In short.
- We publish independent B2B trade-press journalism. Editorial decisions are made by editors, not by sponsors or advertisers.
- Every numeric claim, quote and partnership announcement on our Sites is attributed to a named source, a public document or — rarely — an anonymous source we are confident in.
- When we make a mistake we correct it openly: a footnote on the article, the date of the correction and what changed.
- We will hear and respond to a complaint about anything we publish.
- This policy sits alongside the AI Use Policy and the Sponsored Content & Advertising Disclosure.
1. Why this policy exists
Disrupts Media publishes four titles — The Biotech Times, The Fintech Times, The Datatech Times and Disrupts — read by working professionals in biotech, fintech, datatech and the wider disruptive-tech ecosystem. Our readers depend on us for accurate, sceptical reporting. This policy is the public statement of the editorial standards every piece on our Sites is held to, and the route a reader, source or subject of coverage can use to put something right.
In this policy "we", "us" and "our" mean Disrupts Media Limited, the publisher of the Sites.
2. Editorial independence
- Editorial decisions are made by editors. Commercial partners — sponsors, advertisers, event partners — do not see articles before publication, do not have approval rights over copy, and cannot prevent coverage of themselves or their sector.
- Coverage of our commercial partners is not preferential. A partner is reported on by the same standards as any other organisation. Where a relationship is material to a story, we disclose it in the body of the piece.
- Editorial and commercial teams operate separately. Commercial teams sell advertising, sponsorship and events; editorial teams decide what to publish. Where the founder of Disrupts Media participates in both worlds, that dual role is disclosed in the relevant piece.
3. Sourcing and attribution
Every numeric claim, quote, partnership announcement and forward-looking statement on the Sites gets a source. We use three forms:
- Named source on the record — preferred. "Bank of England chief economist Huw Pill said …".
- Document with a public URL — equally preferred for numbers. "The company's Q3 filing shows revenue of …".
- Anonymous source with editor sign-off — used rarely, only where an editor agrees the public-interest justification, with an on-page statement of the reason ("the source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the deal publicly").
Press releases distributed by a company or its PR are sources for what that organisation claims, not for what is true. Phrasing in our copy reflects that distinction.
We do not allow anonymous sources to make personal attacks on named individuals through our Sites.
4. Verification
Before publication, the editor reviewing a piece checks:
- every named person's name spelling and role;
- every numeric claim against its source;
- every quotation against the underlying recording, transcript or document; and
- the standing of any anonymous source against the editor's own knowledge of the situation.
Pieces drafted with the support of our AI editorial assistant are reviewed the same way, with additional scrutiny for the failure modes AI-drafted copy is known to produce (invented facts, hallucinated quotes, wrong dates). The AI Use Policy sets out the boundaries on AI use and the disclosures that accompany it.
5. Conflicts of interest
We disclose conflicts that could reasonably affect a reader's reading of a piece.
- Personal interests. Editors and writers do not write about organisations in which they hold equity or a board position, unless the relationship is disclosed in the byline area.
- Commercial relationships. Where a piece refers to a Disrupts Media event, sponsor or commercial partner, the relationship is disclosed in the body.
- Family and close associates. Where a writer has a close personal connection to a subject of coverage that could reasonably be seen as a conflict, the editor reassigns the piece or discloses the connection.
If a reader believes we have failed to disclose a conflict, please write to corrections@disruptsmedia.com.
6. Sponsored content
Sponsored content is content paid for by a third party. It is clearly identified as sponsored in the byline area, on listing-page article cards, in the RSS feed and in our newsletters. Sponsored content is held to our underlying standards for accuracy and decency, but the editorial position taken in a sponsored piece is that of the sponsor, not Disrupts Media. The full rules are set out in the Sponsored Content & Advertising Disclosure.
7. Corrections
We correct errors promptly and openly.
What we will do when we get something wrong.
- A correction note is appended to the foot of the amended article, stating the date of the correction and what changed. For example: "Correction, 14 May 2026: An earlier version of this article stated that the company is based in Boston; it is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The correction was made on 14 May 2026."
- Substantive corrections to a published headline or standfirst are recorded the same way.
- Where a correction materially changes the meaning of a piece, we will also publish a stand-alone correction note in the publication's corrections feed.
- Silent edits are made only for typographical errors and small house-style fixes that do not change meaning.
How to ask us to correct something. Write to corrections@disruptsmedia.com, telling us:
- the URL of the article;
- exactly what you say is wrong; and
- where possible, the source for what you believe to be correct.
