Editorial Policy

The Coastal is an independent digital newsroom covering the towns, cities and shoreline of South Africa’s eastern seaboard. This policy is how we work. It applies to every story we publish.

Independence

Our journalism is not for sale. Advertisers, sponsors and public institutions do not decide what we report, how we report it, or whether a story runs. Advertising is sold separately from the newsroom and is labelled as such.

We are based along the Eastern Cape coast. We write for the people who live here, and for anyone who needs a clear account of what local power does in their name.

What we cover

We report on local government, business, communities, the environment, sport, schools, and coastal life. We give particular weight to the public record: council agendas and minutes, budgets, tenders, audit findings, planning papers and official reports — documents readers can use to hold officials to account.

News and opinion

We separate news from opinion. News reports are based on named sources, documents and on-the-record interviews wherever possible. Opinion columns are labelled clearly. They represent the writer, not the newsroom.

Sources

We prefer evidence that can be checked: a named person speaking on the record, a published document, a recorded interview. Anonymous sources are used only when the public interest is strong, the information cannot be obtained another way, and an editor has approved it.

We do not invent quotations, figures, names, dates, places or official responses. If a document says “may”, we write “may”. If we have not received a comment, we say so rather than filling the gap.

How we use AI

AI tools may help inside the newsroom: transcribing, reading long documents, and proposing a first draft. That work is a starting point for editors, not a finished story. Source notes, evidence and editorial intelligence stay in the newsroom. They do not appear in the article.

AI never publishes. An editor must review, edit, fact-check and approve every story before it goes live. When a published article was drafted with AI assistance, we say so on the page: it was created using or in collaboration with AI; then reviewed, fact-checked and edited by a real human; and lastly approved and published by a senior editor.

Right of reply

People and institutions facing serious criticism are given a fair chance to comment before publication, where that is practical. We record when comment was sought and whether it was received. A refusal or a delay does not stop us publishing a story that is already supported by the evidence, but we say if we asked and did not hear back.

Accuracy and fairness

Before a story is published, an editor checks the facts that matter: sources, figures, names, dates, quotations, attribution, headlines, captions and image credits. Claims that could damage a reputation are reviewed with extra care. We do not sensationalise.

Headlines must be specific and fair. They should not oversell the story or flatten an allegation into a finding. Photographs and other images are credited, and captions must match what the picture actually shows.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we correct it promptly and say so on the story. A clarification is not a rewrite that hides the original error.

Contact

News tips, complaints and requests for correction: newsroom@thecoastal.co.za, or via our contact page.