What is sponsored content on Southampton Wire?
Sponsored content on Southampton Wire is material paid for by an advertiser or partner, produced to their brief but subject to our editorial safeguards. It is clearly distinct from our independent news reporting and never influences our journalistic decisions.
Southampton Wire, owned and operated by Sliema Media Limited (C 84217, Malta), accepts sponsored content as part of our funding model alongside display advertising, affiliate links and newsletter sponsorships. The sponsored content policy applies to all such material, which is commissioned through the dedicated email sponsored@southamptonwire.co.uk. Any proposal is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief William Ashby and the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead Diane Forbes to ensure it does not conflict with our editorial mission: “trustworthy local journalism that helps readers understand what matters in Southampton and Hampshire without spin.”
How is sponsored content labelled?
Every piece of sponsored content carries a prominent, unambiguous label at the top of the page – typically “Sponsored” or “Partner Content” – along with the name of the paying advertiser. This label is visible before any text or image loads.
The label appears in a distinct visual style that separates it from ordinary news headlines. Below the label we include a short note, such as “This article was produced in association with [advertiser name] and reviewed by our editorial team.” Sponsored content is never placed inside our regular news feeds or topical sections; it is clearly segregated. The same labelling rules apply to sponsored content delivered via email newsletters – each sponsored item is prefixed with the word “Sponsored” in the subject line or body. Our advertising and affiliate disclosure explains the full range of commercial relationships on the site.
What rules govern sponsored content?
Sponsored content must comply with the UK Advertising Codes administered by the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority), Sliema Media’s own editorial guidelines, and the specific policies set by William Ashby. No advertiser may dictate editorial conclusions or suppress factual corrections.
Rules include: the advertiser must not mislead readers; all claims must be substantiated with credible sources; no fabricated quotes or statistics are permitted; the content must not impersonate our news style; and it must include a clear disclosure of the commercial relationship. The editorial policy and fact-checking policy apply to sponsored material just as they apply to any other published content – every word is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Kieran Doherty (Local Politics & Council Editor) and Lucy Palmer (Community & Crime Correspondent) may be asked to verify that sponsored content in their beats does not interfere with ongoing reporting. Sponsored content is also subject to our complaints procedure – readers can challenge inaccuracies via corrections@southamptonwire.co.uk or complaints@southamptonwire.co.uk.
What you can expect from us
You can expect full transparency: we will always tell you when a piece of content is sponsored, who paid for it, and what editorial checks it underwent. Sponsored content will never be presented as independent journalism.
Our editorial team, led by William Ashby and managed by Sarah Mills, maintains strict separation between revenue-generating activities and newsgathering. Sponsored content is flagged in our internal workflows, and no advertiser may contact our reporters or correspondents directly about ongoing news stories. We also publish a public list of all commercial partners on our ownership and funding page, updated quarterly. If sponsored content contains hyperlinks, they are clearly marked as paid links. The same AI-assistance rules outlined in our AI and automation policy apply: digital tools may support research or drafting but never replace human editorial judgement, and they must never fabricate quotes, sources, interviews or bylines. Any reader who believes sponsored content crosses the line into advertorial will find a straightforward route to raise concerns.
Questions or concerns?
If you have a question about any piece of sponsored content, or believe a label is missing or unclear, please contact our dedicated sponsored content team at sponsored@southamptonwire.co.uk. For general editorial queries, use editorial@southamptonwire.co.uk.
Corrections and complaints relating to sponsored content can be sent to corrections@southamptonwire.co.uk or complaints@southamptonwire.co.uk. Our Editor-in-Chief William Ashby (william.ashby@southamptonwire.co.uk, +44 20 4587 9486) oversees all publication decisions and guarantees that every piece of sponsored content adheres to the standards set out in this policy. You can also find more about how we handle feedback in our complaints procedure and corrections policy. We take your trust seriously and will respond to every legitimate concern within five working days.