Our Journalism

Contents

Mission statement

The Belfast Telegraph has played a central role in the story of Belfast and what was to become Northern Ireland since its launch in 1870.

The newspaper in its first edition stated that its mission was ‘the progressive intellectual improvement of the masses of the people’ and the provision of ‘reliable daily information’. The language may be antiquated but these are goals that remain core to the mission of both the Belfast Telegraph and its publisher Mediahuis: informing the public and providing trustworthy journalism.

Furthermore, throughout Northern Ireland's more recent history, specifically the 30 years of sectarian violence known as The Troubles (1969-1998), a conflict which claimed more than 3,500 lives, the Belfast Telegraph was steadfast in its commitment to reporting fairly, accurately, and sensitively.

The newspaper itself was a target for a bomb attack in 1976 which killed one member of staff and injured others. These days, while we find ourselves in a post-conflict society, deep scars remain, and so does our commitment to responsible, moderate journalism.

Historically the Belfast Telegraph supported the Union between Great Britain and Ireland and subsequently Northern Ireland.

Throughout the Troubles, the Telegraph was a voice of moderation, taking a strong stance against the extremes on both sides. It has always been read by both unionists and nationalists.

In 1998 it advocated for a Yes vote in the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement which ended the Troubles.

The Belfast Telegraph supports power-sharing between unionists, nationalists and others in Northern Ireland and good governance. It opposes violence for political ends and strives to hold government to account.

The Belfast Telegraph covers a broad range of topics, employing specialist journalists in news, politics, sports, business, feature-writing, as well as several other areas of importance to our readers.

We also provide analysis and opinion to help our readers navigate and understand the big stories of the day. We have just over 75 staff journalists.

We want to meet our audience where they are in the digital space. That means having a strong app and mobile site, but also creating and curating insightful video and audio products.

Ownership/structure/funding/independence

The Belfast Telegraph has been part of Belgian publishing group Mediahuis since 2019, when it acquired Dublin-based publisher Independent News and Media, which was then a publicly-listed media company. The main sources of funding are newspaper sales, digital subscriptions and advertising. The Belfast Telegraph also receives income from its growing podcasting business.

The Belfast Telegraph and the Irish Independent, which is also part of Mediahuis, have more than 90,000 digital subscribers.

Our journalism is fully independent of any commercial or political interests, including our owners, Mediahuis, and its business interests.

We do not accept gifts or inducements which could compromise our reporting. We never pay for stories.

More detail on this is available in our Editorial Code of Practice

For more information on Mediahuis Ireland, go to: https://www.mediahuis.ie/

Founding date

Founded by brothers William and George Baird, the very first edition of the Belfast Telegraph – or the Belfast Evening Telegraph as it was then known – rolled off the presses on September 1, 1870, at its original base on Arthur Street in the city. The paper moved into purpose-built Royal Avenue premises in 1886, and then on to its current home at Clarendon Dock in 2016. Sister newspaper the Sunday Life was launched in 1988. Journalism from both the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life is brought to our digital audience on the Belfast Telegraph site.

Newsroom Contacts

Belfast Telegraph: newseditor@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Sunday Life slnews@sundaylife.co.uk

Letters to the Belfast Telegraph Editor should be sent to writeback@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Belfast Telegraph sports department: btsportsdesk@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Sunday Life sports department: slsportsdesk@sundaylife.co.uk

Licensing queries@: licensing@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Ethics policy

The Belfast Telegraph and its journalists pledge to be professional, courageous and relentless in the pursuit of truth and of news.

We are also committed to independence, fairness, accuracy and balance in informing people of events and issues about which they have a right to know.

An important goal of our Editorial Code of Practice is to protect and foster the bond of trust between our titles, our journalists and their audiences.

The reputation of our brands and our relationship with our readers is based on the editorial independence, integrity and high standards of our journalism.

We are a member of the UK's press self-regulatory body Ipso.

Diverse Voices

At Belfast Telegraph, we value different viewpoints and aim to reflect these in our reporting.

We are interested in hearing from different ethnic, civic, and business groups in the communities we serve.

Generation, race (ethnicity), class, gender, ideology and geography all affect point of view.

We strive to provide balanced coverage, and to listen to and reflect minority voices.

Please let us know about stories you think we should cover.

Diverse staffing

We have a number of initiatives and policies aimed at ensuring that we improve our gender balance and we are working to increase diversity in our newsrooms in order to reflect the changing nature of modern Northern Ireland. At present, almost 30% of the editorial staff are women and 70% are men. More than a third of our staff are aged under 34, while around 30% are aged 35-44.

