Brightlingsea Info is an independent local news and information website serving the community of Brightlingsea in Essex.

We aim to provide accurate, fair and balanced local news and information and to be a trusted source for our readers. We take complaints about our journalism seriously and will investigate genuine concerns promptly and fairly.

This procedure explains how to make a complaint and how we will deal with it.

What can I complain about?

You can complain about editorial content published by Brightlingsea Info, including:

• factual inaccuracies or misleading information;
• a failure to give someone a fair opportunity to respond to significant allegations or criticism;
• concerns about the fairness or balance of an article;
• inaccurate headlines, captions or photographs;
• concerns about privacy or the identification of individuals;
• the way an interview, statement or quotation has been reported;
• inappropriate or misleading use of photographs, video or other material;
• concerns about the conduct of a journalist or contributor in connection with an article; or
• any other significant concern about the accuracy, fairness or standards of our journalism.

We are particularly interested in being told about factual errors. If we have published something that is wrong, we want to know so that we can investigate it and, where appropriate, correct it.

What is not normally covered by this procedure?

This procedure does not normally cover:

• disagreement with our decision to cover or not cover a particular story;
• disagreement with our editorial opinions;
• general criticism of Brightlingsea Info;
• complaints about material published by third parties that has not been created or edited by Brightlingsea Info;
• complaints about advertising, where a separate regulatory process may apply; or
• matters that are more appropriately dealt with by another organisation or authority.

We may nevertheless consider any information provided if it raises a genuine concern about the accuracy or standards of material published by us.

How to make a complaint

Please email your complaint to:

[email protected]

You can also contact us using the contact details on the website.

Please include:

1. the title and date of the article or other material you are complaining about;
2. the web address of the article, if possible;
3. a clear explanation of what you believe is wrong;
4. any evidence or information that supports your complaint;
5. details of any relevant contact you have already had with Brightlingsea Info; and
6. what you believe should be done to put the matter right.

You do not need to use formal or legal language. A clear explanation of the problem is sufficient.

Where possible, complaints should be made by the person directly affected by the article. We may accept complaints from representatives or other individuals where there is a good reason for doing so.

How we deal with complaints

We will acknowledge receipt of a substantive complaint where appropriate.

The editor will normally review the article, the information available to the journalist at the time of publication and any evidence supplied by the complainant.

We may contact the complainant for further information or clarification.

We may also contact people referred to in the complaint, or other relevant sources, where this is necessary to establish the facts.

Our aim is to resolve complaints promptly. We will normally provide a substantive response within 28 days of receiving all the information reasonably required to investigate the complaint.

More complicated complaints may take longer. If this happens, we will explain the reason for the delay where appropriate.

Possible outcomes

Following an investigation, we may decide that:

• the article is accurate and no action is necessary;
• the article is substantially accurate but requires clarification;
• a factual correction is required;
• additional information should be added to the article;
• the article should be amended or updated;
• a correction or clarification should be published prominently;
• an apology is appropriate; or
• the article should be removed in exceptional circumstances.

We will explain our decision to the complainant.

Where an error has been identified, our preference is normally to correct the record rather than simply remove the original article. This helps maintain a transparent record of local news reporting.

Corrections

We recognise that mistakes can happen in journalism.

Where we identify a significant factual error, we will correct it as soon as reasonably possible. Depending on the circumstances, we may also add a correction or clarification explaining what has been changed.

Minor typographical or grammatical errors may be corrected without a formal correction notice.

Corrections will not normally be made simply because someone dislikes an article, disagrees with its conclusions or wishes to change the historical record.

Right of reply

Where an individual, organisation or business is the subject of significant criticism or allegations, we will seek to give them a reasonable opportunity to respond where appropriate.

If a relevant response is received after publication, we may add the response to the article or update the article where we consider that this is appropriate and fair.

The fact that someone disagrees with an article does not, by itself, mean that the article is inaccurate.

Complaints about comments or user-generated material

Brightlingsea Info may receive material from members of the public, including event information, photographs, listings and other contributions.

Where we become aware that material hosted or published by Brightlingsea Info is unlawful, seriously misleading, defamatory, threatening or otherwise inappropriate, we will consider the matter and take appropriate action.

This may include editing, moderating or removing the material.

Privacy and personal information

Information supplied as part of a complaint will be used for the purpose of investigating and responding to the complaint.

We will handle personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Please do not send unnecessary personal or confidential information when making a complaint.

Abuse of the complaints process

We want the complaints process to be accessible to everyone.

However, we may decline to engage further with complaints that are abusive, threatening, discriminatory, clearly vexatious, repetitive after a matter has already been fully considered, or unrelated to the content or conduct of Brightlingsea Info.

This does not prevent someone from raising a new and substantive concern.

If you are not satisfied

If you are unhappy with our response, you should explain why and provide any additional information that you believe we have not considered.

The editor will review the matter again where there is substantive new information or a reasonable argument that the original complaint was not properly considered.

Brightlingsea Info is an independent local news website. We are not a local authority, public body or government complaints service, and this procedure does not replace statutory complaints or appeals processes operated by public authorities.

Where a complaint concerns another organisation or authority rather than Brightlingsea Info, the complainant may need to use that organisation’s own complaints procedure.

Our commitment

Brightlingsea Info is committed to:

• reporting local news as accurately as possible;
• correcting significant errors when they are identified;
• treating people fairly;
• distinguishing fact from opinion;
• giving people a reasonable opportunity to respond to significant allegations;
• taking legitimate complaints seriously; and
• learning from mistakes when they occur.

Our aim is not to avoid criticism, but to ensure that our journalism is accurate, fair and worthy of the trust placed in us by the Brightlingsea community.

Complaints: [email protected]
Telephone: 01206 305677

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Last updated: September 2026