Complaints Procedure
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Your Concerns Matter. Our Journalism Is Accountable.
1. Our Commitment to Editorial Accountability
At Keep Updated UK, we believe that independent journalism must be accompanied by responsibility, fairness and accountability.
We are committed to publishing accurate, evidence-based reporting and conducting investigations in the public interest.
We recognise that readers, individuals, organisations and public bodies may sometimes have concerns about information we publish or the conduct of our editorial activities.
We take legitimate complaints seriously and are committed to reviewing concerns fairly, impartially and without unnecessary delay.
This Complaints Procedure explains how to raise a concern, what information we require, how complaints are investigated and what actions may follow.
Our approach is guided by our Editorial Standards and Corrections & Clarifications Policy.
2. Who Can Make a Complaint?
We welcome complaints from individuals or organisations with legitimate concerns about our reporting or editorial conduct.
This may include:
- Members of the public.
- Individuals mentioned or identifiable in news reports.
- Businesses and commercial organisations.
- Local councils and public authorities.
- Government departments.
- Elected representatives and public officials.
- Charities and community organisations.
- Witnesses, sources and contributors.
- Representatives acting on behalf of an affected person.
- Readers who identify a possible factual inaccuracy.
You do not have to agree with the political views, editorial decisions or subject matter of Keep Updated UK to submit a complaint.
We aim to assess complaints fairly, regardless of the complainant's position, influence or public profile.
Where a complaint is submitted on behalf of another person, we may request appropriate confirmation of authority.
3. What Can You Complain About?
Our complaints process covers concerns relating to editorial material and journalistic conduct under our control.
3.1 Factual Inaccuracies
You may report information that you believe is factually incorrect, misleading or lacking essential context.
Examples include incorrect dates, figures, statements, names, locations or descriptions of events.
3.2 Misleading Headlines or Images
Complaints may concern headlines, photographs, captions, videos, thumbnails or social media graphics that create a materially inaccurate or misleading impression.
3.3 Privacy Concerns
You may raise concerns about the publication of private or sensitive information, including circumstances where an individual may have been identified unnecessarily.
3.4 Unfair or Unsupported Allegations
Complaints may concern serious claims made about an identifiable individual or organisation where the reporting is alleged to be inaccurate, unfairly presented or inadequately supported by evidence.
3.5 Journalistic Conduct
We will consider complaints concerning inappropriate or potentially unlawful conduct by individuals acting on behalf of Keep Updated UK.
3.6 Discrimination and Harmful Reporting
Concerns may be raised where reporting is alleged to contain unlawful discriminatory material, unjustified personal references or other serious breaches of our Editorial Standards.
3.7 Copyright and Intellectual Property
You may contact us if you believe material published by Keep Updated UK infringes copyright or other intellectual property rights.
3.8 Corrections and Right of Reply
You may raise concerns if you believe an established inaccuracy has not been appropriately corrected, or that a relevant response to a serious allegation has not been fairly considered.
4. How to Submit a Complaint
Complaints can be submitted directly to our editorial team by email.
Email: info@keepupdateduk.co.uk
Subject: Formal Editorial Complaint
To help us investigate your concern, please include:
- Your name and preferred contact details.
- The title or URL of the article, video or material concerned.
- The date of publication, where known.
- A clear explanation of your complaint.
- The specific statements or content you are challenging.
- Any supporting evidence or relevant documents.
- The outcome you are requesting, if applicable.
Supporting information may include official records, correspondence, documents or other reliable evidence.
Please avoid sending unnecessary sensitive personal information.
If your complaint involves particularly confidential material, contact us initially to discuss an appropriate submission method.
Complaints do not need to be written in legal language.
We welcome clear, respectful communication and will seek clarification where reasonably necessary.
5. Acknowledgement of Complaints
We aim to acknowledge formal editorial complaints within five working days of receipt.
Our acknowledgement will normally confirm that the complaint has been received and explain the next steps.
We may request additional information where necessary to identify the material concerned or understand the complaint.
Straightforward errors may be investigated and corrected before the acknowledgement period has elapsed.
Where a complaint raises urgent concerns involving safety, privacy, legal reporting restrictions or potentially serious harm, we will assess whether immediate action is required.
6. How We Investigate Complaints
Each complaint will be assessed on its individual merits.
Our investigation may involve:
- Reviewing the original article, image or video.
- Examining the information available when the material was published.
- Checking relevant source documents.
- Reviewing official statements and public records.
- Examining relevant correspondence.
- Consulting the journalist or contributor responsible.
- Considering additional evidence supplied by the complainant.
- Seeking clarification from other relevant parties.