Our initiatives to enhance equality and diversity include:

• In Northern Ireland, our recruitment policy is regulated by and adheres to the Fair Employment (NI) Act which gives legal protection against discrimination to Catholics and Protestants. We employ an almost equal percentage of Protestants and Catholics in editorial;
• Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy: promotes equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and creates a work culture where everyone feels they are valued and they belong. The purpose of the policy is to set out our commitments with respect to equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace;
• Mandatory training for all employees including the 'unconscious bias at work' module to raise awareness and promote a diverse, equal and inclusive workplace;
• MET programme - established in 2022
• The Mediahuis Emerging Talent (MET) programme was established to achieve greater diversity within our newsrooms and targets applicants from people who may otherwise not have an opportunity or direct route into journalism.
• Recruitment Policy: to achieve equality of opportunity and operate our recruitment and selection procedure in full compliance with all legal requirements, ensuring all applicants are treated in a fair and consistent manner. We aim to create gender balance in our long lists/shortlists, in particular for teams where there is a lack of female representation, shortlists should consist of 70-80% of female applicants, where possible.
• EDI Committee: established in 2023 to promote inclusion and fairness for all in the organisation, irrespective of gender, background, ethnicity, (dis)ability, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, cultural diversity.

Verification, Fact-Checking Standards

This news organisation commits to doing its best to publish accurate information across all of its content.

We take many steps to ensure accuracy.

Journalists are required to check and verify information, facts and documents with reputable/trusted sources.

Vigilance and fact-checking should be applied to information sources, particularly those researched on the internet. This may include confirming with an individual or organisation that they posted online material and satisfying the journalist that it is accurate.

Online sources, while useful, are not used as the sole source of information and are treated with appropriate caution. We are mindful of the increasing risks associated with AI created content posing as genuine material.

Journalists are responsible for the facts and accuracy of their stories, in the first instance, and are expected to be able to stand over claims in their work. Throughout the editorial processes, editors and sub-editors test the stories to make sure they stand up to scrutiny. We see the right to reply as an essential part of the fact-checking process where serious allegations are made.

We stand by the information on our site as accurate, and if it's not, we will change it as quickly as possible and be transparent with our readers about the error.

Our Complaints form can be accessed here.

Unnamed Sources Policy

Naming sources is always preferrable in our journalism to underpin transparency and help readers make up their own minds about sources of information.

When someone agrees to be quoted, this is known as ‘on the record’ in our newsrooms.

The reason for agreeing not to name a source must be made on a case-by-case basis. We agree to anonymity for sources where identifying that person may be dangerous, or have an exceptionally negative impact on their professional or personal life. In some cases, anonymity of sources may be the only way for our journalists to access information vital to standing up a story. A public interest test is applied by senior editors in deciding whether anonymous sources are used in our reporting.

Generally, ‘off the record’ means that information can be used, but will be attributed to a source that is not named. Information given ‘on background’ is used more cautiously, informing a piece and giving context but not attributed to any individual source.

Sometimes, sources are not named in order to protect that source, such as in the case of whistleblowers or underworld contacts.

Corrections Policy

While endeavouring to be fair and accurate in our reporting at all times, we welcome suggestions or complaints about errors in our coverage that should be corrected. We are committed to telling readers when an error has been made, and providing the correct information, as quickly as possible.

When a typo or spelling mistake is identified it will be corrected as soon as we become aware of it. A correction to a misspelled name will be noted at the end of an article.

If a factual change is flagged, a senior editor will be notified and the matter will be reviewed. Once it is agreed that a change is required it will be implemented as quickly as possible and the amendment will be noted at the end of the article, outlining the nature of the change and the time and date.

Articles may also be updated for legal reasons.

If there is a substantial legal change, such as a development in a court case, we may add a note to the top of the article.

We may also add a clarification to the end of an article, when we believe we can stand over the facts in a piece but there is some disagreement over the interpretation of the facts.

Material corrections will be published on our Corrections Page

Requests for corrections or clarifications should be sent to: corrections@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Privacy

When visiting a Mediahuis Ireland site or using one of our services, you are trusting us with your information. We know that this is a big responsibility, and we work hard to protect your information and put you in control.

At Mediahuis we seek to maintain the privacy, accuracy, and confidentiality of all data (including your personal data) that we collect and use as part of our services. We do not sell your data.

Al Policy and Disclosure

We are extremely mindful of the increasing issue of Artificial Intelligence (AI) generally, and how it relates to our journalism specifically. There will be many opportunities for our journalism with this technology, but there are many dangers.

We are currently experimenting with ways AI might help present and distribute our journalism and make it as accessible as possible. Production journalists and editors always make the final decisions on what we publish.

At present, AI can be used by sub-editors to generate headline suggestions and inform their own headlines, if they choose to.

AI is also sometimes used for audio transcription through software Descript which uses OpenAI's transcription model Whisper.

We also use AI for text-based video editing through Premier Pro software, which is powered by Adobe’s AI engine, Sensei.

We commit to being transparent with our readers if AI is used in our journalism – for example, if it is used in the translation of articles from the wider Mediahuis Group.

