Commercial, partner and sponsored material must be identified clearly so readers can understand who supported the content and how it differs from independent newsroom reporting.
Labelling
Sponsored, partner, paid and branded content should carry a visible label at the top of the article and in homepage, social or newsletter promotion. The label should not be hidden below the article or expressed in ambiguous language.
Editorial review
Commercial content remains subject to checks for false statements, unsupported superlatives, misleading comparisons, unverifiable credentials, invented quotations and unlawful claims. Payment does not provide an exemption from accuracy requirements.
Independence
A commercial client may review factual details directly concerning the client, but should not be allowed to rewrite unrelated facts, suppress legitimate context or represent opinion as verified news.
Links and search visibility
Commercial links, calls to action and claims should be presented transparently. Search metadata and social promotion should not conceal the commercial nature of the page.
Corrections
Sponsored content may be corrected, updated or withdrawn when it contains a substantive error or breaches publication standards.