Privacy Policy

Overview

The Solihull Journal (“we”, “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over your information. It applies to visitors and readers of solihulljournal.com.

We are a data controller for the purposes of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

What data we collect

• Newsletter sign-ups: your email address when you subscribe to our newsletter.
• Contact and story submissions: the name, email, phone number (if provided), subject and message you send us through our Contact and Submit a Story forms, plus any photographs you choose to attach.
• Account data: if you are given a journalist or admin account, the email and profile information needed to manage access.
• Cookies and analytics: basic, anonymised analytics about how the site is used (pages visited, device type, approximate region). We do not use cookies to build a personal profile of you for advertising.

How we use your data

We use the information you give us for the following purposes:

• To send you the newsletter you signed up to (you can unsubscribe at any time).
• To read, follow up on and act on your contact enquiries, story tips and corrections.
• To verify and protect access to admin and journalist accounts.
• To understand, in aggregate, how the site is used so we can improve it.

We rely on your consent for newsletter sign-ups and on our legitimate interests as a publisher for handling enquiries and running the site. You can withdraw consent for the newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email.

How long we keep your data

• Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe, or up to 2 years after your last interaction if you stop engaging.
• Contact enquiries and story submissions: up to 12 months after we have finished acting on them, unless needed for a longer-term investigation or legal record.
• Account data: for as long as the account is active, and deleted shortly after an account is removed.
• Analytics: stored in aggregate and not linked to you as an individual.

Who we share it with

We do not sell your personal data. We use a small number of trusted third-party providers to operate the site, who process data on our behalf as data processors:

• An email service provider to send the newsletter and newsroom correspondence.
• A hosting and database provider to store contact and submission records securely.
• An analytics provider for aggregated, anonymised usage data.

We will only disclose your data where required to do so by law, for example in response to a properly framed legal request.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, to have it corrected if it is inaccurate, and to request that we delete it. You also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent for the newsletter at any time.

To request access to, correction of, or deletion of your data, contact us through our contact form or email newsdesk@solihulljournal.com. We will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Cookies

We use a minimal set of cookies for site functionality and aggregated analytics. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings.