Editorial Policy

Food24 editorial policy 

At Food24 we take our integrity seriously. Here you can read about how things work behind the scenes and let us know if you have any queries.

Recipes on the site
Recipes that appear on the site are solicited in a number of ways from:
– Media24-owned magazines
– cookbook publishers
– food brands
– independent content creators 

Wherever possible, we credit contributors and/or clearly indicate sources of content on the recipes or articles in question.

Paid-for recipes
When recipes are tagged ‘partner content’, this means that a commercial transaction has taken place between Food24 and the brand that is being promoted in the ingredients list and/or recipe image.

All recipe content is the responsibility of the party from whom such content originated. Although we trust that recipes we receive are free of errors and have been checked for cultural correctness, Food24 is under no obligation to test the ones that come to us via external channels and it makes no guarantee that the information provided by external parties is accurate and complete, though we strive to reflect this in everything we publish. You agree that you use the content on Food24 at your own risk. Food24 does not claim ownership of any recipe content that it receives from external sources and makes every effort to accredit each recipe to its original creator. This is done with a logo on the top right-hand corner of the recipe page and a blurb at the bottom of each recipe. Food24 may, at times edit the recipe method wording to ensure grammatical correctness. Food24 reserves the right in its discretion to pre-screen, refuse, or remove any recipe content.

Working with external contributors
We may commission the services of a freelancer to submit content in the form of recipes, written articles, videos or audio. This content is the property of Food24 and may not be used elsewhere unless permission is granted. New Media retains the rights to the story concept, the copy and the option to publish this article on other New Media platforms. 

The Food24 commissioning editor reserves the right to ask for one round of revisions to be made after the work has been delivered. If the revision does not meet the brief requirements or is in any way deemed unsuitable for the publication, the writer will be paid a kill fee of R250. We aim to feature a wide and diverse range of voices on Food24 and encourage those who would like to work with us to read our pitching guide. 

Photographs
In addition to our own images, we make use of paid-for stock imagery as well as images that are supplied to us by a content creator or freelance contributor. We may embed Instagram images in our articles, which automatically include the owner’s account handle and which click through to their account. (This is only done on public Instagram accounts, i.e. accounts that have not been set to ‘private’.) This is in accordance with global standards and the Instagram terms of use. We also create our own infographics from time to time and request that if you want to make use of these, to please request permission first by sending an email to editor@food24.com.

Competitions and giveaways
Competitions on our site are hosted at our discretion, depending on the appropriateness of the prize for our audience and its value. We prioritise competitions for clients who support Food24 with other advertising. The winners are chosen at random and are verified by an external auditor before being notified. If the winner does not respond to communication within 30 days, the prize becomes null and void. Please note that by entering competitions on the Food24 website or social media, you agree to your personal information being shared with an external auditor.

Corrections
Food24 makes every effort for stories to be accurate upon publication. Recipes and articles may be corrected, updated or removed from time to time.

Invitations to events
Food24 staff will sometimes be invited to attend an event or product launch. In these cases, we always inform the PR/marketing person or host that our attendance is no guarantee of exposure on any of our platforms. Our policy is to feature what we independently decide is worthy of coverage and has editorial value to our audience.

Gifts and samples
We love supporting local food producers. You are welcome to send us samples – however, we cannot guarantee any reciprocation or airtime (on our site, in our print publications or on social media) for these items. If we do give the brand/product exposure, that means we genuinely like it and/or think it might be interesting for our followers and fans.

Personal conflict
Any employee of Food24 who has a spouse, partner, or other close relationship with an employee of a company that Food24 covers will disclose the relationship on the site when appropriate and/or will recuse themselves from coverage of that topic.

External contributors to Food24 must also disclose conflicts of interest — including receiving compensation from or being otherwise employed by brands they are likely to cover — to their commissioning editor before accepting assignments; disclosures on the site may also be necessary.

Paid-for content on Food24
Food24 features advertising on the site as a source of revenue. Our company, New Media, a division of Media24 (Pty) Ltd, employs a dedicated advertising team responsible for selling advertising space on our properties. Any feature on a New Media brand sponsored by a particular company or advertiser that is developed independently by the New Media Creative and Sales teams is clearly marked as an advertisement (see formats below) Advertisements and paid content do not necessarily reflect the views of New Media or our editorial teams. However, all editorial content on Food24 is based on the editorial team’s discretion, not on the desire of any company, advertiser or PR firm.

