The Independent retains full authority over its editorial content. Our news judgments are made in the best interest of readers and the community we serve. We maintain a firewall between revenue and reporting: no sponsor, member or business partner has influence over coverage.
Financial support: The Independent is sustained by reader memberships and local sponsorships. Acceptance of financial support does not imply endorsement of any donor, sponsor, product, service or opinion.
Topic support: The Independent may accept sponsorship for broad coverage areas — such as arts, history or civic life — but we keep full editorial control. No pre-publication review or approval is ever granted.
Sponsorship standards: The Independent reserves the right to accept or decline any sponsorship. We decline support that is misleading, fraudulent, illegal or inconsistent with our standards of civic responsibility.
Disclosure: The Independent makes public the names of all sponsors and partners. Anonymous or conflicted support is not accepted.
Separation of content and sponsorship: All sponsorships are clearly labeled and kept separate from editorial content.