Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy

1. Policy Statement

A News Time is committed to promoting equality, valuing diversity, and fostering inclusion in every aspect of our work — from our editorial content and audience engagement to our internal culture and employment practices. We believe that diverse perspectives strengthen our journalism, build trust with our readers, and create better outcomes for everyone involved in our organisation.

This policy reflects our dedication to creating an environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, and where discrimination, harassment, and victimisation are not tolerated. We are committed to going beyond legal compliance to build a truly inclusive organisation.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, freelance contributors, editorial partners, and anyone acting on behalf of A News Time. It covers all aspects of our operations including:

• Recruitment, selection, and onboarding
• Terms and conditions of employment, including pay
• Training, development, and career progression
• Editorial decisions, source selection, and content creation
• Interactions with readers, advertisers, and the public
• Termination of employment and post-employment matters

3. Protected Characteristics

We are committed to ensuring no individual is treated less favourably or subjected to discrimination on the basis of:

• Age
• Disability (including physical, sensory, mental health, and neurodivergent conditions)
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)
• Religion or belief (including lack of belief)
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Socioeconomic background
• Caste

We recognise that discrimination can be direct or indirect, and that it can also take the form of harassment, victimisation, or failure to make reasonable adjustments.

4. Our Commitments

4.1 In Our Workplace

• Recruit based on merit while actively working to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds
• Ensure fair and equitable compensation regardless of protected characteristics
• Provide equal access to training, development, and career advancement opportunities
• Make reasonable adjustments for employees and contributors with disabilities
• Support flexible working arrangements where possible to accommodate diverse needs
• Maintain a culture where everyone feels safe to bring their whole self to work

4.2 In Our Editorial Content

• Ensure our coverage reflects the diversity of the communities we serve
• Seek sources and expert voices from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives
• Avoid stereotyping, generalisation, and language that could marginalise or exclude
• Cover stories that affect underrepresented and marginalised groups with the depth and seriousness they deserve
• Use inclusive language in all published content, following our editorial style guide
• Regularly review our content output for representation gaps and actively work to address them

4.3 In Our Digital Products

• Design and build our website to be accessible to users of all abilities, in line with WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards
• Ensure our content is accessible to users of assistive technologies
• Test our user experience with diverse user groups

5. Responsibilities

Leadership team: Responsible for setting the tone, championing EDI objectives, and ensuring adequate resources are allocated to deliver on this policy.

Editors and content leads: Responsible for ensuring editorial decisions reflect our EDI commitments, monitoring content for representation, and fostering inclusive practices in their teams.

All team members: Expected to treat colleagues, contributors, and readers with respect and dignity, to challenge discriminatory behaviour when they witness it, and to engage with EDI training and initiatives.

6. Monitoring and Review

We regularly monitor the effectiveness of this policy by reviewing workforce diversity data (where voluntarily provided), analysing editorial content for representation, and gathering feedback from our team and readers. This policy is reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect evolving best practice, legal requirements, and organisational learning.

7. Reporting Concerns

If you experience or witness any form of discrimination, harassment, bullying, or behaviour inconsistent with this policy, we encourage you to report it. You can do so by contacting help@anewstime.com. All reports will be taken seriously, investigated promptly, and handled with the utmost confidence. We will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith.

Where a complaint is upheld, we will take appropriate disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment or contract depending on the severity of the breach.