Highly Capitalized Advertising Guidelines
Highly Capitalized is committed to unbiased, independent journalism. This is very important in any market especially in an emerging market. All to often, the lines between editorial and ‘’advertorial’’ content are blurred in cannabis.
Accepting funds for advertising or sponsored content allows Highly Capitalized to expand our coverage of global news and events consistent with our Core Principles (see core principles here).
The following guidelines explain how Highly Capitalized protects our journalistic integrity and the tust of our readers and customers while working with advertisers and sponsors.
The following guidelines apply to all advertisements published across the Highly Capitalized platform, including advertisements created by our advertisers or in collaboration with Highly Capitalized Solutions. An advertisement is content controlled and paid for by a third party.
- No relationship with an advertiser or advertising deal will compromise Highly Capitalized’ strict compliance with the Core Principles, which require independence, integrity and freedom from bias.
- Highly Capitalized’ editorial staff will not create, edit, influence or otherwise contribute to the production of advertising.
- Advertisements will be clearly distinguishable from content created by Highly Capitalized’ 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 Highly Capitalized or its editorial staff. Even so, Highly Capitalized reserves the right to reject or remove any advertisement if in Highly Capitalized’s opinion the advertisement is inaccurate, misleading or could harm Highly Capitalized’s reputation.
The following guidelines apply to content independently created by Highly Capitalized’ news team, but funded in whole or in part by a paying sponsor:
- Accepting funding from sponsors to create editorially-independent content may allow Highly Capitalized 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.
- Highly Capitalized may accept funding from paying sponsors if we would produce the content even without the funding because it is newsworthy.
- Highly Capitalized will agree to accept funding for content if the editorial leadership of Highly Capitalized News, including the editors, agrees that the sponsorship deal is consistent with Highly Capitalized’ editorial standards and the Core Principles.
- Sponsored content must be editorially independent content that is just as valuable, unbiased and reliable as all other Highly Capitalized news content. This means:
- At the beginning of a sponsorship deal, Highly Capitalized and the sponsor may agree on broad subject areas for coverage. The sponsor may suggest more specific topics for Highly Capitalized to cover, but Highly Capitalized is not obligated to accept the sponsor’s ideas and will do so only if, in Highly Capitalized’ editorial discretion, the topics are newsworthy and of legitimate interest to our customers.
- Highly Capitalized journalists, or journalists acting at the direction of Highly Capitalized’ 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 Highly Capitalized news content. Highly Capitalized 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 Highly Capitalized’ editorial staff. [Brand X] had no editorial involvement in its creation or production.”
