At EveningLedger.uk, we recognise that reporting on or involving minors demands the highest level of care, sensitivity and responsibility. Our Safeguarding & Minors Policy sets out the additional protections and editorial scrutiny we apply to any content that features children, young people, schools, youth organisations, young performers, families or community incidents affecting those under 18. This policy is an extension of our broader Editorial Policy and is overseen by our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Oliver Trent.
Our approach to coverage involving minors
We cover stories involving minors only when there is a clear and legitimate public-interest purpose — such as reporting on school policy, youth achievement, public safety, cultural events involving young performers, or official statements from authorities. Our reporting focuses on professional work, public appearances, official statements and clearly relevant public-interest context. We avoid sensationalism, unnecessary private details, invasive imagery and any non-public information about children.
What we avoid
- Sensationalising minors: We do not use dramatic language, speculative headlines or emotive framing that exploits a child’s involvement in a story.
- Unnecessary private details: We do not publish a minor’s home address, school name (unless directly relevant to the story and already in the public domain), private contact information, non-public medical information or any identifying details that could put a child at risk.
- Invasive imagery: We do not use photographs or video of minors taken without appropriate consent or that show them in vulnerable, distressed or private situations. Where images are used, they are sourced from official channels, public events or with clear permission.
- Safety-risk information: We avoid publishing details that could compromise a child’s safety, such as routines, locations or family circumstances, unless there is an overriding public-interest justification.
Additional editorial review
Any story that involves a minor — whether as a subject, witness, victim, performer or participant — receives additional editorial review. Our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead (Oliver Trent) reviews all such content before publication to ensure it meets our safeguarding standards. This includes verifying that any personal information is strictly necessary, that consent has been obtained where required, and that the story does not inadvertently cause harm. Our full Editorial Policy provides further detail on our standards for accuracy, fairness and accountability.
Privacy protections
We are committed to protecting the privacy of minors. We avoid publishing private addresses, private contact information, non-public medical information, safety-risk information and identifying details of vulnerable individuals unless there is a clear public-interest reason. Where a public-interest exception is made, we consult with our legal and compliance team and ensure the information is presented with the utmost restraint. For more on how we handle personal data, see our Privacy Policy.
Reporting concerns
If you believe we have published content involving a minor that breaches this policy, or if you have a safeguarding concern about any of our coverage, please contact us immediately at complaints@eveningledger.uk. We take all such reports seriously and will investigate promptly. Our Complaints Procedure outlines the steps we follow to address concerns and, where necessary, correct or remove content.
This policy is reviewed regularly and updated to reflect best practice in safeguarding and media ethics. For any questions about our approach, please contact our editorial team via editorial@eveningledger.uk.