At DailyCity.co.uk, we are committed to covering stories involving minors with the highest level of sensitivity and editorial responsibility. Our approach is guided by a clear principle: the welfare and dignity of children and young people come before any news imperative. This policy outlines how we handle reporting on schools, youth organisations, young performers, families, crime stories involving minors, and community incidents that affect children.
What we avoid
We never sensationalise the involvement of minors in news stories. We avoid publishing unnecessary private details such as home addresses, school names (unless directly relevant and in the public interest), or any non-public information that could identify a child outside of their professional or public role. Invasive imagery — including photographs that capture distress, private moments, or unauthorised depictions of children — is not used. We do not name minors accused of crimes unless a court has lifted reporting restrictions, and even then we weigh the public interest against potential harm to the child.
What we cover
Our reporting on minors focuses on professional work (such as young performers in theatre, music or sport), public appearances (award ceremonies, school events with prior consent), official statements from schools, councils or police, and clearly relevant public-interest context — for example, transport safety campaigns involving children or policy changes affecting youth services. Wherever possible, we seek consent from a parent, guardian or responsible adult before featuring a child in a story or image.
Editorial review
Every story that involves a minor — whether as a subject, source or witness — undergoes additional editorial scrutiny. The Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Thomas Ellery, reviews sensitive content to ensure compliance with this policy and our wider editorial standards. You can read more about our editorial team on the Our Team page and about our general approach to content on the Editorial Policy page.
Privacy protections
We extend additional privacy protections to all individuals under 18. This means we avoid publishing private addresses, private contact information (including phone numbers and email addresses), non-public medical information, details that could pose a safety risk, and any identifying details of vulnerable individuals — unless there is a clear and compelling public-interest reason to do so, and only after senior editorial approval. For more on how we handle personal data, see our Privacy Policy.
Raising a concern
If you believe a story on DailyCity.co.uk has failed to uphold these standards — whether it involves a minor, a school, a youth organisation or a family — please contact us immediately. We take all such concerns seriously and will review the material promptly. Complaints can be sent to complaints@dailycity.co.uk. Our full complaints procedure is available at Complaints Procedure.
This policy is part of our broader commitment to fair, accurate and responsible journalism. We review it regularly and welcome feedback.