StoryNative.uk, operated by Strait Line Media Ltd. (company number 129570, registered in Gibraltar, registered office Suite 8, Leanse Place, 50 Town Range, Gibraltar GX11 1AA), is committed to transparency in our use of digital tools and automation. This policy is overseen by Editor‑in‑Chief Vanessa Cole and Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead Patrick Nolan to ensure all editorial content meets our rigorous standards. For further context on our operations, see our ownership and funding disclosure.
Who oversees the use of digital tools and automation at StoryNative.uk?
Editor‑in‑Chief Vanessa Cole and Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead Patrick Nolan are jointly responsible for this policy, with ultimate accountability to Strait Line Media Ltd. They ensure that any digital tool or automated process used in our newsroom complies with our editorial standards, privacy requirements and legal obligations.
Vanessa Cole (vanessa.cole@storynative.uk) sets editorial policy and approves exceptions, while Patrick Nolan (patrick.nolan@storynative.uk) evaluates specific tools for reliability and bias. Both report on automation use to the company’s compliance function. Any proposed new tool must be reviewed by them before adoption.
How may digital tools support our editorial work?
Digital tools and automation may assist our journalists with research, editing, formatting, translation, metadata generation, headline options, content summaries and transcription. These aids are used solely to increase efficiency and accuracy, never to replace editorial judgement or human oversight.
Examples of permitted uses include: automated translation of press releases from foreign entertainment markets, AI‑assisted headline variations for A/B testing, transcription of interview audio, and grammar/style checks during the editing process. Metadata such as alt‑text for images may also be generated with automated assistance. All outputs from such tools are treated as drafts and are subject to full human review before any content is published.
What is the human guarantee for all published content?
Every piece of editorial content published on StoryNative.uk is reviewed by a named human editor before publication. No article, caption, headline or summary may appear on the site without a qualified member of our editorial team having read and approved it in its final form.
This review covers factual accuracy, tone, compliance with our editorial policy and fact‑checking policy, adherence to celebrity privacy standards, and proper attribution of sources and images. The responsible editor is listed in the article byline or metadata. Automated tools play no role in final sign‑off decisions.
What are the strict prohibitions on AI use?
Artificial intelligence must never fabricate quotes, sources, interviews, bylines, author experience, expert profiles, false staff identities or credentials. Any content generated or assisted by AI must be clearly attributable to a human journalist who takes full responsibility for its veracity.
Prohibitions include: generating fake quotes from celebrities or public figures, inventing unnamed sources, creating fictional interview transcripts, attributing opinions to non‑existent experts, or using AI to impersonate a staff writer. Breaches of this rule are treated as a serious editorial failure and may lead to disciplinary action and retraction.
How do we disclose the use of AI in our content?
Where a digital tool or automation has materially assisted in the creation of an article (beyond routine spell‑checking or formatting), we include a clear disclosure at the top or bottom of the piece. The disclosure states the tool used and the specific task it performed, for example: “This article was transcribed using automated speech‑recognition software and reviewed by a human editor.”
Sponsored or commercially supported pieces that incorporate automation are labelled with both the sponsorship disclosure and the AI disclosure. Readers can contact our team via our contact page to ask about any specific article’s production process. Staff profiles and bylines are always written by humans – see our team page for details on every editorial role.
Our commitments
- Every piece of editorial content will be reviewed by a named human editor before publication.
- No AI tool will ever be used to fabricate quotes, sources, interviews, bylines, author experience or expert profiles.
- Any use of automation that materially affects content will be clearly disclosed to readers.
- All digital tools are vetted by the Editor‑in‑Chief and Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead for reliability and impartiality.
- This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as technology evolves, with changes logged in our policy archive.