CCN Political Advertising Policy
Purpose
As a trusted public interest community news organisation, Coast Community News and Central Coast Newspapers (CCN) welcomes political advertising that contributes to informed public discourse while maintaining respect for all community members.
Our platforms are committed to fairness, accuracy, and civility in political communication.
Guidelines for Political Advertising
- Respectful & Issue-Focused
- Political advertisements must not include personal attacks, defamatory content, or language that seeks to denigrate or intimidate individuals or groups.
- Advertisements should focus on policies, ideas, and proposals rather than targeting individuals.
- Truth & Accuracy
- All claims made in political advertisements must be factual and verifiable.
- CCN will not accept ads that contain blatant falsehoods, misleading statements, or manipulated content designed to deceive the public.
- Community Cohesion & Public Interest
- Advertisements must align with CCN’s mission of fostering respectful civic dialogue and community cohesion.
- Ads promoting divisiveness, discrimination, or incitement of hostility will not be accepted.
- Transparency & Authorisation
- All political advertisements must clearly identify the advertiser, candidate, or party responsible.
- Acknowledgment of any third-party funding or sponsorship must be included where applicable.
- Editorial Discretion
- CCN reserves the right to reject any political advertisement that does not meet these standards or that is deemed harmful to public interest.
- CCN may request modifications or fact-check elements of an ad before publication.
Implementation & Enforcement
- Political advertisers must submit final ad copy a minimum of five (5) business days before publication for review.
- Any ad flagged for potential misinformation, incivility, or policy violations may be subject to revision or rejection at CCN’s discretion.
- Complaints regarding political advertisements will be reviewed promptly, and appropriate action will be taken in line with this policy.
CCN supports robust political debate particularly in the lead up to elections but is committed to ensuring campaign messages remain constructive, truthful, and in the public interest.
This policy reinforces CCN’s dedication to community engagement, robust democracy, and responsible journalism.