These Guidelines set forth standards that govern The Tribune Papers’s relationship with its advertising partners and the relationship between editorial and advertising content. The overriding consideration is that The Tribune Papers must maintain its editorial integrity and the trust of its readers. We believe that establishing, publicly displaying, and adhering to these Guidelines is important to protect the trust and transparency that should exist between a publication, its readers, and its advertisers.
We also recognize that no set of Guidelines can address every situation or issue that may arise in the course of doing business, especially given the pace of change within the media industry. Accordingly, we anticipate that these guidelines will be revisited and updated from time to time. In particular, we will remain teachable and open to suggestions, criticism, and correction from our readers and other interested parties.
GENERAL ADVERTISING GUIDELINES
The Guidelines in the following section apply to all advertisements and sponsor content served by or appearing in the print publications of The Tribune Papers and its Digital Properties, which include www.tribpapers.com, www.weavervilletribune.com, www.leicesterleader.com, theashevilletribune.com, thehendersonvilletribune.com and all related mobile and app extensions. (hereinafter “The Tribune Papers”), including ads purchased under AAAA/IAB Standard Terms and Conditions.
- The Tribune Papers will not allow any relationship with an advertiser to compromise The Tribune Papers’s editorial integrity.
- All advertising content must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content. To that end, The Tribune Papers will label an advertisement with the word “Advertisement” when, in its opinion, this is necessary to make clear the distinction between editorial material and advertising.
- Advertisers are responsible for ensuring that their ads are adequately substantiated and comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines. While the content of advertising does not necessarily reflect the views of The Tribune Papers or its editors, if it comes to the attention of The Tribune Papers that an ad, in our opinion, contains demonstrably false or unlawful content, The Tribune Papers will refuse or remove the ad in whole or in part.
- The Tribune Papers may exercise its discretion to refuse or remove any advertising that is inconsistent with or may tend to bring disparagement, harm to reputation, or other damage to The Tribune Papers’s brand.
- Although The Tribune Papers will evaluate whether to work with advertisers on a case-by-case basis, some examples of advertising The Tribune Papers will not accept are the following:
- Advertising that The Tribune Papers believes, in its opinion, is indecent, vulgar, suggestive, profane, or offensive.
- Advertising for illegal products or services, including drugs, illegal substances, or any related products or services.
- Advertising that The Tribune Papers believes includes hateful or violent text advocating against any individual, group, or organization.
- Advertising that The Tribune Papers determines to be inflammatory.
- Advertising that The Tribune Papers determines represents a personal attack against an
individual, country, or organization. - Advertising that The Tribune Papers believes will undermine the intellectual integrity, authority, and character of its mission and brand.
All determinations of the application of the foregoing standards to particular advertisements or advertisers shall be within the sole discretion of The Tribune Papers’s business-side staff. The Tribune Papers’s editors will not be involved in deciding whether to accept or reject specific advertisers.
The Tribune Papers may remove advertising content at any time if such content is inconsistent with the policies described herein, with or without prior notice to the advertising client and regardless of whether the advertising content has been accepted or displayed within The Tribune Papers for any period of time.
SPONSOR CONTENT GUIDELINES
The guidelines in the following section shall apply to all Sponsor Content served by or appearing in the print and digital publications of The Tribune Papers, including ads purchased under AAAA/IAB Standard Terms and Conditions. (These are in addition to the general guidelines for advertising content that appear above, which apply to Sponsor Content as well.)
- Sponsor Content is content created or commissioned by advertisers in collaboration with The Tribune Papers’s marketing team (“Atlantic Marketing”). The Tribune Papers allows Sponsor Content in two forms: (1) Content produced by Universal Media Inc as commissioned by its advertising partners and (2) Content produced by advertisers.
- As with all advertising, Sponsor Content does not necessarily reflect the views and choices of The Tribune Papers’s editors. Accordingly, The Tribune Papers will prominently display the following disclaimer on all Sponsor Content: ‘SPONSOR CONTENT.’ The Tribune Papers will include a disclaimer on all Sponsor Content that notes the involvement or non-involvement of The Tribune Papers’s editorial staff in curating or creating the Content and clarifies that the Content is made possible by a Sponsor. The Tribune Papers may additionally include, in certain areas and platforms, further explanation defining Sponsor Content to Atlantic readers. In addition, The Tribune Papers will ensure the treatment and design of Advertising and Sponsor Content is clearly differentiated from its editorial content.
- The Tribune Papers does not require that Sponsor Content steer clear of controversy. Indeed, we expect that Sponsor Content, like our own editorial content, will sometimes address contested issues and will be written with a distinct point of view. That said, even with the caveat that Sponsor Content does not necessarily reflect the views of The Tribune Papers or its editors, The Tribune Papers will refuse publication of such content that, in its own judgment, would undermine the intellectual integrity, authority, and character of our enterprise.
As with all advertising, and consistent with the foregoing General Advertising Guidelines, The Tribune Papers may reject or remove any Sponsor Content at any time that contains false, deceptive, potentially misleading, or illegal content; is inconsistent with or may tend to bring disparagement, harm to reputation, or other damage to The Tribune Papers’s brand.
The Tribune Papers may, at the Sponsor’s direction, enable readers to comment on Sponsor Content on. If comment functionality is enabled on Sponsor Content, the sponsor will not have any role in moderating such comments. The only moderation of such comments will be performed by Atlantic employees who implement The Tribune Papers’s generally applicable Terms and Conditions — which prohibit spam, obscenity, hate speech, and similar content—elsewhere on the site.