Whatever our rules on endorsements, those seeking them will ask for more

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/22/open-door-endorsement-rules-push-more

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According to the Guardian’s editorial code, the rules on endorsements, those plugs sometimes appended to articles, often interviews, are clear: “Journalists should not agree to promote through copy, photographs or footnotes the financial interests of prospective interviewees or contributors, or their sponsors, as a means of securing access to them. Promotional information about a subject or author provided in footnotes should be included only where, in the editor’s judgment, it is of genuine interest or assistance to the reader.”

Those words form part of the code published in 2011. However, since then they have been sorely tested in a number of sections in the Guardian, including Sport, Family and Cook.

One reader wrote to complain about an endorsement at the foot of an interview with Manchester United footballer Luke Shaw back in January. It said: “Luke Shaw supports the PlayStation Schools’ Cup, which has increased football tournaments for boys and girls across secondary school age categories, attracting close to 2,000 school entries and 100,000 participants. The grassroots programme will help nurture stars of the future, creating more opportunities for children to represent their school football team.”

Later that month, Anthea Turner appeared on the back of the Family section in the My family values slot and at the bottom were two lines telling readers she “has launched a home storage system”.

In the first instance the reader who complained said that he was a subscriber and a critical friend of the Guardian who admired journalists in the sports section such as David Conn and Daniel Taylor among others and felt their writing was “cheapened by these commercial plugs”.

“I devour and cherish the Guardian’s football coverage for the excellent insight of its writers like Daniel Taylor – not for the quotes of the players and managers. I’d much rather forgo the quotes and the interviews if it allowed the Guardian to do the right thing editorially and avoid having to trade endorsements. I know it’s a tough old world. But as one of your supporters I wish all power to your elbow in being strong standing above the fray.”

I entirely agree with this and other readers – and members of the editorial staff – who have complained about this practice over the last few years. However, it certainly is a tough old world and section editors have not always felt that they could hold the line and remain competitive.

Ian Prior, head of Guardian Sport, said he felt the paper could lose up to 50% of interview opportunities if he was unwilling to consider any such request: “As a rule of thumb, professional athletes dislike speaking to the media. The higher-profile (or perhaps richer) they become, the greater their reluctance and, in particular, the greater their insistence on some form of inducement in return for access. Many see speaking to the media (beyond those press conferences that competition or team rules demand) as just another monetisable aspect of their professional portfolio.

“It is almost unheard of now for journalists to approach sports stars directly in non-accredited situations (ie, excluding such as mixed zones after events) and the days when a football writer would have a contact book full of players’ private numbers have long passed. Now, just about all access is mediated through clubs, federations, broadcasters or sponsors.”

Prior said the rules that Sport has evolved are:

• We refuse all events where lines of questioning are restricted or declared off limits. Events are also refused where the subject’s vocal endorsement of a product or firm is a precondition of publication.

• We never grant copy approval or headline/furniture approval. In certain rare and limited circumstances, we may grant the subject permission to see the direct quotes (and only the direct quotes) we intend to use before publication. This is not common practice.

• In almost all cases, endorsements must be confined to taglines separate from the main body of copy – usually an italicised line at the end of the article.

• We reserve a right of veto on all images from the event where supplied by the sponsor or promoter. Photography must be of a quality that meets our editorial standards.

He said that demands for published endorsements or statements of association come from: charitable organisations; broadcasters who will only grant access to those under contract in certain conditions; club or governing sponsors and personal sponsors and sportswear providers, sometimes in the form of “ambassadorships”.

The Family section has a similar set of rules. The Anthea Turner interview fell outside them, although it was a cut down version of what was originally sought. Their rules for appending endorsements usually are where:

1. Actors are currently in a film, TV show, or play; musicians have a new record out or about to embark on a concert tour and authors have a new book.

2. If the interviewee is helping a recognisable charity.

3. Good causes. This is a matter of editorial judgment, not necessarily charitable but not commercial. A recent example, narrowly agreed by editors, was footballer Daniel Sturridge speaking on behalf of Sainsbury’s Active Kids; a scheme whereby vouchers can be collected via the store and exchanged by schools and clubs for sports and cooking equipment.

The Family section is constantly being urged to place plugs in the body of the text and reproduce book covers or film posters by the text but this is always rejected.

While the above rules are pragmatic they are nevertheless a relaxation of the Guardian’s editorial code, which itself is due for a review as it is five years since the last. I hope any revised set of guidelines hold the line on endorsements for the reasons the reader sets out. However, if they reflect a perceived relaxation in readers’ attitudes to endorsements the Guardian has to hold that line. Because whatever our rules, those seeking commercial endorsements will always ask for more.