Our Standard: Would a Local Know the Difference?
Every article published on MELBZ must pass one test: could only someone who actually knows this suburb have written it? If the answer is no, it does not publish. Generic content damages trust and wastes your time. We would rather publish nothing than publish something that reads the same as every other Melbourne guide.
How We Research
Our editorial process relies on direct, verifiable local knowledge:
On-the-ground reporting. Writers physically visit the suburbs and venues they write about. Restaurant reviews come from dining in. Transport guides come from taking the routes. Walking guides come from walking them. There are no desk-only articles on MELBZ.
Public data sources. When we cite rental prices, we reference current listings aggregated from major platforms and cross-checked against DHHS and ABS published figures. Crime data comes from the Crime Statistics Agency Victoria. Transport times use PTV published timetables verified against real commute testing during peak hours.
Contributor expertise. MELBZ works with approximately 50 editorial contributors, each assigned suburbs and topics matching their lived experience. A writer covering Footscray food lives in or near Footscray. A writer covering Hawthorn schools has direct experience with school zones in the eastern suburbs.
What We Do Not Do
- No fabricated venue names. Every restaurant, cafe, bar, and shop named in an article is a real, currently operating business at the time of publication.
- No invented statistics. If we state a number — a rental price, a population figure, a safety ranking — it comes from a named source or is clearly marked as an editorial estimate.
- No banned language. We maintain a list of hollow marketing words that are not permitted in published articles. These currently include: lively, located, has, mix, busy, eclectic. These words say nothing specific and train readers to stop trusting the writer.
- No undisclosed commercial relationships. If a venue, business, or service has paid for inclusion or prominence, it is labelled as sponsored content. Advertising is visually separated from editorial content.
Corrections
Errors happen. When they do, this is how we handle them:
- Report it. Email [email protected] with the article URL and what needs fixing.
- 48-hour turnaround. Significant factual errors are corrected within 48 hours. Typos and minor issues are fixed in the next editorial sweep.
- Transparency. If a correction materially changes the meaning of an article, we add a correction note at the bottom with the date and what changed.
Advertising and Sponsorship Disclosure
MELBZ generates revenue through:
- Display advertising served through Google AdSense. These ads are algorithmically placed and are not editorially endorsed.
- Sponsored content written in partnership with local businesses. Sponsored articles are always labelled with a clear disclosure at the top.
- Affiliate links where applicable. If clicking a link generates a commission, the article carries an affiliate disclosure notice.
Editorial coverage is never contingent on advertising relationships. A venue getting a positive review and that venue advertising on the site are independent events.
Contact the Editorial Team
Questions about our editorial process, a correction request, or feedback on how we can improve:
Email: [email protected] Publisher: Axior Labs (ABN 91 949 773 596) Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia