Advertising Guidelines

Nikola Media Group is committed to unbiased, independent journalism. Accepting funds for advertising or sponsored content allows NMG to expand our coverage of global news and events consistent with the Trust Principles. The following guidelines explain how NMG protects our journalistic integrity and the trust of our readers and customers while working with advertisers and sponsors.

The following guidelines apply to all advertisements published on any platform under Nikola Media Group’s portfolio, including advertisements created by our advertisers or in collaboration with NMG Ad Solutions. An advertisement is content controlled and paid for by a third party.

• No relationship with an advertiser or advertising deal will compromise NMG’s’ strict compliance with the Trust Principles, which require independence, integrity and freedom from bias.
• NMG’s editorial staff will not create, edit, influence or otherwise contribute to the production of advertising.
• Advertisements will be clearly distinguishable from content created by NMG’s editorial staff. If necessary to make the distinction, an advertisement will be prominently marked as “Advertisement.”
• Advertisers are responsible for the content of their advertisements. Their advertising must comply with all applicable laws, regulations and guidelines and must not be false or misleading.
• Advertisements do not reflect the views of NMG or its editorial staff. Even so, Nikola Media Group reserves the right to reject or remove any advertisement if in NMG’s opinion the advertisement is inaccurate, misleading or could harm NMG’s reputation.

The following guidelines apply to content independently created by NMG’s news department, but funded in whole or in part by a paying sponsor:

• Accepting funding from sponsors to create editorially-independent content may allow Nikola Media Group to enrich our news file, expand our offerings for readers and customers, or explore previously examined news subjects in a new way or with a more in-depth analysis.
• NMG may accept funding from paying sponsors if we would produce the content even without the funding because it is newsworthy.
• NMG will agree to accept funding for content if the editorial leadership of Nikola Media Group, including the Editor-in-Chief, agrees that the sponsorship deal is consistent with NMG’s editorial standards and the Trust Principles. -Sponsored content must be editorially independent content that is just as valuable, unbiased and reliable as all other NMG news content. This means: i. At the beginning of a sponsorship deal, NMG and the sponsor may agree on broad subject areas for coverage. The sponsor may suggest more specific topics for NMG to cover, but NMG is not obligated to accept the sponsor’s ideas and will do so only if, in NMG’s editorial discretion, the topics are newsworthy and of legitimate interest to our customers. ii. NMG’s journalists, or journalists acting at the direction of NMG’s editorial staff, will collect facts and information, produce, and edit the content, without input or influence by the sponsor, to the same standards that apply to other NMG news content. NMG will not show copy to sponsors prior to publication.
• Sponsored content will be prominently identified as “This [article/page/series/section] was [funded/funded in part] by [Brand X]. It was independently created by NMG’s’ editorial staff. [Brand X] had no editorial involvement in its creation or production.”