We believe positive journalism should respect people’s privacy. This notice explains our handling of personal information under the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, as amended.
1. Who we are
The Shropshire Scoop is the controller of personal information handled through this website and by our editorial team. Contact us at newsdesk@shropshirescoop.co.uk.
2. Information we collect
Information you give us
- stories, photographs, captions and other submitted material;
- your name and email address when you choose to provide them;
- emails, correction requests, complaints and correspondence;
Information collected automatically
Our servers may record IP address, browser and device information, requested pages, dates and times, referring pages and security events. Google Analytics may collect information about visits and interactions using cookies or similar technology.
Journalistic information
For reporting, we may receive personal information from contributors, witnesses, public records, organisations, public websites and other journalistic sources.
3. Why we use information and our lawful bases
Providing your name and email with a public submission is optional. Without them, we can still review the story but may be unable to ask questions or verify details with you.
6. How long we keep information
- Published articles and editorial records: generally retained as part of the permanent news archive, subject to legal, ethical and editorial review.
- Unpublished submissions: normally reviewed for deletion after 12 months unless needed for a continuing story, complaint or legal reason.
- Contributor contact details: normally retained for up to 24 months after the last editorial contact, or with the archive where needed to maintain provenance.
- Technical and security logs: normally retained for up to 90 days unless needed to investigate abuse or an incident.
We may retain information longer where law, litigation, public-interest journalism or the defence of legal rights reasonably requires it.
7. Security
We use access controls, password hashing, restricted administration areas, upload validation and proportionate organisational and technical measures. No online system can be guaranteed completely secure, so avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information through the public form.
8. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights to be informed; request access to or correction of information; request erasure or restriction; object to processing based on legitimate interests; receive certain information in a portable form; and withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
You may object at any time to processing based on our legitimate interests. Tell us about your circumstances so we can assess the request.
Journalism has particular protection under the Data Protection Act 2018. Some rights and obligations may be restricted where we use information for journalism, publication is reasonably believed to be in the public interest, and complying would be incompatible with that purpose. We consider this case by case; it is not a blanket exemption.
Send requests to newsdesk@shropshirescoop.co.uk. We may ask for enough information to confirm identity and locate records.
9. Complaints
Please contact us first so we can try to resolve your concern. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, by telephone on 0303 123 1113, or by writing to Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
10. Children
The website is for a general audience and is not designed to collect information directly from children under 13. A parent or guardian should submit material on a young child’s behalf. We take additional care when deciding whether and how to identify children in journalism.
11. Changes and contact
We review this policy as services and the law develop. Material changes will be published here with a new update date. Questions can be sent to privacy@shropshirescoop.co.uk.