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About Us

Letter from the Editor

WalesOnline has been around since 2008, but its journalistic pedigree dates back more than a century through the pages of our sister print titles, the Western Mail and the South Wales Echo.

We’ve also taken the view that WalesOnline is not just our brand name, but our mission statement. If it’s important to the people of Wales, it’s important to us. We work tirelessly to inform, educate, challenge, entertain, amuse and excite our readers, whether it’s scrutinising the work of our politicians, delivering fast and accurate coverage of the latest breaking news, bringing them all the action and analysis from the world of Welsh sport, helping them make sense of a rapidly changing world, or just giving them a hand with ideas to entertain the kids on the weekend.

We’re unashamedly proud to be Welsh, which means celebrating the best things about our country, but also asking the difficult questions about how Wales and its institutions can do better. We’re unflinching in our coverage of social issues like homelessness, deprivation and substance abuse, and relentlessly examine the use of public money and the quality of our public services. We give a platform to vibrant and diverse opinion, and raise money for brilliant causes that benefit our society.

We’ve established ourselves undoubtedly as Wales’ premier outlet for breaking news, from major road congestion to serious police incidents, and provide detailed coverage of courts and the justice system across Wales.

Sport is in our DNA, with live match coverage, hard-hitting opinion and rigorous analysis of Welsh rugby and football. We’ve also become the go-to what’s on destination for Wales, sharing our expertise with our readers and eating, drinking, shopping, the arts and family days out.

Our digital publishing isn’t confined to WalesOnline, but extends onto our range of social media platforms, where we are followed by more than half a million people. What we do is all about putting our audience first - giving them the information they need, at the time, place and manner that works best for them.

We are delighted to be a launch partner of The Trust Project as we endeavour to make it simpler for readers of all ages and from all around the world to discover more about who we are and what we believe in.

How our journalists work

Ethics policy

The maintenance of high editorial standards is at the core of WalesOnline's business philosophy.

Reach plc, WalesOnline's parent company, is a member of and is regulated by IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

Our journalists work according to The Editors’ Code of Practice, which sets the benchmark for ethical standards in journalism and is enforced by IPSO. On joining WalesOnline all editorial staff complete a training course in the Code and legal refresher training.

At WalesOnline, we recognise that protecting the rights of the individual consistently comes into conflict with the public’s right to know. This means we have to make difficult judgements, sometimes quickly, which are impossible to get right all of the time. Regular bulletins and seminars give staff the best opportunity to learn from mistakes, whether our own or those of other parts of the media industry.

We are a launch partner of The Trust Project, an international initiative to make it easier for readers to find out more about the organisations and the people providing them with news, and to support quality journalism.

Verification and fact checking

We expect our staff to use their best endeavours to verify the stories being put forward for publication.

Unnamed sources

Journalists have an obligation under IPSO’s Editors’ Code of Practice to protect their sources, but we also have a duty to establish that the sources we use are reliable and that material has been appropriately obtained. Story provenance is ultimately the responsibility of the Editor.

When using unnamed sources, the company relies on the integrity, experience and professionalism of its staff.

Corrections Policy

If you believe a story we have published is inaccurate, please contact the editorial team. You can:

Once verified, we will correct the story on the website as soon as possible. Where appropriate, the fact a correction has been made will be noted on the story and/or on the corrections and clarifications page.

If you have an issue about how WalesOnline or any of our print titles has written about you personally or has treated you and wish to make a formal complaint over a potential breach of the Editor's Code of Practice, please see Reach plc's Complaints Policy and Procedure.

You can also contact IPSO for advice.

Tell us what you think

There are many ways for you to get in touch with us to have your say.

Our People

WalesOnline editor: Steffan Rhys

Western Mail editor: Catrin Pascoe

South Wales Echo editor: Tryst Williams

South Wales Evening Post editor: Jonathan Roberts

Our Business

WalesOnline, the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, South Wales Evening Post and Wales on Sunday are published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales, part of Reach plc. Reach plc is Britain’s largest newspaper, magazine and digital publisher, with a print and online portfolio reaching 38.6m people every month. The award-winning Reach plc publications stretch across England, Scotland and Wales, with more than 150 newspaper titles and more than 80 websites. These iconic brands sit at the heart of their communities, forming part of the fabric of everyday life for thousands of people across the UK. Find out which of our regional titles is nearest you, whether online or in print.

Reach plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is part of the FTSE SmallCap Index.

WalesOnline does not have a paywall and is available free to readers both on the web and as an app. As such, you are kindly asked to whitelist WalesOnline if you are running an ad-blocker.

The Western Mail, South Wales Echo, South Wales Evening Post are on sale Monday to Saturday, with sister titles Wales on Sunday, the Carmarthen Journal, the Llanelli Star, the Glamorgan Gazette, Merthyr Express, Pontypridd Observer, Cynon Valley Leader, Rhymney Valley Express, Rhondda Leader and Gwent Gazette appearing weekly.

In addition to newspaper sale price, our titles are funded by advertising, partnerships, sponsorships and affiliate commission, which are regulated by the ASA. We occasionally apply for grants.

Registered office: One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AP

Diversity Policy

The Company is committed to increasing the service quality, profitability and efficiency of the Company by attracting and recruiting the people who are best suited to meet the standards for the role and the Company without regard to race, creed, colour, nationality (subject to legal eligibility), ethnic origin, religion, gender, age, sex change, sexual orientation, marital status, connections with a national minority, membership or non-membership of a trade union or, unless justifiable, disability.

We pursue a policy of equal opportunities for all employees and potential employees.

Equal Opportunities

Reach plc continued its commitment to equality of opportunity in all its employment practices to ensure we attract and retain the best people. In 2016, both the number of women within the Group and the number of women occupying senior managerial roles increased to 42% of staff (2015: 37%) and 31% (2015: 24%) respectively. Senior managers have responsibility for key businesses or functions within the Group.