There are three ways to attach advertising to editorial content on Food24: native, partner content. Their characteristics are outlined below.

Native content
– This is editorial content that could exist on its own on the Food24 site but happens to be linked to a client’s brand or product. Essentially a piece of native content is an independent article that would be published on its own strength, with or without advertising attached to it.

– Native content will adhere to Food24’s editorial policy, so it can in no way be changed to suit the client unless there are factual or brand inaccuracies.

– If linked to a client, this content will have a subtle association with the brand and is in no way a hard sell. The client’s brand is there as a gentle suggestion to the reader. For example, the article might be “5 ways to cook with potatoes” and could, at the end, suggest that if you’re interested in buying potatoes, you could try Farmer Joe’s Potatoes.

– The content of the article (including the wording, the images used, the recipes mentioned, the sources contacted etc.) is independent and will not be influenced by the client. This is vital to the editorial integrity of Food24; we want our readers to trust the recommendations and information in the article.

– It will be labelled “Brought to you by Farmer Joe’s Potatoes” at the end of the article with a short message of a maximum of 50 words by Farmer Joe’s Potatoes.

Food24 collabs 
– This kind of content clearly pushes the client’s brand message or product throughout the copy and content.

– Food24 staff may write/edit this content according to a brief supplied by the client, but it is not published as editorial.

Partner content
– This kind of content clearly pushes the client’s brand message or product throughout the copy and content.

– This content is supplied by the client and republished on Food24.

– This is the only kind of content that can be edited to suit the client.

– The reader will know it’s a sales pitch before they even start reading the content.

– It is clearly labelled as “Partner content” in the title or blurb. 

Do you have any questions about our editorial policy? Write to us at editor@food24.com. 

Do you have any questions about advertising on Food24? Contact one of our advertising sales team here.

Content principles
Food24 does not subscribe to diet and weight-loss culture. We do not publish content that promotes restrictive eating or food shaming of any kind, but may publish content that speaks to specific dietary requirements including those with a medical aspect, such as diabetes. The demand for sweet recipes that contain sugar has always been high, but we are mindful of the fact that there is scientific evidence that highlights its negative effect on the body and we seek to ensure a balance of sweet and non-sweet recipes are showcased. When making health and nutritional claims in our content, we will always try to credit a reputable health source.

Taste tests
Food24 operates taste tests on a purely editorial basis and doesn’t allow for brand or paid promotion activity to impact the results, as a matter of editorial independence. All taste tests are conducted as a blind tasting, and any methodology is explained upfront in the test article itself.

Social media and community guidelines
Social media is an integral part of the editorial offering of New Media’s publications. We will not publish anything on social media that may damage or tarnish the reputation and integrity of our brand and that of New Media. When it comes to privacy, we will not share your personal information or anybody else’s without their written permission. We have the right to delete comments on our platforms should we feel they are inappropriate or harmful. 

Our social media accounts are platforms that allow us to chat, share, learn and encourage cooking at home. We want to connect with you, and for Food24 readers and followers to connect with each other.

Please be polite to other Food24 readers and treat each other with respect and kindness. 

Don’t give out any personal information on social media, such as email addresses or phone numbers. 

We do not tolerate inappropriate or offensive language, including usernames, photographs and wall posts that are crude, contain swear words, are racist, offensive, hateful or violent. Any post of this kind will be deleted.

Advertising, spam, selling and links or comments that are for personal financial gain will be removed. This includes posts used to direct traffic to other sites, blogs or Facebook pages.

When sharing content, we will always endeavour to tag and credit photographs and recipes to the author. If you should spot an error, please reach out to us on editor@food24.com

From time to time, we will share content on social media from our advertising partners. This will always be marked clearly as “Sponsored” or with a similar hashtag such as #ad, #sponsored or #partnercontent. 

Food24 site guidelines
Once you’ve registered an account and customised your Food24 profile, you will be able to comment on recipes and articles. Our moderators reserve the right to remove anything we deem inappropriate, including all spam. You also may not create accounts designed to impersonate another person. 

We will not tolerate discrimination against or insensitivity towards people on the basis of age, race, colour, creed, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital status or any other legally recognised protected basis. 

If you have a question about moderation, please get in touch with us.

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Recipe Disclaimer

All recipe content is the responsibility of the party from whom such content originated. You agree that you use the content on Food24 at your own risk. Please read our editorial policy.