We acknowledge correction requests within five working days and resolve them as quickly as the facts allow. If the request is complex, we will tell you what we are doing and how long we expect it to take.
8. Complaints
If you believe a piece on our Sites breaches our editorial standards — for example, that it is inaccurate, unfair, intrusive of privacy, discriminatory, or otherwise falls short — you can complain.
How to complain.
- Write to corrections@disruptsmedia.com, copying hello@disruptsmedia.com. Use "Editorial complaint — [publication]" in the subject line.
- Set out the URL of the piece, your complaint, the standard you believe has been breached, and the outcome you are looking for.
What happens next.
- We acknowledge complaints within five working days.
- A senior editor not directly responsible for the piece reviews the complaint.
- We respond with our decision and, where the complaint is upheld in whole or in part, the action we are taking. Possible outcomes include correction, clarification, removal, right of reply, apology or no action with reasons.
- We respond as quickly as the facts allow and, in most cases, within 28 days.
External routes.
If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you may have grounds for further complaint. We are not currently a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) but we aim to operate to its Editors' Code of Practice. Where you have rights under specific laws — for example, defamation, data protection or contempt of court — those rights are not affected by this policy.
For data-protection complaints specifically, the route to the Information Commissioner's Office is set out in our Privacy Policy.
9. Right of reply
Where we publish a piece that makes specific factual criticisms of a named organisation or individual, we offer that organisation or individual a reasonable opportunity to respond before publication where the facts allow.
Where pre-publication contact was not possible, we will consider a request for a published response after the fact, on the same terms as a correction request.
10. Removal of content
We do not, as a general rule, "unpublish" articles. Removing a piece breaks links, alters the historical record and undermines reader trust.
We will remove or substantially edit a piece where:
- it is found to be materially inaccurate and a correction is not adequate;
- it contains personal data that we are required to remove under the UK GDPR;
- it infringes a third party's legal rights (e.g. copyright — see the Copyright & Takedown Policy);
- continued publication creates a safety risk to a named individual; or
- a court orders us to.
In other cases the answer to "please take this down" is normally to add a correction or right-of-reply note, not to delete the piece.
11. Anonymous sources, off-the-record material, leaks
We protect the identity of sources who speak to us on condition of anonymity, and of sources whose information we publish on a not-for-attribution basis. We do not reveal a source's identity to a third party — sponsor, regulator, court — unless we are compelled by a court order we cannot reasonably appeal.
We do not publish material that has reached us through unlawful means unless the public interest justifies it, and even then only after editor sign-off.
12. Children, sensitive subjects, distressing material
- We do not name children involved in stories without informed consent from a parent or guardian and a public-interest test.
- We treat coverage of mental health, suicide, addiction and bereavement with care. Where appropriate, we link to relevant support services.
- We do not publish gratuitously distressing material. Editorial decisions on graphic or distressing content take account of reader expectations on a B2B trade-press site.
13. Plagiarism and attribution to other outlets
Where our reporting builds on another outlet's work, we credit them and link to the original. Wholesale rewriting of another outlet's piece without attribution is not acceptable journalism and is not permitted on our Sites. Quotation, fair-dealing reuse, and properly attributed follow-up reporting are.
14. Use of social media by our journalists
Our journalists are bound by these standards on social media as well as on the Sites. They identify themselves clearly, disclose material conflicts, and do not use social-media platforms to circumvent corrections or right-of-reply obligations they would owe in our own publications.
15. Contact us
Editorial complaints and corrections: corrections@disruptsmedia.com General editorial: hello@disruptsmedia.com Post: Editor, Disrupts Media Limited, 41 Luke Street, London EC2A 4DP, United Kingdom
16. About Disrupts Media
Disrupts Media Limited Registered in England & Wales — Company No. 09447878 Registered office: 41 Luke Street, London EC2A 4DP, United Kingdom
17. Document history
| Date | Version | Change | |---|---|---| | 2026-05-14 | 1.0 | Initial policy. Public-facing editorial code. Covers independence, sourcing, verification, conflicts of interest, sponsored content (cross-reference), corrections procedure, complaints procedure with 5-working-day acknowledgement and 28-day default response, right of reply, removal-of-content position, source protection, sensitive-subject conventions and plagiarism / attribution. Aligned with the IPSO Editors' Code of Practice; cross-references the AI Use Policy and Sponsored Content & Advertising Disclosure. |