Sky News policies and standards

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Mission statement

The Sky News mission statement was updated in 2018, and is proudly displayed at the entrance to our newsroom.

We aim to be the best and most trusted place for news. Made by people who dare to challenge. Made for people who want clarity in an uncertain world. We take you to the heart of the stories that shape our world.

These are our core values:

:: We are bold
:: We are rebellious
:: We have a competitive spirit that drives us to be first and best
:: We earn trust by behaving with integrity
:: We are pioneers and innovators
:: We celebrate success together
:: We put people at the centre of everything

We report on a broad range of stories in the UK and around the world, putting people at the centre of our storytelling.

We take politics and business news seriously, with separate studios in Westminster and the City of London.

Our correspondents are stationed in the United States, Russia and China - as well as Dublin, Brussels, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Delhi, Johannesburg and Bangkok to provide local knowledge and understanding of global stories.

Ethics policy

We believe that our reputation as a news organisation is our most valuable asset, so it is vital that our journalism is always of the highest quality.

Whether watching on television and catch up services, listening to radio bulletins or podcasts, or reading our apps and web services, anyone consuming Sky News should have confidence that their news is from a credible and reliable source.

Journalism in the UK has never been under greater scrutiny, and that's why every journalist working for Sky News must understand the legal and regulatory framework in which we operate and our own in-house guidelines and practices.

We know that social media plays an increasingly important role in our daily working lives and it is important that we apply the same standards to all of our content on whichever platform we share it.

To support these principles we have published clear editorial guidelines here.

We also expect our journalists to adhere to the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

Diversity

Sky News is committed to authentically representing every one of the millions of users that consume our content every day, whatever their colour or creed. We do this by featuring a range of interviewees and first person opinion writers.

We also keep a record of the gender and diversity of contributors. In 2023 so far, we have averaged 1,011 interviewees per month on TV. Of them an average of 40% are women, 60% men. It includes an average of 18% from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Our ambition is to be the industry leader for inclusion both on screen and behind the scenes.

We work closely with independent production companies and a number of external organisations, such as the Journalism Diversity Fund and the Creative Diversity Network, to diversify the talent pipeline into Sky.

Diversity staffing report

It's our people that make Sky News so successful, and that's why we work hard to be an inclusive employer.

We know that embracing different perspectives and celebrating diversity makes Sky a great place to work. It means we foster innovation and make better decisions as a business.

Sky News is dedicated to equal opportunities and we welcome applicants regardless of ethnicity, gender, race, colour, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age.

Diversity staffing report (as of August 2024)

Gender:
Female 46.5%
Male 53%
Not reported 0.5%

Ethnicity:
White 71%
Ethnic Minority 14%
Prefer not to say / unknown 15%

Sky's latest Gender Pay Gap Report, recorded a gender pay gap of 11.4% mean. As with many big organisations Sky have more men than women in senior and high paying roles and this is what is driving the gap.

We know that when we achieve gender parity across these areas our gender pay gap will be eliminated.

Corrections policy

We expect our journalists to be accurate at all times, but they are only human, and sometimes mistakes are made. That is why we have an established process for dealing with factual errors quickly and appropriately.

Anyone watching Sky can get in touch to complain about a programme by emailing viewerR@sky.uk

Alternatively you can contact Sky News here.

We actively monitor the Sky News inbox at all times. If someone does contact us to query or challenge a fact we have broadcast or published, we will take detailed notes of where and when it happened.

Rather than engaging in a discussion we will make a note of their name, number and the time of the call, and refer it to the Output Editor and/or the Managing Editor. If it relates to a legal issue we ensure our dedicated legal adviser is aware.

They will then investigate what action is required to rectify the error on whichever platform it is published.

Ownership and funding

Sky News is an editorially independent part of Sky UK. Sky UK's parent company Comcast NBCUniversal has guaranteed current funding levels for Sky News until at least 2028.

Leadership team

:: David Rhodes, Executive Chairman, Sky News Group

:: Jonathan Levy, Managing Director and Executive Editor

:: Andy Thomson, Executive Director of Business Operations

:: Sarah Whitehead, Director of Newsgathering & Operations

:: Nick Sutton, Director of Platforms

:: Louise Hastings, Managing Editor

:: Ronan Hughes, Head of TV Output

:: Dave Terris, Head of Radio

:: Ben Fisher, Head of Studio Output

:: Jess Tully, Head of Home News

:: Tim Singleton, Head of International News

:: Dan Williams, Head of Politics

:: David Mapstone, Head of Specialist Journalism

:: George Davies, Head of Operations

:: Matt McKenzie, Head Counsel

The Sky News Board

The Sky News Board is designed to protect the editorial independence of Sky News and to ensure that our ways of working and positive record with regard to editorial standards are maintained. If significant mistakes occur then we will investigate them internally and periodically share our findings with the Sky News Board. They will then consider what further, if any, steps are required. They also have an audit function with regard to continuing investment in Sky News.

The members of the Sky News Board are:

:: Nigel Baker, Chairman. A journalist with more than 40 years' experience, Nigel was formerly CEO of Thomson Foundation, vice president of business operations for the Associated Press and held senior roles at ITN and Reuters in the 1980s/90s.

:: Sue Inglish, chairs the Disasters Emergency Committee and was formerly head of BBC political programmes and deputy editor of Channel Four News.

:: Chris Banatvala is an independent media consultant specialising in regulation and policy. He was formerly Ofcom's founding Director of Standards and a Channel Four News journalist in the 1990s.

:: Mark Astaire was formerly Chairman of Corporate Broking and Vice Chairman of Banking for Europe, the Middle East & Africa at Barclays plc. He also serves as a trustee of the charity Breast Cancer Care. Mr Astaire was a former ITV journalist in the 1980s.

More details about the Sky News Board can be found here.

The terms of reference for the Board can be found here and the Deed Poll establishing it can be found here.

Founding date

Sky News began broadcasting at 6pm on 5 February 1989.

Verification standards

Our journalists find, verify and develop news stories - and we expect them to be accurate. To achieve this they should always seek to corroborate claims and cross-check facts.

Sky News' principle is that all facts should be reliably sourced. We also report from reputable news wires that adhere to similar principles of verification.

Unnamed sources

Sky News considers requests for anonymity very carefully. We always encourage sources to speak on the record and when possible, on camera.

But we may withhold the name of a source if there is a risk that they could be put in either legal or physical danger upon publication. When that is the case we should always seek to explain to our users why they are unnamed, and set out why they are a credible source.

We also speak to unnamed sources to gain background or context to stories.

Editors must give consideration to the form of anonymity; which could include withholding the individual's name, disguising their voice or blurring imagery and videos.

Care should also be taken to avoid the publication of several pieces of information which could lead to jigsaw identification of the individual.

Albert certification

In October 2021, Sky News was certified as a sustainable production by Albert, the leading environmental organisation aimed at encouraging the TV and film industry to reduce its carbon footprint. The Sky Zero campaign aims to make all of Sky net zero by 2030.