As the election season approaches, it’s important that your student media organization is prepared with guidelines on which advertisements your publication will or won’t accept for political advertising.
A political ad policy is a written set of guidelines that explains how your organization handles political advertising. It defines what qualifies as a political ad and outlines what types of advertising will or won’t be accepted. Political ads can include campaign promotions for candidates, ballot initiatives, advocacy groups, or issue-based messaging. This might range from student government campaign ads to advertisements from local or national political campaigns targeting college audiences. The types of political ads might include:
Partisan advertising. This is an advertisement with a clear bias. Think candidate or issue-based campaigns. The goal of partisan advertising is to persuade voters.
Non-partisan advertising. This is a neutral advertisement. This might be ballot initiatives or voter registration information. The goal of non-partisan advertising is to inform voters.
GOTV/Get out the vote advertising. This is an advertisement with the main goal of encouraging people to vote, not of persuading them to vote for any particular candidate or issue.
Student media organizations hold a unique position. They serve as both learning environments for student journalists and trusted information sources for campus communities. A political ad policy helps protect that trust.
First, it safeguards editorial independence. Without clear guidelines, readers may assume that running a political ad implies endorsement. A policy requiring clear labeling — such as “paid advertisement” — reduces confusion and reinforces the boundary between journalism and paid messaging.
Second, a policy prevents bias and favoritism. Political advertising can be polarizing. If one candidate’s ad is accepted while another’s is rejected without explanation, accusations of bias may follow. A written policy can outline equal access standards, consistent pricing, and non-discriminatory practices, ensuring all candidates are treated fairly.
Third, a political ad policy reduces legal and ethical risks. Political ads sometimes contain exaggerated or misleading claims. A policy can establish standards for rejecting ads that are defamatory, are factually inaccurate, or violate election laws. Having clear criteria for rejecting harmful or unlawful content helps minimize risk.
Fourth, it protects the organization from financial pressure. Political campaigns may offer substantial ad revenue, especially during election seasons. Without a policy, decisions could be driven by financial incentives rather than journalistic values. A written framework ensures revenue considerations do not compromise integrity.
Finally, student leadership changes frequently. Each year, new editors and managers take over. A formal policy provides continuity and stability, preventing inconsistent decisions from year to year.
Your political ad policy should live side by side with your existing ad policy in your media kit and on your publication’s advertising website page. You should include:
What type of advertisement does this policy apply to? How does this differ from your regular ad policy? Providing a clear definition will help prevent any confusion.
What types of political advertising will you accept? Both partisan and non-partisan? What content will be accepted or rejected?
Establish that all political advertisements, regardless of candidate or party affiliation, will receive equal opportunity. This helps protect your publication from bias claims or inconsistency.
Choose to require clear identification of political ads by requiring a “paid advertisement” disclaimer note on all political advertisements.
Clarify that advertising decisions do not influence news coverage. This reinforces credibility and ethical standards.
Creating a political ad policy is the first step. Policies should be reviewed regularly — especially before major elections. Leaders can consult campus legal counsel, journalism advisers, or professional organizations. You should also make the policy publicly available, ideally both on your website and in your media kit. Transparency builds trust with both advertisers and readers. Finally, training staff members is essential. Advertising managers, editors, and designers should understand the policy and know how to apply it consistently. Need additional support in creating your ad policy, or want to talk about statewide or national election prep? Reach out to your account manager today.
Below is a ready-to-go political advertising policy template that your team can use. Please make sure to add any details that are specific to your publication’s policies or operations.
This policy applies specifically to partisan and non-partisan political advertisements that may include candidate campaigns, get out the vote, issue or advocacy campaigns, and ballot initiatives.
Our organization reserves the right to reject any advertising at the sole discretion of the Business Manager. We do not accept any ads that are defamatory, promote dishonesty, violate any federal, state or local laws, contain false or misleading statements, or encourage discrimination against any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry or disability.
We are committed to providing equal advertising opportunities to all legally qualified political candidates, parties, and advocacy groups.
All political and cause advertisements must include the information required by law (e.g., Paid by Committee for Jane Doe). Ads designed to look like news content must include “PAID ADVERTISEMENT” at the top or bottom (It can also be a good idea to include information about creative and payment deadlines here too!)
Our advertising and editorial departments operate independently. Advertising decisions do not influence news coverage, editorial opinions, or reporting priorities.
Advertisers are responsible for ensuring their content complies with all applicable laws.
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Our team can help you apply these insights, explore additional resources, or workshop strategies for your campus campaigns.
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