Editorial Policy
How we decide what to publish on Alnwick.live, and how we keep it accurate.
Last updated: November 2026
Alnwick.live is part of North East Alive, a network of independent local websites covering towns and neighbourhoods across the North East of England. We publish local news, a what’s-on calendar, a directory of local businesses and organisations, and guides to living in and visiting Alnwick and the surrounding area.
Who is responsible
Publishing decisions across the network are made by the editor, David Smith. North East Alive is an independent project run by David Smith; it is not currently an incorporated company.
What we cover
We focus on news and information that matters to the local community: business openings and closures, council decisions, consultations and planning applications that affect residents, transport and infrastructure changes, local achievements, charity and community initiatives, and heritage and environmental news. Our events calendar and directory exist to help residents and visitors find what is happening and who is nearby.
We report council matters neutrally and do not take sides in party politics. We do not cover crime, court cases, accidents or tragedies, and we do not publish stories centred on private individuals.
Accuracy and sources
- News stories are based on an official or primary source, such as the organisation’s own announcement, council papers or a named publication, and we link to it.
- Events are listed only once the date, venue and booking details are confirmed on an official page. Provisional or unconfirmed events are not published.
- Directory listings need a full address and an independent sign that the business or organisation is real, beyond a submission email. We do not list home addresses or individual home-based childminders.
- We check listed events against their sources regularly and correct or remove anything that has changed.
Corrections and complaints
If something we have published is wrong, please tell us through our contact form. We aim to check it against the source and correct or remove it within 24 hours, and we note significant corrections on the page.
Use of AI
We use AI tools to help research, draft and check content, and to create some illustrative images. Every item is checked against its sources and approved by the editor before it is published, and we do not publish AI-generated content as fact without a source. AI-generated images are used only for generic illustrations, never to depict a real named building, business or person. Photographs of real places come from credited sources such as Wikimedia Commons, and image credits are listed on our credits page.
Independence
No one can pay for news coverage or to influence what we report. Our focus is on building a genuinely useful source of local information. As the network grows we may introduce sponsorship, advertising or paid features to keep it sustainable; if we do, they will be clearly labelled and kept separate from editorial decisions.
Submissions
Businesses, organisations and readers can send us listings, events and news tips through our contact form. Submissions are checked in the same way as everything else and are never published automatically.