FAQs: Why and how your Doncaster Free Press team reports news the way it does

We know we’ve got fans and critics too – and more often than not, you’ll recognise the same old names and faces cropping up on our social media to have their say.

We’re not perfect, we make mistakes, but our team will always strive to bring you the news and sport in Doncaster.

Here, we’ve tried to answer some of your most frequently asked questions about our Doncaster coverage.

If there’s a question that isn’t answered here, email [email protected] and we’ll add it to this page.

Why don’t you allow freedom of speech on your page?

We do – but only to a point. We're more than happy to host lively debate but we’ll not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia or any other kind of offensive remarks against our reporters or other page users. Indulge in discussion with others by all means, but please be respectful when meeting people with opposing views. Our page is not for a free for all – and if you break the rules, there are consequences. If you see something offensive, report it to us, social media platforms or police if necessary.

Why do you lift stuff from social media?

We all use social media to find things out these days and newspapers are no different. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are where you get information from – and we do too. If you put something on social media, you are putting it in a public arena. So unless you have privacy settings, comments and photographs you’ve shared can be seen by the whole world and may be used in print – although we’ll always ask permisison to use your photos.

Why do you have such a downer on Doncaster?

We don’t – but this is an accusation levelled at us all the time. We report both the good and bad of Doncaster. News comes in all shapes and forms and we reflect that. We’ll bring you stories of tragedy, but also stories of triumph too. Doncaster isn’t perfect – it can always do better. And we simply can’t turn a blind eye to things that might not show the place in the best light – that’s how news works. But we’re immensely proud of Doncaster and we’re always happier to write positive stories than negative things like crime.

Why don’t you support local businesses?

This is another question fired at us too – and again, of course we support local businesses, reporting on new openings, successes and quirky stories about firms. At the same time, if a business is failing and there’s a public interest – ie, poor food hygiene, fraudulent behaviour, mismanagement, store closures, then our readers have a right to know that too. We’ll bring you news on the town’s firms in all shapes and forms.

Why do you only report the bad things about Doncaster and not the good stuff?

Believe us, it really doesn’t bring us any joy to report on crime and the spate of murders, stabbings, shooting and violence that have blighted Doncaster in the last 18 months. But again, if we didn’t tell you those things, you’d rightly demand to know why. If there’s a crime in your area, you’d want to know about it. And it’s our job to bring you that information. We appreciate some news can be terribly upsetting, but we’ll always try to report sensitive issues with compassion and understanding.

If you’ve got a good news story to share with us, then please get in touch – we’re always happy to hear your good news!

Why not wait until you’ve got all the facts before publishing a story?

Breaking news is purely what it suggests – news that’s just coming in. When we hear of an incident, we want to share news of that with our readers – so you know if a particular road has been closed off for an emergency incident and can avoid the area if needs be. Sometimes, it can take several hours or even days for the relevant authority to tell us exactly what’s happened. We’d rather tell you a few basic details of the incident so you’re aware, then flesh it out as further information becomes availlable.

Why do you always get everything wrong in stories?

In breaking news situations, lots of misinformation can fly around via social media – our job is to go through that information and check it out. There are times when the authorities get it wrong with what they tell us too – we report things in good faith from the police and other sources. We obviously don’t want to make mistakes or give inaccurate information, but it is a hazard of the job, especially in rapidly developing situations. We always check out social media rumours though so you get the right information.

Why do you make so many typos?

Again, it is a hazard of the job. When we’re bringing you the news in a hurry, these things can happen. Again, we try not to make them, but please, when there’s a serious incident, perhaps the focus should be on that, not that we’ve got a spelling mistake!

Why are you so politically biased?

We’re not. We report the ups and downs of all political parties and the views of people of all political persuasions, whether right, left or centre. We’ve been called pro-Conservative, pro-Labour, anti-Conservative and anti-Labour in the past, which shows that we must be doing something right!

Slow news day?

We know there’s a lot of doom and gloom around, so we always try and bring you a wide range of stories each day, some serious, some not so serious. “Slow news day?” is a comment often levelled at us when we bring you a quirky stories, or something a little bit saucy perhaps. We appreciate not everything is to everyone’s tastes, so if it doesn’t interest you, simply scroll past and find something that does. It’s that simple!

Is this really news?

What is news to one person isn’t to another – and it would be boring if we all liked the same thing. So while a survey on Doncaster’s sex habits might not be of interest to you, it might well be to others – and our web figures always suggest such stories are popular. So let’s all just try and enjoy the varied forms of content we produce, shall we?

Why didn’t you report this?

We have very limited resources – and it is simply impossible to report everything we’d like to. We receive hundreds of emails, messages, story tip offs and phone calls each day about many, many subjects. We have a handful of reporters and we cover as many things as possible – but we’re not super human to be able to cover every single story. Also, we can only report what we know. We’re not routinely made aware of police incidents, fires, road accidents etc – so if you see something, feel free to tell us!