Work has been done at Mediahuis group level to develop an AI framework – a document that sets out the current group position on AI, effectively a starting point to guide AI-related discussions. These guidelines will evolve over time.

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Senior Editorial Team

Eoin Brannigan, Editor-in-Chief, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life

Eoin.brannigan@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Martin Breen, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life

Martin.breen@sundaylife.co.uk

Sam McBride, Northern Ireland Editor, Belfast Telegraph

Sam.mcbride@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Suzanne Breen, Political Editor, Belfast Telegraph

Suzanne.breen@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Adrian Rutherford, Head of Content, Belfast Telegraph

Adrian.rutherford@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Claire Williamson, News Editor, Belfast Telegraph

Claire.williamson@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Maxie Swain, Deputy Editor, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life

Maxie.swain@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Ciaran Barnes, News Manager, Sunday Life

Ciaran.barnes@sundaylife.co.uk

Aine Toner, Features Editor, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life

Aine.toner@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Gareth Hanna, Chief Audience Editor, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life

Gareth.hanna@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Ciaran Dunbar, Audio Presenter and Producer, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life

Ciaran.dunbar@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Paul Ferguson, Head of Sports, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life

Paul.ferguson@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Kevin Scott, Visuals Editor, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life

Kevin.scott@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Bylines

The majority of our stories carry a journalist byline.

Justification for withholding bylines

In some cases, when a story is breaking and the full picture is still emerging, we use the byline ‘Staff reporter’ to reflect the fact that reporters and editors are working on a live story.

That may also happen when an editor pulls together material from disparate articles to give an overview of a big story.

Sometimes, the decision is taken to publish a story without a byline. This might be to protect a journalist, to protect a source, or to manage other serious risks associated with the story.

News agency and content partner bylines

We work with a number of respected wire and syndication services to bring our readers the latest in world news and analysis. When we use these services, the agency supplying the content will be credited at the end of the piece.

Agencies

• Reuters
• PA
• Telegraph.co.uk
• Washington Post
• Independent
• Evening Standard
• Bloomberg

Actionable feedback

We encourage our audience to get in touch with us with suggestions, story tips, criticisms, praise and other feedback. Please let us know what you think about our journalism and our sites at: feedback@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Letters can be sent to: writeback@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Please watch out for our reader polls and other audience call-outs on our site and on our social media. Among the ways we gather feedback is through occasional surveys of our readers through our newsletters.

In addition to the option of contacting our newsroom directly, our Belfast-based customer care team is open 7 days a week and always open to hearing readers' suggestions and concerns.

Email: customersupport@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Actionable Feedback Contact Point

Email feedback@belfasttelegraph.co.uk or fill in our Feedback form

Social Media Channels

Facebook

Instagram

Bluesky

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Type of Work Labels

Being transparent with our audience about what type of content they’re reading, seeing and hearing is extremely important to the Belfast Telegraph. Therefore, we have recently made a number of changes to how we label content.

For example, our videos will show a label if the content is someone’s opinion, analysis or if we’re explaining what is happening in the news.

Our audio presenters have received training to make sure they highlight when a podcast guest is providing analysis of the news, opinion or other types of material and will signal this in their scripts.

If Breaking News or unconfirmed reports are being referenced this will be made clear on audio and video.

When it comes to advertising, we are changing what we call content which has been paid for, which has up until recently been referred to as ‘Sponsored’ content. You now will see this content marked as ‘Created For’ along with the name of the advertiser.

We do believe in labelling for our written content too. However, our current technology restricts what we can do here but we pledge to vastly improve how we label our articles as we move to a new editorial system in the coming months.

As news - which is fully verified and factchecked - is the mainstay of our journalism, this will not be labelled.

Glossary:

Analysis

Based on factual reporting, incorporates the expertise of the journalist and may offer interpretations and conclusions

Explainer

Provides context of background, definition and detail on a specific topic.

Interview

An interview to provide a single perspective, edited for clarity and obvious falsehoods

Review

An independent assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour

Opinion

Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of verified facts and data

Breaking News

This is breaking news and we are fact checking and adding news facts as they come to light

Created For

Produced for an organisation or individual that has paid for and approved the content

References

In some stories, it may be useful add a link to an original document or video/audio clip for readers who want to look more deeply into a topic.

Generally, we will use References when a source (a document, an article, a video, an audio clip) underpins an article or gives additional detail or context to a piece of journalism.

The types of content most likely to have References applied are investigative stories, in-depth pieces, and complex stories based on lengthy reports or documents.

Commissioning editors determine which articles to add References to

The uploading of links or original material must comply with GDPR.

Methods

For investigations, in-depth or controversial stories, we will often share information about the journalistic process behind the story and steps they took to gather their facts and information. We may also add some context to explain why the story was considered to be important. When to include a ‘Methods’ piece is agreed between the reporter and the commissioning editor.