Editorial Policy

Our Editorial Purpose

Spotlight Sphere serves readers in the UAE with clear lifestyle reporting and practical guidance. We aim to answer real questions, explain why a story matters and add local context. Our work should respect readers’ time and make it easy to distinguish facts, analysis, opinion and commercial material.

Story Selection

We choose stories for their relevance to the UAE, their connection to our editorial categories and their likely value to readers. A topic does not qualify simply because it is viral. Editors consider originality, timing, available evidence, reader interest and whether Spotlight Sphere can add something useful.

We avoid publishing multiple thin articles that repeat the same facts. When a subject develops, an existing article may be updated rather than creating unnecessary duplicate coverage.

Research and Sources

Primary Sources

Writers should use primary sources where reasonably available, including official announcements, direct statements, event organisers, brand materials, public records, interviews and verified accounts. Secondary reporting can provide context but should not replace a primary source when the original information is accessible.

Press Releases and Public Statements

Press releases are starting points, not finished articles. Claims should be checked, promotional wording removed and relevant context added. A release or supplied statement should be attributed when it is the source of a claim.

Anonymous Sources

Anonymous sources should be used rarely and only when the information is important, the source has direct knowledge and there is a valid reason to protect identity. An editor must know the source’s identity and assess the risk before publication.

Writing and Review

Articles should be written in clear, natural English. Headings should help readers understand the structure rather than repeat the same keyword. Facts, names, dates, quotations, locations, prices and links should be checked before publication.

Each article should receive an editorial review appropriate to its risk. Beauty or wellness claims, allegations, legal issues, safety matters and stories about identifiable people require extra care. The reviewer should be someone other than the writer where staffing allows.

Accuracy, Updates and Corrections

We correct confirmed factual errors and add new information when a story changes. Material corrections should be explained in a visible note. Routine spelling or formatting changes do not normally require a note.

The Corrections Policy explains how readers can submit a request and how different types of changes are recorded.

Authorship and Accountability

Articles should display the real name or approved professional byline of the responsible writer. Author pages should include a short biography, areas of coverage and links to recent work. Generic “admin” bylines should not be used for normal editorial articles.

When an article is substantially revised, the page should show an updated date. The original publication date should not be changed to make old content appear newly published. More about the publication is available on our About Us page.

Images, Video and Copyright

Images and video must be owned, licensed, supplied with permission or used under a valid legal basis. Captions and credits should identify the source where required. Editors should not remove watermarks, crop out attribution or use social media content without considering permission, privacy and context.

Artificial or materially altered images should be labelled when a reasonable reader could mistake them for documentary photography.

Commercial Content and Editorial Independence

Sponsored articles, paid partnerships and advertisements must be clearly labelled. Commercial teams may confirm campaign facts and agreed deliverables, but they should not control unrelated editorial decisions or require a positive opinion to be presented as independent reporting.

Paid outbound links must use the appropriate sponsored link attribute. Spotlight Sphere does not sell undisclosed links or guarantee search rankings. Partnership options are described on our Advertise page.

Affiliate Links and Product Coverage

If an article contains affiliate links, the relationship should be disclosed near the links or at the start of the article. Product inclusion should not be described as an independent recommendation when it was purchased as part of a commercial arrangement.

Prices, availability and product details can change. Readers should be encouraged to check the seller or official provider before purchasing. Related limits are also covered in our Disclaimer.

Artificial Intelligence and Editorial Tools

Technology may assist with tasks such as transcription, spelling, research organisation, translation support or draft structure. It does not replace editorial responsibility. A named human remains responsible for checking facts, sources, rights, tone and final publication.

We do not publish automatically generated articles without meaningful human review. We do not use automation to create large numbers of pages that add no original value. Where synthetic media or AI generated material is central to a story, it should be labelled when disclosure helps readers understand what they are seeing.

Conflicts of Interest, Gifts and Invitations

Writers and editors should disclose personal, financial or professional interests that could affect a story. Gifts, travel, event access or samples should not buy favourable coverage. Where a benefit is relevant to reader understanding, it should be disclosed.

Reader Feedback

Readers can question a fact, suggest a source or raise a concern through the Contact Us page. Specific requests with a page URL and supporting evidence can be reviewed more quickly than general statements. Personal information sent with feedback is handled under our Privacy Policy.

Contact the Editorial Team