- Reviewing our Editorial Standards and applicable legal obligations.
We will distinguish between substantiated factual errors, disputed evidence, legitimate differences of opinion and matters requiring additional explanation.
A complaint will not be rejected simply because the subject matter is controversial or politically sensitive.
Equally, disagreement with accurate reporting does not automatically establish a breach of our standards.
7. Our Response Times
We aim to provide a substantive response to formal editorial complaints within 20 working days of receipt.
Where a complaint is complex or requires additional investigation, more time may be necessary.
In these circumstances, we will seek to explain the delay and provide appropriate updates.
Urgent concerns will be prioritised according to their seriousness and potential consequences.
Confirmed significant factual inaccuracies will be corrected promptly rather than left unresolved until the end of the formal complaints process.
These response targets are our voluntary editorial service commitments and do not replace any applicable statutory time limits.
8. Possible Outcomes
Following an investigation, we may take one or more of the following actions.
No Breach Established
Where the available evidence supports the original reporting and no material breach is identified, we may decide that no correction or amendment is required.
We will explain the outcome where appropriate.
Correction
Where a material factual inaccuracy is established, we will correct it promptly and transparently.
Significant corrections will be identified in accordance with our Corrections & Clarifications Policy.
Clarification
Where information requires additional explanation to avoid a misleading impression, we may publish a clarification.
Article Update
Where new verified information has emerged, we may update the article.
An update does not necessarily mean the original reporting was incorrect.
Right of Reply
Where appropriate, we may publish or incorporate a relevant response from an individual or organisation that has been the subject of significant allegations.
Apology
Where justified by the circumstances, we may issue an apology.
Removal or Retraction
In exceptional circumstances, content may be removed, withdrawn or formally retracted.
Such decisions will consider the reliability of the material, applicable law, privacy, safeguarding and the public interest.
Editorial Review
Where a complaint identifies a weakness in our procedures, we may review our editorial practices to reduce the risk of similar issues occurring again.
9. Corrections and Public Transparency
Significant factual errors should be corrected openly.
Where appropriate, a correction notice will explain what was inaccurate and how it has been amended.
We will consider the seriousness of the error and the prominence of the original publication when deciding how to display a correction.
Where materially inaccurate information was distributed through social media channels controlled by Keep Updated UK, we will consider the need for a corresponding correction on those platforms.
We will not deliberately conceal significant corrections through silent amendments.
Our full approach is explained in our Corrections & Clarifications Policy.
10. Complaints About Investigations
Investigative journalism is an important part of Keep Updated UK's work.
Our investigations may examine government policy, public expenditure, public authorities, policing, immigration, businesses and other matters of legitimate public interest.
Such reporting can involve scrutiny of powerful organisations or individuals.
We recognise the importance of allowing those affected by serious allegations a fair opportunity to respond where appropriate.
When investigating complaints concerning our investigative reporting, we will examine whether the relevant factual assertions were appropriately supported and fairly presented.
We will not automatically remove accurate information solely because it is disputed, critical or potentially damaging to an individual's reputation.
At the same time, we will not defend unsupported allegations merely because they appeared within an investigation.
Our decisions will be guided by evidence, fairness, applicable law and the public interest.
11. Complaints About Social Media Content
Keep Updated UK may publish news material through platforms including TikTok, Facebook and other social media services.
Our editorial standards apply to content published through official channels under our control.
You may complain about:
- Inaccurate news graphics.
- Misleading video captions.
- Incorrect headlines.
- Misattributed photographs.
- Unsubstantiated factual claims.
- Materially misleading presentation.
- Other potential breaches of our Editorial Standards.
Where a significant error is established, we will consider an appropriate correction on the platform concerned.
Depending on the circumstances and available platform functionality, this may include a correction post, replacement publication, updated caption or removal accompanied by an appropriate explanation.
12. Privacy and Data Protection Complaints
Complaints concerning how Keep Updated UK handles personal information may also fall under UK data protection law.
Examples include concerns about the collection, storage, disclosure or misuse of personal data.
These complaints will be handled under our data protection complaints arrangements and Privacy Policy.
We will acknowledge data protection complaints within 30 calendar days, as required by applicable law, and aim to do so sooner wherever reasonably possible.
We will investigate such complaints without undue delay, keep complainants appropriately informed and communicate the outcome.
Requests to exercise data protection rights, such as requesting access to personal information, may be subject to separate statutory response periods.
Applicable journalistic exemptions will be considered where legally relevant.
Data protection complaints may be submitted to:
Subject: Data Protection Complaint
Individuals also have the right to raise relevant concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
ICO website: https://ico.org.uk
Complaints: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
13. Requesting a Review of Our Decision
If you disagree with the outcome of an editorial complaint, you may request a further review.
