significance.
• What we know — Confirmed, verified facts.
• What we don't know — Open questions, unconfirmed information or contested claims.
• Sources — Direct links to primary and secondary sources with type labels.
• Timeline — A chronological record of key developments where relevant.

Source transparency counts — how many sources were checked, how many were primary versus secondary — are shown on every article.

Editorial independence

Advertising, sponsored content and other commercial relationships do not influence NewsCentral's editorial decisions. The following rules apply without exception:

• Advertisers cannot buy positive editorial coverage.
• Advertisers cannot prevent negative coverage of themselves or their industry.
• Commercial relationships are not disclosed in editorial articles.
• Sponsored content is always clearly labelled and separated from editorial articles.
• No advertiser has advance sight of editorial content.

Sponsored and commercial content

NewsCentral publishes sponsored content and display advertising. All commercial content is:

• Clearly labelled "Sponsored" or "Advertised" in a visible position.
• Identified with the advertiser's name.
• Visually distinct from editorial articles.
• Reviewed for factual accuracy and legal compliance before publication.
• Never presented as independent NewsCentral journalism.

For information about commercial products and pricing, see our Advertise page.

Corrections policy

We correct factual errors promptly. When a correction is made:

• A correction notice is added to the original article explaining what was wrong and what the correct information is.
• The correction is logged in our public corrections log.
• The article's last-updated date is changed.
• We do not silently edit articles to remove errors.

To report a correction, use the "Report a correction" link on any article or visit our corrections page.

Contact editorial

For editorial enquiries, tip-offs, corrections or complaints:

• Email: editorial@newscentral.co.za
• Submit a story or tip
• Report a correction