Sponsored Editorial
Part of Planning sponsored editorial content
Agreeing on editorial control before production starts
Define sponsor review rights, publisher decisions, evidence requests and approval deadlines before a sponsored article is drafted.
Before production starts, agree in writing who may propose, draft, review, change, reject and authorise publication of a sponsored article. Specify what the sponsor may approve and how the publisher handles a requested change it considers inaccurate, misleading or unsuitable.
Assign each decision
“Subject to sponsor approval” leaves the scope of approval unclear. Does it cover product facts, brand wording, the headline, the full article or the publication date? Name the decision owner and deadline at each stage.
| Decision | Point to settle |
|---|---|
| Topic and outline | Who accepts the reader question and can stop an unsuitable angle? |
| Draft | Who writes, and what materials must the sponsor provide? |
| Factual review | Who checks product facts and supplies evidence for corrections? |
| Editorial review | Who decides whether the wording and presentation suit the publication? |
| Final approval | What is the sponsor approving, and who authorises publication? |
| Later changes | Who can request and decide on a correction or update? |
The parties can allocate review rights in different ways. Record named contacts and substitutes as well as roles, so an unavailable reviewer does not leave the process uncertain.
Decisions to assign before production starts
- Topic and outlineWho accepts the reader question and can stop an unsuitable angle?
- DraftWho writes, and what materials must the sponsor provide?
- Factual reviewWho checks product facts and supplies evidence for corrections?
- Editorial reviewWho decides whether the wording and presentation suit the publication?
- Final approvalWhat is the sponsor approving, and who authorises publication?
- Later changesWho can request and decide on a correction or update?
Give feedback a route
Ask for one consolidated sponsor response per review round. A factual correction should identify the passage, proposed replacement and supporting material. A preference should explain how it relates to the agreed brief. Specify the included review rounds, response dates and process for a substantial change of scope.
If a claim is disputed, request evidence, narrow the wording where the evidence allows or remove the claim. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it can require businesses to back up claims they make about their products or services. A deadline does not resolve a disputed assertion.
Name an escalation contact and decide whether either party may pause publication. Record what delay or cancellation means for booked promotion and other deliverables. These are agreement questions, not terms imposed by a universal publisher process.
What to specify for each review round
- One consolidated sponsor response per review round
- Factual correction names the passage in question
- Factual correction proposes replacement wording
- Factual correction supplies supporting material
- Preference explains how it relates to the agreed brief
- Number of included review rounds is stated
- Response dates are agreed
- Process for a substantial change of scope is set
Agree on what readers will see
Settle the sponsorship presentation alongside control rights. The Australian Press Council’s advertorial guideline recommends identifying commercially arranged newspaper and magazine content that looks editorial, so readers do not mistake it for independent editorial judgement. Decide who approves the disclosure wording and checks how it appears in the article and its promotion, subject to the publisher’s requirements.
A sponsor can review whether its views are represented fairly. If the proposed presentation would imply that commercially arranged content is independent newsroom coverage, revise it before approval.
End with an approval schedule identifying the version under review, contacts, response dates, permitted changes, final decision owner and route for later corrections.
