This page explains how Insight Britain protects children and young people who appear in our journalism, or who are affected by the stories we cover. It describes the extra steps we take to avoid harm, how we handle sensitive information, and what you can do if you believe a child has been treated unfairly or carelessly in our reporting. We encourage all readers to use this page to understand our commitments and to raise any concerns with us directly.
Why does Insight Britain have a safeguarding policy for minors?
Because covering British affairs responsibly means covering stories that involve children – schools, family policy, health, crime, social care – and every one of those carries a duty to avoid harm. Insight Britain is owned and operated by Valletta Civic Media Ltd, but our editorial standards are set in the UK and comply with the safeguarding principles of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and relevant UK law. We recognise that children are particularly vulnerable to identification, stigma, and long‑term consequences from public exposure. Our policy ensures that every editorial decision about a minor is made with that vulnerability front of mind.
We also follow the National Union of Journalists’ guidelines on reporting on children, and we review this policy annually with our legal advisers. Any breach of these standards is treated as a serious editorial failure and may lead to correction, removal of content, or disciplinary action.
What steps do we take when covering children?
Every article that names or identifies a child, or that uses an image or video of a minor, must be flagged during the editorial process for additional review by our Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead, Sofia Lindberg. She makes sure we have obtained informed consent from a parent or legal guardian (or, for older teenagers, from the young person themselves alongside a guardian) before publication. Where consent is not possible – for example, in a legitimate public‑interest investigation – we weigh the potential harm against the public benefit and, whenever feasible, anonymise the child using a pseudonym, blurred face, or other technical measure.
We never include unnecessary personal details such as home address, school name (unless it is central to the story), or family circumstances that could make a child identifiable beyond the legitimate purpose of the article. Our editorial policy requires that we treat children with dignity and avoid sensationalism. You can read more about these standards in our Editorial Policy and meet the team responsible, including Sofia, on our Our Team page.
How this works in practice
Consider a recent news piece on school funding cuts. Our reporter interviewed a headteacher and, during the visit, observed a Year 6 pupil who had just received a free‑school‑meal voucher. The pupil’s name and face appeared in a photograph taken by the school. Our news editor flagged the image for Sofia Lindberg’s review. She contacted the school to confirm a signed parental release, clarified that the voucher story did not require the child’s identity, and asked the school to provide an alternative image showing only the pupil’s hands holding the voucher. The article was published without naming or showing the child, and the accompanying text was edited to avoid any implication that the child’s family was in financial distress. The piece ran with a general stock photo of a school lunch hall instead.
Who is responsible for enforcing this policy?
The Editor‑in‑Chief, Edward Davies Bennett, holds ultimate responsibility for all editorial standards, including safeguarding. Day‑to‑day enforcement is delegated to Sofia Lindberg, our Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead, who reviews every piece of content involving minors before it goes live. She works with the news desk and section editors – Oliver Sutton, Marcus Walsh, Helen Carter, and Rachel Dunn – to ensure that any potential risk is identified early. The publisher, Valletta Civic Media Ltd, supports these safeguards through training and legal review, but editorial independence is guaranteed by our ownership and funding structure, which is set out in our Ownership & Funding disclosure.
What should I do if I have a concern about content involving a minor?
If you believe a child has been harmed, misrepresented, or identified without proper consent in any Insight Britain article, image, or video, please contact us immediately at complaints@insightbritain.co.uk. We will acknowledge your concern within one working day and begin a full review led by Sofia Lindberg. If the concern relates to a potential legal or safeguarding issue, we will also notify Edward Davies Bennett and, where appropriate, involve external legal counsel. Our Complaints Procedure explains the full process and timelines. You can also reach our editorial team via the general contact form on our Contact page.
In short
Insight Britain is committed to covering children with care, respect, and legal rigour. Every piece of content involving a minor passes through an additional editorial gate controlled by our Standards Lead, and we welcome readers’ vigilance. If you spot something that does not meet these standards, please tell us – we will act.