Who is responsible for our celebrity privacy standards?
StoryNative.uk’s celebrity privacy standards are set by Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Cole and overseen day-to-day by Standards & Fact-Checking Lead Patrick Nolan. The publication is operated by Strait Line Media Ltd., a private company limited by shares registered in Gibraltar (company number 129570). Our editorial independence and commitment to responsible coverage are governed by these named individuals.
Vanessa Cole (vanessa.cole@storynative.uk, +44 20 4587 9441) defines editorial policy on celebrity and privacy matters, while Patrick Nolan (patrick.nolan@storynative.uk, +44 20 4587 9446) reviews all privacy-sensitive stories before publication. Their authority is set out in our Editorial Policy and Our Team page. No commercial or external pressure overrides the judgement of these editors when assessing privacy implications.
What does StoryNative.uk publish about public figures?
We publish material that is clearly in the public interest: professional work, public appearances, official statements, and context directly relevant to a celebrity’s role in entertainment or culture. Our coverage focuses on UK showbiz, television, streaming, film, music, royal events, and awards season. Reporting is confined to information that is already in the public domain or obtained through legitimate, transparent means.
When a public figure makes a statement at a red-carpet event, releases a project, or participates in a scheduled interview, we consider that fair ground for reporting. We also cover well-documented court proceedings, official complaints, and publicly filed documents. Any speculation or unconfirmed detail is clearly labelled as such and never presented as fact. For full standards on verification, see our Fact-Checking Policy.
What do we avoid covering?
We never publish private addresses, non-public medical information, invasive imagery of children, or material obtained through paparazzi-style harassment. StoryNative.uk does not use long-lens photography of individuals in private spaces, and we do not publish photographs taken without consent in settings where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. We also avoid republishing unverified private material, including leaked documents or hacked communications, unless there is an overriding public-interest justification approved by the editor-in-chief.
Coverage of minors is governed by our Safeguarding Minors Policy. Any image of a child taken at a public event is assessed for intrusiveness. We do not name children in connection with their parents’ private affairs unless the child themselves is a public figure in their own right (for example, a young actor). Our policy also prohibits tracking the movements of public figures or their families for the purpose of unsolicited photography.
How do we handle allegations and rumours?
All allegations and rumours are clearly labelled as unconfirmed, attributed to named sources where possible, and linked to the evidence we have gathered. We never present an allegation as fact. Every rumour or claim is reviewed by Patrick Nolan, who evaluates its source reliability, context, and potential harm before publication. A direct link to our Fact-Checking Policy accompanies any such content.
If a story involves a serious allegation against a living person, we contact the subject or their representative for comment before publication and include that response in the piece. Where no response is received, we state that clearly. We do not publish allegations that are anonymous, unverified, or derived from social-media hearsay without independent corroboration. Corrections or updates to any allegation-based story are handled promptly via our Corrections Policy.
How can you request a correction or privacy review?
If you believe StoryNative.uk has published inaccurate or intrusive material about you or someone you represent, you can contact corrections@storynative.uk for a factual correction or privacy@storynative.uk for a privacy review. Both emails are monitored by Patrick Nolan. We aim to acknowledge requests within 48 hours and to resolve them within five working days. For formal complaints, refer to our Complaints Procedure.
All requests are assessed against our editorial standards, the UK press regulators’ frameworks, and relevant data protection law. StoryNative.uk reserves the right to refuse a removal request if the material is demonstrably in the public interest, accurate, and lawfully obtained. In such cases we will explain our reasoning in writing. We also maintain a record of all privacy-related requests for audit purposes.
Our commitments
- We will always name the responsible editor for any privacy-sensitive decision and publish contact details for corrections and privacy requests.
- We will never publish private addresses, non-public medical information, or intrusive images of children without clear public-interest justification.
- We will label all allegations and rumours as unconfirmed and provide a link to our fact-checking standards.
- We will subject every story involving a living public figure’s private life to additional review by the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead before publication.
- We will respond to every correction or privacy complaint within 48 hours and resolve it within five working days, with a written explanation if we decline to act.