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24 November 2009
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Editorial Guidelines in Full

Editorial Integrity & Independence

• Introduction
• Editorial integrity and independence editorial principles
• Product placement
• Product prominence
• Product prominence in trails
• Promotional material/stories supplied by outside bodies
• Reviewing products or services
• Products used as props in drama, comedy or entertainment
• Use of free & reduced cost facilities, products, services & props
• Media facility & fact finding trips
• Undue prominence & contributors
• Online links to third party websites
• BBC commercial channels & services
• References to commercial products related to BBC programmes & services
• Trails for commercial products related to BBC programmes
• Games shows
• Conflicts of interest
• Advertising & the BBC brand
• Social action programmes
• Programmes about charitable initiatives
• BBC support services
• Joint initiatives
• Trails for support material
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• Automated information services

Product prominence

We need to be able to reflect the real world and this will involve referring to commercial products, organisations and services in our output.

We must avoid any undue prominence or giving the impression that we are promoting or endorsing products, organisations or services. To achieve this we must:

• ensure that references to trade names, brand names and slogans are clearly editorially justified.
• not linger on brand names or logos and use verbal references sparingly unless there are very strong journalistic reasons for repeated references to a brand.
• not accept free or reduced cost products or services in return for on air or online credits, hotlinks or off air marketing.
• take particular care to minimise product references in output designed to appeal to children.
• only use material from advertising campaigns or promotions when clearly editorially justified. Generally, it will only be acceptable to use a short extract. There may also be copyright considerations.

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