How does Southampton Wire use AI and automation?
Southampton Wire employs AI-assisted tools only to support research, drafting, formatting, metadata generation and summarisation. Every piece of content is reviewed by a human editor before publication, and no automated system can approve or release material without editorial oversight.
Our digital newsroom, owned by Sliema Media Limited (C 84217), may use language models to help writers gather background information or suggest alternative phrasing. The tools also assist with technical tasks such as generating metadata for articles, formatting headlines and creating brief story summaries. All output remains under the direct control of named journalists, with final sign-off required from an editor. The editorial team, led by Editor-in-Chief William Ashby, ensures that any AI-generated material is checked for accuracy, context and alignment with our journalistic standards. We never rely on automation to produce entire articles or to replace human judgement.
What is the human guarantee behind every article?
Every article published by Southampton Wire is drafted by a named writer, reviewed by an editor and fact-checked before release. The human guarantee means that no content reaches our readers without a living, accountable professional taking responsibility for it.
This process is embedded in our workflow. Writers such as Lucy Palmer (Community & Crime Correspondent) and Oscar Brooks (Business & Property Correspondent) produce original reporting. Managing Editor Sarah Mills supervises day-to-day output, while Standards & Fact-Checking Lead Diane Forbes verifies claims and sources separately. The Editor-in-Chief, William Ashby, holds ultimate authority over all publication decisions and corrections. Even when digital tools help with research or editing, the human chain of authorship, review and verification remains intact. Our fact-checking policy is detailed here, and every correction follows the procedure set out in our editorial policy. Readers can always identify the person behind the story.
What are the absolute prohibitions for AI use?
AI must never fabricate quotes, sources, interviews or bylines. It cannot generate content that impersonates a real person, and it may not be used to produce material that bypasses human fact-checking, editorial review or legal scrutiny.
Southampton Wire explicitly prohibits using AI to invent statements attributed to individuals, organisations or documents. No AI tool may create a fake interview transcript, manufacture a source’s comment or assign a byline to a non-human entity. Automation is also banned from publishing directly to the site without a human editor’s explicit approval. If an AI-assisted summary misstates facts, the error must be corrected immediately under our corrections policy. These prohibitions apply to all staff and to any third-party services used by Sliema Media Limited. The ownership and funding structure of the publication, including display advertising and sponsored content, never influences editorial decisions, and AI tools must not be used to disguise commercial relationships. Any breach of these rules is treated as a serious editorial offence.
What you can expect from us
You can expect honest, transparent journalism where every article carries a named author and a clear editorial trail. Southampton Wire commits to using technology responsibly, without compromising the human oversight that makes local news trustworthy.
Our readers should feel confident that what they read has been produced by real people working to professional standards. We will always disclose when AI tools have played a supporting role, and we will never outsource editorial judgement to a machine. If you have questions about a specific story, our team – including Managing Editor Sarah Mills and Standards & Fact-Checking Lead Diane Forbes – is reachable through our contact page. We also publish a full accessibility statement covering how we make our content usable for everyone. Ultimately, our mission is to deliver clear, practical local news without spin, and that mission is guided by human minds, not algorithms.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions about our use of AI and automation, or if you believe an article has been affected by an error related to these tools, please get in touch. Contact the Editor-in-Chief William Ashby at william.ashby@southamptonwire.co.uk or call +44 20 4587 9486. You can also write to our editorial team at corrections@southamptonwire.co.uk or use the general enquiries address info@southamptonwire.co.uk. Formal complaints should follow our complaints procedure. We take every concern seriously and will respond promptly.