Why won’t you cover my story?

Again, we don’t have the resources to cover absolutely everything. Which is why sometimes we’ll ask you to provide photographs or details of an event. On occasion, we’re legally prevented from reporting what you might have to tell us – for instance court cases involving child custody, court cases we weren’t present at or allegations against people or businesses that can’t be backed up with proof. If you approach us with a story, we’ll always endeavour to get the other side of it too – so don’t be surprised if we ask you to give us details we can verify with the police or other organisations.

Why haven’t you replied to my email or Facebook message?

We receive hundreds each day – and it is simply impossible to reply to each one individually. We’ll get back to you if we can and we want to follow up your enquiry.

Why are there so many adverts on your website?

Adverts are the lifeblood of the local media – we need them to help keeping bringing you quality local journalism. They are an important revenue stream and virtually every news outlet going carries advertisements – so we’re no different.

Why can’t you take your own photos?

We’d love to, but our reporters don’t work 24/7 and we can’t be everywhere at the same time. If there’s a breaking news incident, we may ask you to submit photos. Don’t forget, if you’re at the scene of an incident, it could be a while before a reporter can get there – by which time the incident may have ended. So we appreciate it when you can help us out!

Why do you call it a city? Doncaster is a town!

A fresh one – and one that is taking us some getting used to as well! We know lots of people call Doncaster a town and always will – but the fact of the matter is we are now a city and so we’ll refer to it as such. We know it might seem odd and you’ve probably only started noticing it now it crops up frequently in stories – but we always used to use the term ‘town’ – you probably just didn’t notice before.

Why do you call it a town? Doncaster is a city!

The flip side is we’ve been calling Doncaster a town all our lives – just like you have. So it takes some getting used to. If you see us use the term ‘town’ rather than city in a story, it is because we’re trying to unprogramme more than 90 years of calling it as such. So bear with us!

Why can you print my name if I appear in court?

We’ve got a whole section devoted to how and why we cover courts HERE – and you’ll find all you need to know about why we can print your name, plus everything else about courts in that article.

Why have I been banned from your Facebook page?

We use banning as a last resort. More often than not, our biggest critics are the ones who moan most loudly when banned. But by and large, you’ll be shown the door for offensive remarks against our staff or other users as well as racism, homophobia and transphobia. Just because you can’t use our Facebook page doesn’t mean you can’t access our website though, which you can find HERE

This is fake news!

In an era when social media can help lies and half-truths spread at an alarming rate, you need to know who you can trust when it comes to fair, accurate and balanced reporting and journalism.

Your Doncaster Free Press has long been a trusted and reliable source of local news, views and information and we pride ourselves on our approach to bringing you what's going on in the region each day.

Our team of experienced reporters are trained up with all the relevant qualifications and act with integrity, compassion and accuracy when it comes to writing a story. Content is produced by journalists trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists to the highest industry benchmarks. These reporters are qualified in a range of skills - from newspaper law and ethics to shorthand, to ensure we get every quote right.

If we see something on social media, we'll check it out - fact-checking and getting different sides of the story are essential when it comes to publishing our articles.

We abide by the rules and regulations set out by IPSO - the Independent Press Standards Association. The code covers many aspects of journalism - from accuracy to privacy, harassment and discrimination.

Newspapers and their websites are subject to some of the most robust regulation in the world. They and all their editorial staffs are bound by the Editors' Code of Practice, which sets out clear standards.

If we get something wrong, we'll correct it. We do make mistakes from time to time, but we'll always endeavour to put right any errors at the earliest opportunity.

We're the best place to go to for authoritative, balanced coverage. Our reporters know what's happening in the town - and we'll bring you the stories that matter first.

Knowledge is key - whether its Hexthorpe or Hyde Park, Scawsby or Sprotbrough, Armthorpe or Askern, our reporters know Doncaster inside out. We live, work and play in our

When news is breaking and coming in, readers turn to us to bring them the details and facts. We bring you updates and strive to find out exactly what's happening as quickly as we can - and if you tell us something, we'll check it out.

We aim to bring you stories in the public interest - the crimes, the courts, the wrongdoing by organisations and authorities that needs to be put under scrutiny.

We'll fight battles. We've always been a campaigning newspaper and we'll fight battles on your behalf. Whether it is a community initiative or town wide drive, we'll be involved right from the off to try and make a difference.

So stick with The Doncaster Free Press - with pride, we provide trusted news and honest advertisement platforms and thanks to the tireless diligence of our editorial staff you can be confident that our stories are always exactly what they purport to be: the genuine article. Fact - not fake.