When you read an article on Press Hive, you should be able to trust that the information has been gathered responsibly, checked for accuracy, and presented fairly. Our standards are designed to give you confidence that what you are reading has been produced with care, transparency, and a clear respect for the facts. This page explains exactly how we choose our sources, how we verify information, and what you can expect from our editorial process every single day.
Press Hive is an independent digital news publisher based in Malta and operated by Sliema Media Limited (Malta Business Registry: C 84217). Our registered office is at Level 3, Tower Business Centre, Tower Street, Swatar, Birkirkara BKR 4013, Malta. We cover UK politics, business, technology and public affairs, with every article written by a named journalist, reviewed by an editor, and checked by our fact-checking team before publication. Our editorial independence is protected by a clear separation from commercial interests — sponsored content is always labelled, and advertising relationships never influence our reporting.
Which official sources do we rely on?
We prioritise primary and authoritative sources to ensure our reporting is built on verifiable facts. Our core official sources include GOV.UK for government policy and announcements, the UK Parliament website for legislative activity and debates, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for economic and population data, the BBC for corroboration of major breaking stories, and the NHS for health-related information. These institutions provide the raw material for much of our political, economic and public affairs coverage.
We also use published reports from parliamentary select committees, public consultations, official registers of interests, and data published by regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority. When we cite figures or claims from these sources, we link directly to the original document or dataset wherever possible, so you can verify the information yourself. For business stories, we draw on company filings at Companies House, annual reports, and official market announcements.
How do we choose and verify our sources beyond official bodies?
Beyond official government and regulatory sources, we apply a consistent set of criteria to every source we use. We look for expertise, independence, transparency and a track record of accuracy. This means we will use peer-reviewed academic studies, reports from respected think tanks, interviews with named experts, and data from established research organisations. Anonymous sources are only used in exceptional circumstances where the information is of clear public interest and the source would face genuine risk if identified — and in those cases, a senior editor must approve the decision.
Every claim made in our articles is traced back to an original source. Before publication, our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Oliver Reeves, or a member of his team, verifies direct quotes, statistics, dates and attributions. We do not rely on secondary reporting when the original material is available. If a source has a known bias or a financial interest in the story, we disclose that to you. Our journalists are instructed to ask “how do we know this?” habitually, and that question is answered in the editorial process before any story goes live.
What regulatory standards do we follow?
Press Hive is committed to ethical journalism and compliance with UK media regulation. While we are an independent publisher, we voluntarily adhere to the Editors’ Code of Practice administered by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). This code covers accuracy, privacy, harassment, discrimination and the protection of children, among other important areas. Our editorial team is trained on the code, and we use it as the benchmark for our daily work. Any breach of the code is taken seriously and investigated promptly.
In addition, we comply with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) requirements for data protection and privacy, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Our privacy policy explains how we handle your personal data. For advertising and commercial content, we follow the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidelines, ensuring all paid-for material is clearly identifiable and not misleading. Our advertising and affiliate disclosure sets out the full detail of how we manage commercial relationships.
How do we fact-check and correct our work?
Fact-checking is built into our production process, not bolted on afterwards. Every article is reviewed by Oliver Reeves, our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, who checks all factual claims, quotations, figures and attributions against original sources before the piece is published. If a source cannot be verified to our standard, the information is removed or the article is held pending further investigation. We maintain detailed records of the verification process for each article.
Despite our best efforts, mistakes can occur. When they do, we correct them promptly and transparently. Our corrections policy sets out how we handle errors, including the requirement to update the article and publish a clear correction notice. If you believe we have made a mistake, you can contact our corrections team at corrections@presshive.uk or use our complaints procedure. Significant errors are escalated to the Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan Ellery, who makes the final decision on the correction and any public apology.
How this works in practice
Imagine you read a story on our site about a new government policy. Before you see it, our Politics & Public Affairs Editor Thomas Hayes has checked the original policy document on GOV.UK, confirmed the figures with the ONS, and had the quotes verified by the fact-checking team. The article is reviewed by Managing Editor Rebecca Haines for fairness and clarity. If the story contains data from a think tank, we have linked to the original report. If it mentions a company, we have checked Companies House records. If it includes a claim from a political figure, we have verified the exact wording from an official transcript. That process happens for every article, every day.
When you contact us with a question or concern — whether through info@presshive.uk, our contact page, or the newsdesk — your message is directed to the right person on our editorial team. We aim to acknowledge all substantive queries within one working day. For corrections and complaints, we follow our published procedures, and you can escalate to Jonathan Ellery directly at jonathan.ellery@presshive.uk if you are not satisfied with the initial response.
How do we manage artificial intelligence and automation?
We use digital tools, including AI, to assist with research, editing, formatting, metadata and summaries. However, every piece of content published on Press Hive is reviewed by a human editor before it appears. AI is never used to fabricate quotes, sources or bylines. Our AI and automation policy provides full details of how these tools are employed and the safeguards in place. If you have any concerns about the use of technology in our journalism, please contact Oliver Reeves at factcheck@presshive.uk.
Who owns and funds Press Hive?
Transparency about our ownership and funding is essential to your trust. Press Hive is owned and operated by Sliema Media Limited, a Malta-based digital media company (Malta Business Registry: C 84217). The Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher is Jonathan Ellery, who holds final responsibility for editorial standards and publication decisions. Our funding comes from display advertising, affiliate links, commercial partnerships, sponsored content and newsletter sponsorships. Full details are in our ownership and funding statement.
All sponsored content and commercial partnerships are clearly labelled so you can distinguish them from independent journalism. Our commercial team operates separately from the newsroom. Sponsored material is marked with a prominent disclosure, and editorial conclusions are never determined by commercial relationships. If you are interested in advertising or partnership opportunities, contact partnerships@presshive.uk.
How can you verify our sources and report concerns?
We provide direct access to the primary sources we use through hyperlinks in our articles. You can also explore our dedicated sources page for a comprehensive list of the official and authoritative sources we rely on. If you find a broken link or a source that appears unreliable, please tell us at info@presshive.uk. We take source integrity seriously and will correct any errors or broken links promptly.
If you have a tip, want to report a concern, or believe we have misrepresented a source, you can contact our newsdesk at newsdesk@presshive.uk or use our secure tip line at tip us. You can also reach our compliance team at legal@presshive.uk for legal issues or privacy@presshive.uk for data protection matters. Our copyright takedown policy explains how we handle intellectual property claims.
In short
We build every story on verified, authoritative sources, check every fact before publication, and correct any mistakes openly and quickly. You can trust Press Hive because we show our work, name our sources, and stand behind our journalism with clear policies and accountable editors.