We ask that review requests normally be submitted within 20 working days of receiving our original decision.
Please explain why you believe the decision was incorrect or the investigation was incomplete.
Where possible, provide any additional supporting evidence.
We will seek to arrange for the review to be carried out by someone who was not responsible for the original editorial decision.
Where this is not reasonably possible because of the size of our organisation, we will take appropriate steps to review the matter fairly and address any conflicts of interest.
We aim to complete a further editorial review within 20 working days, where reasonably possible.
Complex cases may require additional time.
We will communicate the outcome and explain whether any further editorial action is appropriate.
This internal review process does not prevent you from pursuing any legal or regulatory rights available to you.
14. Anonymous and Third-Party Complaints
We recognise that some people may wish to raise concerns without publicly identifying themselves.
We may assess credible information supplied anonymously, particularly where it identifies a clear and verifiable factual inaccuracy or serious safeguarding issue.
However, anonymity may limit our ability to seek clarification, verify particular claims or communicate an outcome.
Where a complainant requests confidentiality, we will consider that request and apply appropriate privacy safeguards.
We will not guarantee absolute confidentiality where disclosure may be required by law.
Complaints submitted by individuals not directly affected by a publication may also be considered where they identify a legitimate issue concerning accuracy, public interest or our editorial standards.
15. Abusive or Repeated Complaints
We welcome genuine criticism and legitimate complaints.
However, our editorial team is not required to tolerate threats, harassment or abusive conduct.
Where correspondence becomes threatening or persistently abusive, we may impose proportionate limits on the manner or frequency of communication.
Repeated complaints raising no material new information may be managed together or closed following an appropriate assessment.
We will not classify a complaint as abusive merely because it is strongly worded, persistent, critical or challenges our editorial decisions.
Credible new evidence of a significant inaccuracy will be considered on its merits.
16. Legal Proceedings and Regulatory Matters
Where a complaint concerns ongoing or threatened legal proceedings, we may seek professional legal advice before determining the appropriate response.
We will continue to consider any immediate need to correct established inaccuracies or address urgent risks.
In certain circumstances, legal considerations may affect the information we can disclose or the way the complaint is handled.
Nothing in this Complaints Procedure removes or limits an individual's legal rights.
Our internal complaints process does not provide legal arbitration or an external judicial determination.
Where Keep Updated UK is not a member of an external press regulatory scheme, our internal process should not be represented as providing access to that regulator's complaints or arbitration service.
Any future membership of a recognised or independent press regulatory organisation will be identified separately, together with the appropriate escalation information.
17. Confidentiality and Complaint Records
We handle complaint information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.
Access to complaint records will be restricted to those who reasonably require the information for editorial, administrative or legal purposes.
We may retain records of:
- The complaint received.
- The publication concerned.
- Supporting evidence.
- Our investigation.
- Relevant correspondence.
- The final decision.
- Any correction or other action taken.
Records will be kept for periods justified by their purpose, including relevant legal and editorial accountability needs.
We will not unnecessarily disclose personal information about complainants.
Confidential journalistic sources will be protected in accordance with our editorial responsibilities and applicable law.
18. Editorial Independence
Keep Updated UK is committed to maintaining independent editorial decision-making.
Our complaints process must not be used to suppress accurate reporting simply because it is inconvenient or critical of those in positions of influence.
At the same time, editorial independence does not place our journalism above legitimate scrutiny or the law.
We believe accountability strengthens independent journalism.
All complaints will be judged on their substance and available evidence rather than the status, political position or commercial influence of the complainant.
19. Continuous Improvement
Complaints provide an opportunity to identify errors and improve our reporting.
We may review complaint trends, recurring inaccuracies and issues concerning our editorial processes.
Where necessary, improvements may include changes to fact-checking practices, source verification, headline preparation, image handling or editorial review.
As the publication grows, we may update this procedure to reflect additional editorial staff, independent review arrangements or regulatory requirements.
Our commitment remains to publish responsibly, investigate concerns fairly and correct established mistakes.
20. Contact Our Editorial Team
If you wish to make a formal editorial complaint, please contact:
Keep Updated UK
Email: info@keepupdateduk.co.uk
Subject: Formal Editorial Complaint
Please include the relevant article or content details, the nature of your concern and supporting evidence where available.
We aim to acknowledge formal editorial complaints within five working days and provide a substantive response within 20 working days where reasonably possible.
For information about our wider reporting commitments, please refer to:
Keep Updated UK
Independent News • Investigations • UK Affairs
Independent Journalism. Public Trust. Editorial Accountability.