Editorial Policy

RAW Arabia covers the marketing and advertising industry across the MENA region. Our readers work in that industry and make decisions based on what they read here, so the standard we hold ourselves to is simple: everything we publish should be something a reader could act on without being misled.

Accuracy comes before speed

We would rather be second and right than first and wrong. Every factual claim we publish is attributed — who said it, where, and when. Where we cite a figure, we say who produced it, when it was measured, and what it covers, because a number without its methodology is not information.

We distinguish between what has been announced and what has actually happened. Press releases describe intentions; we report them as such. If we cannot verify something central to a story, we either leave it out or say plainly that we could not confirm it.

Sources

We prefer primary sources — a company's own announcement, a regulator's filing, the study itself — over coverage of coverage. When credible sources disagree, we present the range rather than quietly picking the one that makes a better headline.

We grant anonymity sparingly, and only where someone risks real professional harm by speaking on the record. When we do, we tell you why the source is credible and what their vantage point is. We never invent a quote, a statistic, or a person.

Opinion, analysis and reporting

News reporting sets out what happened. Analysis explains what it means and is labelled as such. Opinion argues a position and appears under our Public Opinion section or as a Public Column. We think readers are entitled to know which one they are reading, so we make it clear.

Public Column: writing from outside the newsroom

Public Column exists so that people working in this industry can say something to it directly. Anyone can pitch us through Write for Us.

Every column is reviewed by an editor before it appears. Contributors write and submit; they cannot publish to this site themselves. We check claims, ask for sources, and edit for clarity and length — but we do not change the writer's argument. If we cannot stand behind a piece factually, we do not run it.

Contributors are credited by name. A column reflects the view of the person who wrote it, not of RAW Arabia.

Conflicts of interest

If a story involves a company we have a commercial relationship with — an advertiser, a partner, an event sponsor — we disclose it in the piece. Contributors must tell us about any interest in what they are writing about, and we disclose that too. Commercial arrangements never determine whether or how we cover something.

Anything paid for or produced with a commercial partner is labelled clearly as such, and is never presented as independent journalism.

Corrections

We correct mistakes rather than quietly deleting them. If we get a fact wrong, we fix it and say what changed. Significant corrections are noted on the article itself.

If you think something we published is wrong, tell us at hello@rawarabia.me. Point us at what is incorrect and, if you can, what the correct information is. We will look at it properly and reply.

We do not remove published articles on request simply because a subject dislikes the coverage. We will always correct an inaccuracy.

Right of reply

When we report criticism of a named company or individual, we approach them for comment before publication and give them a reasonable opportunity to respond. If they decline or do not reply, we say so.

Images and third-party material

We use images we have the right to use, and credit photographers and sources where credit is due. If you believe we have used your work without permission, contact us and we will resolve it quickly.

Independence

Our editorial decisions are made by our editors. No advertiser, sponsor or partner sees an article before publication or has any say over what we cover.

Talk to us

Questions about how we work, a correction, or a story you think we should be covering — write to hello@rawarabia.me.