Advertising and commercial policy

This policy states the rules that apply if commercial activity exists. It does not say that Synoptiva currently sells advertising, sponsorships, or affiliate links. No such program is described here because none is confirmed.

Publications follow this minimum when they carry commercial material. They may add their own rules.

Editorial and commercial separation

People who sell commercial space do not edit news. Advertisers do not see unpublished journalism in order to approve it. An advertiser does not choose the conclusion of a story, and does not hold a right to delay or block one.

Commercial staff do not brief a newsroom on what a client would prefer to read.

Sponsored content

Sponsored content is material a third party pays to place, or that is produced under a commercial agreement. It is labeled “Sponsored” or with equally plain words, before the reader begins. The label is text, not only a color or an icon.

Sponsored content is not filed as news. It does not appear on trust pages.

Branded content

Branded content is a form of sponsored content produced with or for a partner. The same label rule applies. The partner does not get editorial control of unrelated coverage.

Affiliate relationships

If a link pays the publication or the group when a reader acts on it, the page says so near the link. An affiliate relationship does not buy a review’s conclusion. It is refused where the payment would be for a recommendation the editors do not mean.

Conflicts and influence

A commercial relationship with the subject of a story is a conflict and is disclosed on the story. The conflicts policy applies.

Refusing an advertisement is allowed, including where the ad would deceive readers or sit on a trust page. Acceptance of an advertisement is not an endorsement.

This website

Trust, standards, and corrections pages are not for sale. The group site does not run third-party advertising tags.