Editorial Policy

HighwaysIndustry.com is a trade news publication serving the UK highways, transport and infrastructure sector. This Editorial Policy sets out the standards, principles and processes that govern how our newsroom researches, writes, reviews and publishes content. It exists so that readers, contributors, advertisers and industry partners can understand exactly how we work and what they can expect from us.

Our Mission

Our mission is to give everyone working in or around the highways and infrastructure sector a reliable, timely and independent source of news, analysis and industry insight. We report on the projects, policy decisions, technology and people shaping the UK’s road network, with the aim of helping our readers make better-informed decisions in their own work. We measure our success not by traffic alone, but by whether the sector trusts what we publish.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions at HighwaysIndustry.com are made solely by our editorial team, based on newsworthiness, relevance to our readers and public interest. Commercial relationships, including advertising and sponsorship arrangements, have no influence over which stories we cover, how we cover them, or the opinions expressed in our editorial content. Advertising and sales staff do not have editorial sign-off on news content, and editorial staff do not have visibility of commercial negotiations.

Accuracy and Fact-Checking

We verify claims against primary sources wherever possible, including official statements, government publications, court and planning documents, company announcements and on-the-record interviews. Where a claim cannot be independently verified, we say so in the article rather than presenting it as established fact. Numerical claims, statistics and quotes are checked against the original source before publication, and press releases are rewritten and checked rather than republished unedited.

Sources and Attribution

We attribute information to its original source wherever that source can be named, and we link to primary documents and official releases so readers can verify our reporting themselves. Where a source has asked to remain anonymous, we only agree to this when we are confident the information is credible and when naming the source could cause them harm, and we make clear in the article that the source has been granted anonymity.

Corrections Policy

We correct errors of fact promptly and transparently. If a published article is found to contain a factual inaccuracy, we amend it as soon as it is verified and add a dated correction note at the bottom of the article explaining what was changed and why. Significant corrections that materially affect the meaning of a story are also flagged at the top of the article. Readers who believe an article contains an error are encouraged to contact the editorial team using the details below. Read our full Corrections Policy for more information on how corrections are requested, handled and recorded.

AI Usage Policy

We may use AI-based tools to support research, transcription, headline testing or administrative tasks, but AI is not used to fabricate quotes, sources, images of real people, or facts. Any article generated with substantive AI assistance is reviewed, fact-checked and edited by a member of our editorial team before publication, and that team member takes full responsibility for its accuracy. AI tools are never used as a substitute for verifying information with a real, named or credibly anonymous source.

Author Expertise

Our articles are written and edited by journalists and contributors with experience covering the highways, transport and infrastructure sector, supported where relevant by input from industry specialists, engineers and policy experts. Author bylines appear on our articles, and author archive pages list the articles a contributor has written for the site, so readers can review a writer’s reporting history and areas of focus. Meet our editorial team on our Editorial Team page.

Content Updates

Breaking news stories may be published while a situation is still developing and updated as further information becomes available. When we materially update a live story, we note within the article that it has been updated and, where appropriate, summarise what has changed. Every article carries both an original publication date and a last-updated date so readers can see how current the information is.

Transparency

We are transparent about who owns and runs HighwaysIndustry.com, how we fund our journalism, and how readers can reach us. Details of our editorial team, ownership and contact information are published on our About page, and any conflicts of interest relevant to a specific story, such as a commercial relationship with a company being reported on, are disclosed within that article.

Reader Feedback

We welcome feedback, tips, corrections and story suggestions from readers and from the wider highways and infrastructure sector. Feedback is reviewed by our editorial team, and where it leads to a correction or a follow-up story, we aim to acknowledge the reader who raised it, with their permission. We treat critical feedback as seriously as praise, because it helps us improve the accuracy and usefulness of our reporting.

Contacting the Editorial Team

If you have a story tip, a correction to report, or a question about this Editorial Policy, please get in touch via our Get in Touch page, or visit our About Us page for further background on the team behind HighwaysIndustry.com.