Our standards

We try to:

use the most precise locality, neighbourhood, ward, riverbank, coast and venue name available;
distinguish Sunderland city centre from Washington, Houghton-le-Spring, Hetton-le-Hole, Shiney Row, Penshaw and the wider council area;
distinguish Sunderland from Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside, County Durham and the wider North East;
identify the exact geography of the River Wear, Sunderland port, Stadium of Light, Nissan Sunderland Plant and University of Sunderland campuses;
distinguish ordinary-day travel from matchday, beach-day and major-event conditions;
check live information against official or first-party sources;
identify opinion, sponsored content, affiliate content and advertising clearly;
avoid unsupported rankings, stereotypes and claims about communities;
use first-hand experience only where it genuinely happened;
correct material errors promptly;
treat businesses, residents and contributors fairly.

We do not turn Wearside or Tyne and Wear into Sunderland-only facts. We do not describe Washington, South Tyneside or County Durham venues as Sunderland venues by default. We do not flatten Roker, Seaburn, Pallion, Millfield, Ashbrooke, Hendon, Southwick, Castletown and the other neighbourhoods into one generic local area.

Commercial independence

Payment, free entry, hospitality, affiliate commission or a commercial relationship must not guarantee a positive editorial outcome. Sponsored or commissioned content will be labelled. Advertisers do not receive control over independent editorial decisions, subject to factual review of claims about their own business.

Time-sensitive information

Event dates, prices, opening hours, Metro and rail services, roadworks, bridge access, matchday travel, beach-day arrangements, port operations, hospital services, football fixtures, venue arrangements and Riverside Sunderland projects may change. We include an update date where useful and encourage readers to confirm important details directly.

Corrections

Send corrections to [email protected] with the page URL and evidence. See our Corrections Policy.

Contact details

Email: [email protected]
Address: Sunderland Empire Theatre, High Street West, Sunderland, SR1 3EX