What does sponsored content mean for you as a reader?
When you see an article labelled “Sponsored” or “Partner Content” on Press Hive, you can trust that it has been paid for by an external organisation. That payment never influences our independent editorial decisions, and the label is always clear and prominent so you know exactly what you are reading.
We believe transparency is the foundation of trust. Every piece of sponsored content carries a visible disclosure at the top – usually reading “Sponsored by [Company Name]” – and a short explanation of the commercial relationship. This means you can distinguish between our independent journalism and material that has been commissioned or funded by a third party.
How this works in practice
Our team treats sponsored content with the same care and rigour as our regular reporting. Every sponsored article is reviewed by an editor and fact-checked by our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Oliver Reeves, before publication. The advertiser or sponsor provides the topic and key messages, but Press Hive retains full editorial control over the final piece.
The process is straightforward:
- An external client approaches us through our partnerships team (partnerships@presshive.uk).
- We agree a brief that aligns with our audience’s interests and our editorial standards.
- A named writer drafts the article, which is then edited, reviewed, and fact-checked following our usual procedures.
- Before publication, the piece is clearly labelled as sponsored content.
- No sponsor sees the article before publication unless we agree otherwise – and even then, they cannot change anything that would mislead readers.
For more on how we handle commercial relationships, please see our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure and our Editorial Policy.
How are sponsored articles created?
Sponsored content is produced by our editorial team, not by the advertiser. While the sponsor may suggest a topic or provide background information, Press Hive writers and editors shape the final narrative. We never allow sponsors to insert false claims, misleading statistics, or promotional language that disguises opinion as fact.
Our fact-checking lead, Oliver Reeves, ensures that any data or claims in sponsored material are accurate and verifiable. If a sponsor wants to include a specific statistic, we ask for the original source and verify it independently. This process is the same as the one we use for all editorial content – see our Fact-Checking Policy for details.
Who is responsible for sponsored content?
The ultimate responsibility for all content on Press Hive – including sponsored material – rests with our Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan Ellery. He ensures that every article, whether independent or sponsored, meets our standards of accuracy, fairness, and transparency. The Managing Editor, Rebecca Haines, oversees the workflow, while Oliver Reeves handles fact-checking and standards.
Press Hive is owned and operated by Sliema Media Limited, a digital media company registered in Malta (Business Registry: C 84217). Our registered office is at Level 3, Tower Business Centre, Tower Street, Swatar, Birkirkara BKR 4013, Malta. Sponsored content income helps fund our independent journalism, but it never determines our editorial conclusions. For a full breakdown of how we are funded, see our Ownership & Funding page.
If you have any concerns about a sponsored article, please contact our complaints team at corrections@presshive.uk or use our Complaints Procedure.
In short
Sponsored content on Press Hive is clearly labelled, produced by our own journalists, and held to the same editorial and fact-checking standards as everything else we publish. Your trust matters to us – and we will always tell you when content is sponsored, by whom, and why.