Advertising and Sponsored Content Policy
Commercial material should be clearly identified wherever readers encounter it. This policy sets standards for advertising, sponsorship, affiliate links, and paid partnerships.
Editorial Separation
A commercial relationship must not control a post’s conclusions, sources, or publication decisions. Readers should be able to identify paid material without having to infer its purpose from the surrounding page.
How Paid Material Is Labeled
Disclose payment, sponsorship, or another material commercial relationship close to the content and early enough for readers to see it before relying on the message.
- Clear labels may include: Advertisement, Ad, Sponsored, Paid Content, or Sponsored Advertising Content.
- The disclosure should appear close enough to the content that a reader sees it before or as they engage with the material, not only after scrolling deep into the page.
- Visual design, bylines, and page layout should not be used to make paid material look indistinguishable from independently reported editorial content.
- Vague labels that could confuse readers should be avoided if they do not make the commercial nature of the material obvious.
Native, Branded, and Partner Content
Sponsored features and branded or partner-funded posts should carry a clear disclosure on desktop and mobile. Identify the sponsor and the nature of the arrangement. A contributor credit should accurately describe who produced the work.
Affiliate Links, Commerce, and Material Connections
When a link or recommendation can generate compensation, explain that relationship near the relevant content. Readers should understand how a click, referral, or purchase could benefit the publisher.
- Affiliate or referral disclosures should be clear and conspicuous.
- A material connection should not be hidden only in a footer, general policy page, or terms page if it affects a specific piece of content.
- Editorial recommendations should not be conditioned on compensation alone.
Newsletters, Video, Audio, and Social Distribution
Disclosures should travel with the content in newsletters, video, audio, and social posts. Readers encountering a paid message outside the website need the same clarity about its commercial purpose.
Political and Issue Advertising
Political or issue advertising should be labeled as advertising. Publication of an advertisement does not establish the blog’s endorsement of its claims or position.
Practices Investment Banking Should Not Use
- Selling editorial conclusions or offering favorable coverage in exchange for payment or access.
- Using a blog byline, headline style, or article layout to disguise paid material where the commercial nature is not obvious.
- Allowing an advertiser, sponsor, or affiliate partner to control unrelated reporting.
- Hiding a material connection in a place a normal reader would not reasonably notice.
Questions, Complaints, and Review Requests
Report an unclear or missing commercial disclosure with the page URL and the material at issue. A substantiated problem should be addressed on the affected content.
Contact
For inquiries regarding advertising, sponsored content, or partnership opportunities, please contact: