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Section 1: General Philosophy & Disclosure

Our primary commitment is to our readers. To maintain trust and transparency, all sponsored content will be clearly and conspicuously identified as such. A disclaimer (e.g., “Sponsored Post,” “Paid Partnership”) will appear at the top of every sponsored article. Our editorial team does not participate in the creation of sponsored content.

Section 2: Content Submission Guidelines

All submitted content must be original, of high quality, and provide genuine value to our audience.

A. Acceptable Topics

We seek content that is relevant and engaging for our readership. Preferred topics include, but are not limited to:

Education and Academia
Career Development and Professional Advice
Technology and Innovation
Local Businesses and Minneapolis/St. Paul Community News
Financial Literacy (budgeting, student loans, investing)
Health, Wellness and Student Life
Arts, Culture and Entertainment

B. Quality Standards

Well-Written: Content must be submitted in clear, coherent English, free from excessive grammatical errors and typos. The Minnesota Daily reserves the right to edit for basic grammar.
Originality: Submissions must be original content to which you hold the publishing rights. Plagiarized or syndicated content is strictly prohibited.
Value-Driven: The article should inform, educate or entertain. Content that is purely promotional or reads like a press release is unlikely to be accepted.

C. Formatting & Technical Requirements

Word Count: We recommend a word count between 500 and 1,500 words.
Images & Media: Clients must provide at least one high-resolution feature image (minimum 2000px wide, .JPG or .PNG). All images must be relevant, high-quality, and the Client must own the license or have explicit permission to use them. The Minnesota Daily is not responsible for any copyright claims related to client-submitted media.
Links: The number of “do-follow” links permitted is determined by the package purchased. All links must be active and direct to the specified URL.

Section 3: Prohibited Content & Activities

The Minnesota Daily maintains a strong commitment to ethical standards and the well-being of its community. We will not accept content, links, or advertising for the following:

Academic Dishonesty: Services that violate academic integrity, including but not limited to essay mills, term paper writing services or cheating aids.
Illegal Activities, Products or Services: Content that promotes or facilitates any unlawful act, substance or enterprise.
Irresponsible Overconsumption: Relative to drinking and/or recreational drug use and the promotion thereof.
Gambling and Betting: Promotion of online casinos, sports betting or other gambling-related activities.
Hate Speech & Discriminatory Content: Content that attacks or demeans any group based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.
Misinformation & Disinformation: Content containing verifiably false claims, conspiracy theories, or pseudoscience, especially related to health, science or civic processes.
Harassment & Defamation: Content that is threatening, abusive, libelous or defamatory.
Sexually Explicit Content: Pornography or other sexually explicit material.
Weapons & Explosives: Promotion of firearms, ammunition or other weapons.
Deceptive Financial Products: “Get-rich-quick” schemes, predatory loans or unaccredited financial offers.
University Policy Violations: Any content that promotes activities in direct violation of the University of Minnesota’s policies and code of conduct.

NOTE: The Minnesota Daily reserves the absolute and final right to reject or remove any content, at any time, for any reason, without notice.

Section 4: The Process: Review, Payment, and Publication

Submission: Client submits the article, images, and links via our submission form.
Internal Review: Our team will review the submission against the guidelines outlined in this document, typically within 5-7 business days. We will assess for topic relevance, quality, and compliance.
Decision:
- Approved: If the content is approved, we will notify the Client and issue an invoice for the selected package.
- Revisions Required: We may request specific edits to meet our standards.
- Rejected: If the content is not a fit, we will notify the Client.
Payment: All sponsored posts are prepaid. The invoice must be paid in full before publication.
Publication: Upon receipt of payment, the post will be formatted and published on mndaily.com within 3-5 business days. We will send the Client the live URL as proof of publication.

Section 5: Term, Renewal, and Removal

Term: Each sponsored post is guaranteed to remain live on mndaily.com for a term of one (1) year from the date of publication.
Renewal: Clients will receive renewal reminder emails at 60 days, 30 days, and 7 days before the expiration date. Renewal will be offered at the current rate card pricing at the time of renewal.
Non-Renewal & Removal: If a Client declines to renew or does not respond, the sponsored post will be removed from the website on or after its expiration date. Removal consists of unpublishing the post (changing its status to “Draft”).

Section 6: Legal Terms & Conditions

Representation and Warranties: The Client represents and warrants that they are the sole owner of, or have obtained all necessary licenses and permissions for, all submitted content, including text, hyperlinks, images, graphics and logos. The Client guarantees that the submitted content does not and will not infringe upon the intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any third party.
Indemnification: The Client agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless The Minnesota Daily, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses or expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees and costs) arising out of or in any way connected with the content supplied by the Client, including but not limited to claims of copyright infringement, libel, defamation or privacy violation.
Limitation of Liability: The Minnesota Daily makes no guarantees regarding the performance, reach, traffic or SEO results of any sponsored post. Our liability for any issue related to a sponsored post is limited to the total amount paid by the Client for that specific post.
Governing Law: These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
Modification of Terms: The Minnesota Daily reserves the right to modify these guidelines and terms of service at any time. The date of the most recent update will be posted at the top of this document. Continued use of our sponsored content program constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

For questions about sponsored content, email Sam Oldenburg, the MN Daily marketing & operations adviser, at [email protected].