Applies to: our in-house team, partner media, project teams and invited contributors.
1. Purpose, roles and editorial boundaries
This guide sets out how Tree News handles column applications, author submissions, contributed pieces from organizations, partner content, publication and distribution. Its aim is to raise content quality and make collaboration efficient while protecting editorial independence, factual accuracy, authors’ rights and readers’ right to know.
| Role | Main responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Author / organization | Responsible for originality, facts, licensing, disclosure of interests and publishability; cooperates with editors on verification and revisions. |
| Editorial team | Decides on topics, checks facts and format, refines headlines, standfirsts and layout, schedules publication and applies content labels. |
| Business development | Confirms the scope and deliverables of a partnership, but may not use commercial commitments to interfere with editorial independence, fact-checking or risk labelling. |
| Brand / legal | Reviews high-risk wording, use of brand assets, infringement complaints, major corrections and takedowns. |
Editorial independence: partner content receives a clear commercial label and the agreed distribution, but we do not promise traffic, rankings, homepage placement, favourable coverage, or a way around editorial review.
2. Content types and labels
| Type | What it covers | How it is labelled |
|---|---|---|
| Original / independent analysis | Research, commentary, industry observation or first-hand interviews produced independently by the author | Author byline; conflicts of interest and risk warnings added where needed |
| Column article | Ongoing output from an approved regular author or organization | Column name + author / organization page |
| Contributed piece | Industry news, technical or event content submitted by projects, organizations or communities | Organization byline; labelled “Contributed” according to the actual relationship |
| Partner / sponsored content | Paid promotion, co-hosted events, sponsored features or brand campaigns | Prominently labelled “Partnership / Sponsored / Promotion”; never presented as independent news |
| Translation / reprint | Content licensed by the original author, the rights holder, or under an open licence | Original source, author, licence note and translator / reprint details |
3. Applying for a column
Columns are open to individuals, media, organizations and communities with a sustained capacity for research, practice or industry observation. Applicants should provide past work we can assess and a stable set of topics. Our editors judge applications chiefly on expertise, credibility, value to readers and consistency.
What to include
- Author / organization name, bio, field and links that verify your public identity
- Contact person, a regular email address, X / Twitter, Telegram or another verifiable channel
- At least 3 representative pieces, with a note on your role in each
- Proposed column name, core topics, target readers and suggested publishing frequency
- Conflicts of interest: investment, advisory or employment relationships and anything else that may affect objectivity
- Proof of permission to use your avatar, organization logo or other visual assets (where applicable)
Review process
- Initial screening: we verify identity, quality of work, fit with our coverage and potential conflicts of interest.
- Editorial conversation: we agree on the column’s positioning, byline, content boundaries, review arrangements and public contact channels.
- Trial pieces: where needed, 1–3 trial articles to assess factual rigour, readability and value to readers.
- Launch: we confirm the column page bio, avatar, byline, publishing rhythm and labelling rules.
How to apply: applications are handled centrally by our editorial team — please submit your materials through the “Become a columnist” form on this site. Publishing access is never granted before identity has been verified.
4. Submission and delivery requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Manuscript | Send an editable Word file, an online document or a draft link on our platform — not an image-only PDF. The piece should have a clear headline, standfirst, section structure and conclusion. |
| Headline and summary | Headlines must be accurate and readable, without exaggeration or clickbait. We recommend also supplying a short headline (under 60 characters) and a summary (under 150 characters) for on-site and social distribution. |
| Byline and background | State the author, organization, column, job title and any conflicts of interest that can be disclosed. Do not invent identities or claim to represent an organization you do not. |
| Data and citations | Give the source, date and link for data, charts, market figures and research findings. Citations must be traceable — avoid unsourced phrases such as “it is understood” or “market rumours”. |
| Images and cover | Covers should be JPG / JPEG / PNG. Upload original images for the body or provide working links, and make sure you hold the copyright, portrait and trademark permissions. |
| Tags and links | Provide 3–5 core tags. External links must be relevant, accessible and free of malicious redirects. If the piece will also appear on third-party platforms, say so when you submit. |
Suggested length: for news flashes and announcements, completeness comes first; analysis pieces are best at 1,500–5,000 words (Chinese characters). Length is not an acceptance criterion — facts, insight and value to readers are.
5. Writing and editing standards
5.1 Basic requirements
- Content must be true, accurate and verifiable, and must clearly distinguish facts, data, opinions, speculation and advertising claims.
- No plagiarism, paraphrase-to-disguise (“rewashing”), stitched-together translations, fabricated interviews, data or quotes, and no unlicensed text, images, code or video.
- When covering tokens, investment, trading, returns, fundraising or regulation, avoid phrases such as “capital guaranteed”, “certain to rise” or “insider information”, and add risk warnings appropriate to the content.
- Authors must proactively disclose any involvement with projects, investment targets, employment or advisory relationships, holdings or other interests.
- AI may be used for outlines, grammar and efficiency, but the author remains responsible for every fact and statement. If AI substantively generated the body text, charts or translation, disclose the extent of its use to the editors.
5.2 Editorial handling
Editors may make necessary improvements to headlines, standfirsts, grammar, format, images, tags, links and layout. Substantial changes to core arguments, factual conclusions, brand wording or length will be agreed with the author / organization first.
Submissions with complete formatting, usable images and clear citations are more likely to be considered for the homepage, special features or social promotion; placement is still decided independently by the editors based on timeliness and value to readers.
6. Review, publication and distribution
| Stage | Principle |
|---|---|
| Intake | Confirm the content type, byline, partnership relationship, completeness of materials and first-publication / syndication status. |
| Review | Verify facts, sources, copyright, disclosures, risk wording, headline and standfirst, and image rights. |
| Publication | Publish according to timeliness, feature schedules and page standards; commercial content must carry a prominent label. |
| Distribution | Depending on the partnership agreement and editorial judgement, content may be distributed to our official channels, including the website, app, WeChat official account, WeChat Channels, X / Twitter and Telegram. |
| Archiving | Keep the original manuscript, key sources, licence records, version history and published links for corrections, audits and reviews. |
7. Corrections, retractions and violations
| Situation | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Minor factual error | Corrected promptly after verification; where needed, a note at the end states what was corrected and when. |
| Major error or misleading content | The editors may take the piece offline temporarily, add a risk warning or publish a correction, and will notify the author / partner. |
| Copyright, portrait or trademark complaint | Evidence is preserved and licences checked first; where the risk is clear, the piece or the disputed material is taken down or replaced. |
| Plagiarism, rewashing, fabrication, or undisclosed commercial relationships | Rejection or retraction of the piece, and withdrawal of column or partnership status; we reserve the right to pursue serious cases. |
| Regulatory or security risk | Handled under applicable law, platform rules and our internal risk procedures; distribution may be suspended where necessary. |
8. Pre-publication checklist
- Content type, byline, organizational relationship and commercial label are accurate
- Headline, summary, section structure, tags and cover image are complete
- Data, charts, quotes, opinions and links all have verifiable sources
- Images, logos, personal information, citations and reprints are licensed or used within the licence
- Conflicts of interest, holdings / advisory relationships, substantive AI use and risk warnings are truthfully disclosed
- First-publication, exclusivity, syndication and third-party reprint arrangements are clear
- Partner content contains no unconfirmed traffic promises, exaggeration or misleading claims